Put a Lid on It

A young London-based designer finds a new use for an old jar.

It takes a truly inspired design to get us excited about reusing jam jars, but Jorre van Ast’s plastic tops, for Royal VKB, have us dutifully soaking our Bonne Maman containers in the sink. The plastic screw-on designs—which turn ordinary jars into sugar pots, oil-and-vinegar sets, or water jugs—started in 2006 as van Ast’s graduation project at the Royal College of Art, in London. With a forthright austerity and army-ready colorways that put us in mind of the best of Grcic, they’ve attracted attention from the usual suspects, but, at least in the States, they’ve been nearly impossible to find. Luckily, the Conran Shop just announced that it will be stocking the tops starting this fall. We’re polishing off our last spoonfuls of apricot preserves in anticipation.

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