Thursday, August 19, 2010

Swedish Mora Clocks

Mora clocks have taken the design world by storm, posing the question: Is it possible to have a true swedish, french, or belgian interior without the grace of the Mora longcase clock? Many say no, and Ms. CDVG agrees. Let's go ahead and get the title of my dear bloggy blog out of the way. Yes, I borrowed my name from the collective bloggy diva society of Joni Webb - Cote de Texas, Brooke Giannetti - Velvet & Linen, and Christina Fluegge - Greige. And who could blame me really? Back to Mora clocks and a little 'Lessa' bout me. A little humor never hurt anyone.

Mora clocks were made in Mora, Sweden - get it? Mora - Mora. Good. Here's a picture of picturesque Mora, Sweden for you kiddies to ooo and ahh over.


Beautiful and serene, with graceful hills and mounding plantings it's very easy to see how KrĂ„ng Anders Andersson (1727-1799) the first known clock maker in the region, and those who borrowed his technique, artistry, and skill were influenced by the area.  As they became more and more popular, it became a source of wealth for the region - but eventually they were usurped by cheaper, less complicated mechanics.
In recent years, the reproductions of mora clocks have saturated the market, making the search for true 18th century antiques like finding a needle in a haystack. And many of the reproductions are so good, in fact, that it's hard to know when you're buying a true antique.

Brooke Giannetti, blog superstar, has a mora clock in her foyer.

Joni Webb , designer, and blog SUPER UBER superstar (I'm not jealous) has a mora clock on the landing of her staircase, under a french styled lantern. I'm sure it looks very nice against her newly painted greige walls.




Traditionally, Mora clocks are used in dining spaces. And their graceful lines lend them to both formal and informal applications - known as Swedish Country interior spaces. Soft woods like Pine, painted or washed and then paired with darker hard woods like walnut. Soft colors like cream, pearl, and greige paired with washed woods in soft blues, greens, and taupes all make for Swedish inspired living.
Designers of movie sets, homes, and businesses, boats, sitcom sets and shop owners all seem to have a mora clock in their arsenal of design accessories. Of course the highly acclaimed and highly coveted set of the movie "Somethings Gotta Give" featured a mora clock in a more modernly styled beach home, proving that not only are they needed to complete a swedish, french, or belgian design - they're complimentary and verging the edge of needed to complete any design style.