Reader Stacia contacted me to share — and ask for help finding out more — about what she was calling a set of 32 “Fasylux” containers, organized in a special made-in-Norway box, and installed in her mother-in-law’s house around 1968. First off: I think it’s really “Easylux.” What more can we find out about this mysterious woddity?
Stacia writes:
Hi Pam,
I may have a wonderful oddity for you… We rescued a cabinet from my MIL’s house when she moved out recently. It is full of rectangular and round holes with containers in them. I think the cabinet was just made by the cabinet maker who did her kitchen in the late 60s or early seventies. But the containers… I didn’t know until we took them all out that they were made in Norway! The brand is Fasylux. They are clear plastic and the name is embossed on them. The round ones have lids with airtight rubber seals. I googled them and only came up with an old ebay photo. The link is super long so I’m not including it here, but you could look it up in the same way. I have never seen these anywhere else in my mid century hunting, in real life or online. Our cabinet holds 32 containers and we installed it in our mudroom. Super useful and cool looking!
I spoke to my mother-in-law about the cabinet. The house is in St. Louis, and I live in Columbia, MO. They bought the house in 1967 and remodeled the kitchen in 1968 or 69. They used an interior decorator — his name is Gene Levin…. he later moved to Las Vegas — to do the kitchen, and one day he just showed up with the cabinet, which he called a “tandaro unit” (or maybe tandara or tandura?? Her memory is spotty here). Anyway, she really liked it so it became part of the kitchen. She had no idea where it came from or that the containers were made in Norway, or if the cabinet came with the containers or was made separately. I couldn’t find anything online about tandaro or any of the variants… I was hoping to get more info for you, but maybe that is a mystery readers could help solve.
The decorator knew my in-laws were into Scandanavian design because they already owned a lot of Danish modern furniture, including a 10-piece Dux teak living room set that I now have, plus Dux dining room and bedroom furniture, plus the original Saarinen tulip table/chairs like you have. Unfortunately that last item did not survive 5 kids, and we sold the last two chairs at her estate sale and I can only imagine they were bought for parts. But the teak stuff is wonderful and I love that they kept it. The furniture all came from a store in St. Louis called Craig Furniture that is closed now. Maybe that store is why there’s so much great stuff in St. Louis!
Thanks, and let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you, Stacia, for sharing this with us — and what a treasure trove you have!
Sure enough, I deciphered your Fasylux to be Easylux… and immediately found an example of another Easylux Norway cabinet set at Retro on 8th. Call it “bad branding” by the original owners to create a logo so confusing. Details from their listing:
Easy Lux wood and acrylic staples/spices rack for the kitchen. Made in Norway by Ulovlig Ved Kjop & Salg. Fantastic piece with 6 bins, two jars and 6 spice containers.
Ah! I found another of their products on flickr. Another reference to Ulovlig Ved Kjop & Salg here, in reference to scales, it seems.
In regard to ‘tandaro” or “tandara” or “tandura” or ? as a name of class of storage units, I could not easily find anything, and wasn’t sure how to research this further.
Amber Lee says
Oooh I want one! Yet another thing to keep my eyes peeled for!
I agree with the author though- that St. Louis is a FABULOUS place to find Mid Century Modern goodies… (yet another reason my husband and I recently bought a Mid Century Modest Ranch there- only 3 weeks til we move in!).
Now I want/ need an Easy Lux 🙂
Stacia says
Birgitte–LOVE that site! I told Pam that researching this would probably be a lot easier if either of us spoke Norwegian. I feel rather silly that I didn’t realize the “F” was an “E”. I just thought “Fasylux” was a Norwegian word for storage or something like that!
Thanks to everyone for such great information. This cabinet is perfect for the mudroom and I’ve filled most of it up since those pictures were taken by cleaning out my junk drawers. 🙂
Birgitte says
Glad you liked it! I work as a translator (English to Norwegian) so let me know if there are other items you need help with.
Birgitte says
This is a link to a recently made satire over the 50s and 60s in a Norwegian newspaper today (Called “The happy housewife”, lots of drinks, etc). Check out the Easylux on the wall in the background.
pam kueber says
oooh, can you add the link, Birgitte?
Birgitte says
Sorry, I thought I did.
http://www.dagbladet.no/2012/10/30/tema/mat/dengladehusmor/24055526/
David says
Men ingen skräpkanon?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yZJznK7O7o&feature=relmfu
(but no scrap canon? Video in Swedish, but I think it’s pretty much self-explanatory)
Those 50’s Norwegian sinks with the cut out in front always cracked me up – seems like you’d get splashed a lot (will have to ask my mom about that).
Jody says
Is that Retro on 8th in Pittsburgh/Homestead?! Because I live like half a mile from there and might make a purchase!
pam kueber says
Jody, the link to their place is in the story….
Annie B. says
Kind of a Norwegian Hoosier Cabinet??
Birgitte says
It was used to store spices and flour and similar items in the kitchen, easier to have it wall mounted than to have all the containers on the counters.
Kate H says
Perhaps it is the equivalent of the American “junk drawer,” only tidied up and organized for easy use. Sort of a pre-Container Store way of thinking.
lisa says
Google images “scandinavian kitchen storage” has a bunch of cabinets of this type, though it looks like other manufacturers and a more traditional look. Apparently this sort of item is common in Scandinavian kitchens? Here is one post about them: http://www.thekitchn.com/traditional-scandinavian-kitch-77015
hillary says
What an awesome little storage cabinet/spice rack. I would love one for my kitchen and another in the laundry room.
I wonder if the interior decorator was calling it a “tansu unit”? Tansu chests were popular decorator items at the time and I could see how someone then might refer to a cabinet with a lot of little drawers as a tansu unit, even if it wasn’t Japanese-made.
Birgitte says
Lol! Ulovlig ved kjøp og salg = Illegal to use for buying and selling. You know, as commercial measuring units.
The brand is Easylux. My mom has one in her sewing room in Norway.
pam kueber says
Ha! Thanks!!!