At the end of the year, Veiko invited me to the cute eco-café Mahedik in Pärnu for the interview with the guys from JALG. The café is run by his partner and, in addition to imaginative vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, offers an excellent selection of cakes made with alternative ingredients. A cafe exactly to my taste and very comfortably furnished!
While Argo was still busy with his lunch, Veiko greeted me with a warm smile and exuberant welcome, arranged a great Earl Gray tea, and gave me a homemade photo calendar from his trip with a friend and two dogs. A warm welcome that I won’t soon forget!
JALG and Baltic Design Shop – the story
Marko from OOT-OOT recommended JALG TV support to me. Since he is always very reserved in his advice, I have become particularly careful about this etiquette. And indeed the TV cabinet has been very well received by my customers and I am happy to be able to offer this amazing piece of furniture in my online store. But who are the guys who designed and developed this truly minimalist product?
Argo (on the right in the photo) and Veiko have known each other for over 20 years, as they come from the same town of Pärnu and met constantly as children. JALG is the first joint project between the two friends, although in the past Argo was happy to discuss his ideas with Veiko.
When asked who they are and what they do, the two just laugh. Because they always found it difficult to answer. You are constantly in flow and driven by new ideas, interests, knowledge, experiences and encounters. Argo actually has no background in design, even though he is the co-founder of +ID – the smallest card reader in the world. +ID is his main job, but he spends half the year in Asia to manage production from there. There are also many new ideas floating around in his head, which he tries to implement in parallel and which are his great passion.
Even at Veiko we cannot talk about a classic CV and a simple professional history. He is a freelance photographer with designer training, but also deals with renovation and rental of summer accommodation in Pärnu. New: the JALG brand, which it manages together with Argo.
Minimalist TV stand as a gap in the market
JALG was born out of Argo’s personal need for a TV stand that wasn’t as bulky and ugly as any other on the market. As Veiko points out several times, Argo is a true minimalist who only wears black and white clothes and tries to reduce his life to the bare minimum. His goal is therefore to invent simple products, without complications and without frills, without sacrificing functionality. Like the +ID card reader, which has nothing superfluous, has been reduced to the minimum in size and fits in every wallet.
The JALG TV stand has four elegant solid wood legs, a flat metal body to support the TV and two narrow brackets for the receiver. No more. Nothing can be removed or reduced, it is perfect in its reduction.
What makes the product so interesting for Argo and Veiko is the contrast between the wooden feet with a retro Scandinavian look and the look of a modern flat screen television. The combination is unusual and well received.
JALG is now available in numerous variants and designs: with wooden and metal feet, in white, black and natural and also in XL format for flat screens up to 75 inches.
The topic of sustainability is important for kids, Veiko in particular is constantly looking for old furniture, bicycles, etc., which he renews or repairs and then uses. For JALG, sustainable production is limited to the feet, but material consumption is so low that the ecological footprint is quite positive.
Estonian design – signature design with a future
For the designer couple, Estonian design is something pure, with a clear and clean aesthetic. Just like the cultural area is: rather sober and bare. At the same time, details are of great importance and the quality is incredibly good, says Argo, who tends to be more reserved and impassive in conversations. «Look at our leather designer,» he says, «very clean, high-quality workmanship! Things with soul.»
What does the future hold for Estonian designer products? Argo says the design will definitely get more visibility around the world. This will result in increased production. Hopefully this does not affect the quality, which is a great unique selling point in the current author’s design. Veiko strongly doubts that the Estonians will ever be able to bring to market a product that has what it takes to become a design classic. Nowadays they are not made for classics. But revolutionary inventions in the field of industrial design or 3D printers could come, as there is a lot to do in these areas in Estonia.
Finally, I ask the kids the question I always ask my designers: if a design-savvy foreigner comes to Estonia, where should he go to get an overview of Estonian design? After a short pause for reflection, Veiko and Argo quickly agree on the first three recommendations, but Veiko adds a fourth point:
Estonian Museum of Applied Arts and Design – for an overview of the history of Estonian design
Telliskivi Loomelinnak – for small designer shops and delicious food
Rotermanni Kvartal – for industrial architecture with a modern look
And the K6lakojad in the southern Estonian forest – to get to know the soul of the Estonians
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