Coffee, Pillows, Books, and the Moon // Meet the Makers: Christiane Wery from prater&stern — Ferment

Christiane Wery from the label “prater&stern” is one of the creatives at our pop-up “Coffee, Pillows, Books, and the Moon”. Located in Vienna's Leopoldstadt, Christiane uses environmentally friendly textile inks to print unique patterns on Mühlviertler linen, and create sustainable home accessories.

In our kiosk konversation Christiane shares her thoughts on all things cozy and the inspiration behind her label:

`The deep desire and immediate need to take care of our beautiful planet is evident in all the choices I make, especially when designing and creating products for my label prater&stern.`

Could you introduce yourself and share a little about your label and its idea/ philosophy?

My name is Christiane Wery, I'm a nature-loving, design-savvy, family person, mother of two sons and an architect who found her way to textile design via a passion for printing and graphics. Having grown up in Canada, nature has always been a major inspiration for my work and a source of balance and harmony in my life. The deep desire and immediate need to take care of our beautiful planet is evident in all the choices I make, especially when designing and creating products for my label prater&stern. prater&stern designs are simple and minimalistic and at the same time colourful, bright and bold. I guess you could say the philosophy behind prater&stern is to bring a dynamic, happy vibe into your home with sustainably and thoughtfully made designs - iconic home accessories that will be a favourite for a long, long time.

As one of the featured creatives at the upcoming // COFFEE, PILLOWS, BOOKS, AND THE MOON // pop-up event, what can visitors expect to see from your brand?

I’m extremely excited to be bringing along a new design for our visitors to discover, you could almost say it was MADE for this event. “Puff” – an extra-large and very comfy floor pillow, hand-printed with prater&stern’s newest pattern – it’s perfect for lounging with a coffee and a good read. I’ll also be bringing along a selection of cozy and unique “sofa-buddies” - pillows in a variety of shapes, sizes, patterns and colours. Plus, I’ll be bringing organic linen tea towels and napkins, which look especially great on a kitchen table together with a cup of coffee.

In your opinion, what are the essential elements for a perfectly cozy weekend?

Colder weather makes for especially cozy weekends, also – music is essential, perhaps some jazz. You can’t beat John Coltrane for a cool lounging mood. The next essential element, if you’re like me, and enjoy sitting on the ground, is either an extra-large floor pillow or a whole pile of pillows to flop onto. Of course, something to read is another necessity for perfect coziness - a good book, or favourite design or travel magazine (one I recently discovered at the Ferment Kiosk is “Fare”) – plus, to top it off… a big cup of coffee. With these “ingredients” I’ll be cozy and content for hours.

How do you typically take/ prepare your coffee during a leisurely weekend?

On the weekend I take time to grind coffee beans and enjoy the wonderful aroma that fills the kitchen. I’ve been using our stainless steel Alessi moka pot to make coffee for years and even take it along on trips! I love the strong, flavourful coffee it makes and add frothed oat milk to make myself a cappuccino.

When you're looking to relax and unwind, where is your go-to spot to curl up with a comfortable pillow?

When it’s too cold to sit outside on our little balcony, I grab a big floor pillow and find myself a cosy spot in our livingroom. This is where I sit back and relax, often joined by our dog Abigail who enjoys a good cuddle.

Do you have a book recommendation that you believe would be perfect for a cozy weekend?

At the moment I’m immersed in a book about the life and work of the Brazilian Landscape Architect Roberto Burle Marx: “Roberto Burle Marx Brazilian Modernist” written by Jens Hoffmann and Claudia J. Nahson. It’s a beautiful and very intriguing book with photos of his artwork, his tapestry, jewelry designs and his many gardens. I find it extremely fascinating and inspirational and would definitely recommend it for a cozy weekend.