Haunting Design, Day 4

It's alive! The rippling pattern that emerges [or does it disappear?] from the murky depths of the Twist tiles seems slightly supernatural. To me, the whorled symmetry of the lines suggests a menacing storm system. normandy-ceramics.com

Haunting Design, Day 3

If one wanted to put tricksters in their place during this scare-filled season, switching out the familiar front door hardware for this bony lever would do the job. Imagine the horror of standing on a stranger's porch, grasping Faye Toogood's skeletal door handle design in the dark.

The stuff of nightmares, indeed. ize.info

Haunting Design, Day 2

The unblinking owls of the Ti Vedo [Italian for 'I see you'] wall fixture could be friendly...or have foul [ahem] play in mind, their orange eyes inscrutably glowing. Designed by Matteo Ugolini for Karman, the ceramic lights have a beguiling mid-century vibe. globallighting.com

Haunting Design

Let this black-as-midnight kitchen begin the countdown to Halloween. Drained of color and devoid of any lively detail, it's a space that would delight any denizen of the dark side. cphsquare.dk

Changing Colors

Although it's late October, the leaves remain doggedly green. Nature keeps its own calendar.

I wonder how things might look if we were able to customize the trees similar to the way—more correctly, the 329 ways—that owners of Amana refrigerators could redo their appliances in 1966. Forests would be filled with prints, patterns, and hues of a most unnatural sort.

Could be interesting.

Prep, Schooled

When brothers [and chefs] Johannes and Joseph Schreiter applied German standards of efficiency to the French practice of mise en place, the result is the Frankfurter Brett. Both elevated and flush with the heavy duty cutting board, ingredient bins abound; they can be detached or repositioned as desired. Offered in three sizes, the Brett ["board"] is so substantial and serviceable that I'm inclined to consider it an appliance, rather than a mere culinary accessory. [Fun fact: The Schreiters named this invention after the seminal kitchen design of the early twentieth century.] frankfurter-brett.de

Plain and Fancy

A crude cube of concrete is quite the contrast to the baroque wall in the background. Juxtaposing modern and historic motifs is an old trick, but often effective. I think that keeping the color and materials palettes contained is the key, as this bathroom shows.

From the Future

Despite the Audi marque, this is not an automotive accessory. What looks like a wheel rim has a dual function: Placing one's hands inside the ring activates a spray of water, as well as a black light that eradicates surface bacteria. Fraser Leid is the designer behind the Hudor faucet, which, understandably, remains a concept study. coroflot.com/fraserleid/profile

Hot and Cold

Over the weekend, a bewildering—at least for this locale—mix of meteorological conditions passed our way. While on a hike to admire the fall foliage, snow and sun simultaneously filled the sky. And so this kitchen, with its warm copper vent hood set among arctic-white cabinets, is a fitting post for today.

Every Picture Tells a Story

As citizens of the modern world, we're inured to seamless technology; today, version 2.0, tomorrow, V3. But in 1972, seeing was believing when it came to matters scientific. Industrial X-rays were used to prove the efficacy of this Hotpoint burner coil. The photo itself is remarkable. I wish the artistry of advertising would make a comeback in our abbreviated, hashtag world.

Stepping Up

Oh, yes. While the ambiance of this bath is admirable, it's the practical details that I think make the space so successful. One: Elevating the tub filler. Awkward when it grows out of the floor—its base and verticality are often obscured—installing it up on a step below the tub gives the fitting a sculptural prominence. Two: The small, slatted-wood platform back in the corner of the room. Not just an echo of material, it's a place to drip-dry or towel off without risking a slip on the smooth floor. elfcreators.com

Design Update

Isn't it surprising what a little bit of stainless steel can do to a design? Were it not for that shiny, silvery edge at the bottom of these cabinets [and note how it plays off the retractable range hood], the cupboards would be rather dated—albeit finely crafted—kitchen storage units. The metal lifts them into the realm of the modern. lottocento.it

Water Music

I'll wager there aren't many blogs that wax rhapsodic over a spray pattern, but at KBCULTURE, these are the things that set our collective hearts aflutter. Even though one may not be able to appreciate the artistry of the water jets while waving the Aio handshower over one's head, their restorative effects can still be felt. methven.com

Subtle Design

I think my favorite quality of this kitchen is that it doesn't come across as a kitchen. The ambiance—supplied by the rich materials and softened light—overrides the room's functional identity. To me, the space feels more like a study or small living room [and that banquette sure looks cozy]. josephdirand.com

Pitching Heat

With the baseball playoffs at last underway, who better to usher in this Flashback Friday than Mr. October himself, Reginald Martinez Jackson? This 1982 ad captures the confidence of the Hall of Famer, who regularly led the Yankees and Athletics through the post-season to sundry championships. Genius, indeed.

Hocus Focus

Today has been a mix of the serious and the surreal, and I'm happy to have it behind me. Like this kitchen, there were distractions and illusions encountered, but once they were filtered away, what remains is clarity—a metaphorical black and white.

Counter Maneuvers

I beg your pardon for the blurry photo, but the design idea transcends the poor image quality. The Worktop Extender won a Red Dot Award for its ingenious way of increasing the true premium of the kitchen—counter space, not storage—without permanently occupying floor area. This unit rolls out from the base cabinets when extra work room is needed, then returns to its inconspicuous location when the job is done. nobia.com

You Can't Be Too Thin

No, there isn't any Photoshop trickery going on in this picture. Realizing that not everyone needs a cavernous basin in the bath, the design team of Benedini Associati, Andres Jost, and Diego Cisi created a shallow sink that measures a mere 1.5 inches deep. It's part of the scheme that gives the Ell the appearance of floating planes. The Corian counter is both sturdy and light enough to be supported by wall brackets. agapedesign.it

Shelf Life, Indeed

Designed by Michele Marcon, the Opera kitchen certainly rises to theatrical heights. Were it not for those towering shelves [check out the stools to fully appreciate the scale of the installation], it would be fair to call the kitchen tame, but the open storage demands attention—like a stage diva. And populating those cubbies with ordinary boxes of cereal and cans of soup just won't do: this is a space that requires careful art direction. snaidero-usa.com

On the Bright Side

On this cold, grey, wet, dark, totally dreary day—and Hurricane Joaquin hasn't even made his stormy appearance yet—a bit of absurdity might be just what we need to brighten things up. This 1917 ad offers a choice of entertaining oddities, from Kardashianesque spelling ['kabinet'] to the rule-breaking fashionista's wardrobe to an unsettlingly fatalistic slogan ['Every day is a half day in a Kalamazoo kitchen'] all providing a welcome, if weird, distraction.

Block Parti

I'd like to see the Kub sink intersect with a block of solid-color material, instead of a chunk of wispy-veined marble; as it is, the design pulls in opposite directions with its modernist form and classical material. But beyond appearances, the sink is impressively engineered, with precision cuts and a cleverly concealed drain. victorvasilev.com