A Gripping Design

Designed by architects Roberto Lucci and Paolo Orlandini, the Time kitchen displays an unusual mix of curving and canted lines, and a lovely materiality, to boot. The drawer handles have an aeronautical grace to their drooping profile that I find very original. The modular proportion of the countertop thickness is carried through the cabinetry—another intelligent touch. snaidero.com

An Unexpected Elegance

While this covetable collection of kitchen and bath fittings is indeed called 'MY', don't mistake that for a possessive. The designation is designer Michael Young's initials. With a hand-finished mirror polish, the futurist forms invite touching. jougor.com

A Warm Welcome

Just in time for our first [and hopefully last] significant snow storm of the season, this expandable sauna quite literally pops onto the scene. When 'closed', the cabinet is slightly less than two feet deep. Push a button, and the enclosure automatically telescopes out about six feet from the wall, the heater and bench seating also sliding into place. The S1 sauna is portable, so if you decamp from frigid climes to a merely bone-chilling location, the unit can move with you. klafs.com

A Bright Outlook

An appropriate kitchen design for a day that's cold, but not completely overcast. The imperfect but brilliant brass island gives the room a glow, though the concrete-grey cabinets tamp that down pretty thoroughly. All in all, a lovely space that's both old [in light] and new [in geometry].  richardlindvall.com

Some may have noticed my posts have been less not quite regular for the past couple weeks. After six years of daily entries, I did indulge in a few days off over the holidays. The break was great...and I'm back!

In With the New, Day 2

Talk about priming the pump: Christmas has barely faded from memory, and the vaunted Consumer Electronics Show opens today. An estimated 20,000 new products will be introduced at the expo, with more than a few targeting the kitchen. Perhaps next year, MK1 will be there: it's a highly dexterous—graceful, even—pair of robotic arms that employs 20 motors and 129 sensors to mimic the movements of a skilled cook. The plan is to offer this automated helper as part of a kitchen set-up that's equipped with appliances that have been specially designed to work with the 'bot. moley.com

In With the New

Let's start 2016 with an open mind, shall we? In the spirit of the new year, I'm going to focus on product concepts this week.

Designed by Carina Deuschl, the Xtend bathtub is both space-saving and portable. A collapsible carbon-fiber frame supports a padded textile liner. Making its debut at the imm Cologne show this month, the tub is a thought-provoking commentary on craftsmanship and the transient nature of life. carina-deuschl.com