Going Green

While the folks at Kelvinator were justly proud of their own rendering of the timeless bile-green hue we call avocado, I suspect they knew that the real star of this 1966 fridge was the futuristic door handle. Set on etched-metal panels, the pulls look like a tool that ol' Scotty would deploy to tune up the Enterprise's dilithium crystals. And that's good enough for me.

[P.S. Everybody knows that avocados should never be refrigerated. FAIL, Kelvinator!]

Halo Effect

Fittingly based in the City of Light, Le Deun Luminaires creates ethereal, minimalist fixtures. The delicate rings comprising the [pi]super8 pendant are ribbon-thin bands of steel, lined with 168 LEDs. It would be quite striking in the round and sleek Argento Vivo kitchen, I think. ledeun.com

The Time Has Come

A few weeks back, a Tweet from the inquisitive minds at Moen asked the question, 'What faucet innovation would you like to see in the future?' I am not one to shy away from such a poll, and wished for a fitting that would dose out water in specified amounts. It exists in laboratories—why not the home? Jasper Hou has put more thought into this project, and I think his 'No More No Less' design is an elegant, workable solution. Some in the blogosphere have expressed doubts; they worry that the electronics would be vulnerable to water. Problems are meant to be solved, I say.

[Jasper's website is currently disabled.]

Sinkopation

Big, but not bulky; clean-lined, but not clinical. The Canasta 2 sink is a pared-down design that melds [card sharks will smile at that reference] materials with restraint. In an ambidextrous detail, the wooden shelf slides freely along the length of the basin. Or you can remove it completely, if you so choose. moma-design.com

Singular Style

It's not too often that a small, urban kitchen catches my attention. Usually, they seem to be one of two predictable types: either a by-the-book, Euro-style space, or a 'spontaneously' messy tableau that aspires to inclusion in The Selby. This room is refreshingly different, preserving some of its indigenous charms [the tile floor and the ceiling medallion] while adding new, necessary cabinets and appliances. Note the range hood, atop the tiled portion of the wall, squeezed in between the windows. I like that.

Head-Spinning Design

Domestic life in 1953 must have been very sedate, considering the reaction these ladies are having to a rather basic dishwasher. The novelty of the twirling upper rack seems to have sent them into a collective tizzy, as if the wheel had been reinvented. Never mind that the capacity of a circular design is less than that of a rectangular tray—it spins! Whee!

Soft Touch

I tend to be over-protective of the oak counters in my kitchen, doing all my slicing and dicing on cutting boards. Perhaps if I worked on cork surfaces I'd be a little more freewheeling in my treatment of them. No surprise to anyone who enjoys a bottle of wine, the material is happy in a wet environment. These counters are made of 100% recycled cork that has been formed into slabs just over an inch thick. While a long stretch of a cork counter might be appealing to some, I'm envisioning strategically-placed inserts routed into surfaces of stone, concrete, and yes, wood. suberra.co