While the tweedy control panel caught my eye, this 1963 vignette more engaged my memory. Growing up, cats were a constant presence in my home, and they—of course—enjoyed All-Access passes to every room, including the kitchen. The above scene is quite familiar to me. But Tappan showed its ignorance [willful or otherwise] of feline nature when claiming kitty's comfort is due to the quietude of its dishwasher: any cat person knows it's the warmth of the drying cycle that earns the appliance the animal's approval.
Belying its contemporary appearance, the Crush pendant light is fabricated using a technique developed by medieval armorers to produce rigid, form-fitting leather breastplates and other such necessities of the Dark Ages. Cuir bouilli is a boiling process that initially renders leather pliable and then allows the dried material to holds its contoured shape. [An enticement: the designer also offers some kitchenware and seating using the same method.] simonhasan.com
Yesterday, inspired by an interesting online chat with the design team at GE, I went to my files on concept kitchen appliances. There I rediscovered the Touch&Turn, a project by Dutch designer Menno Kroezen. It's a simple cooking system to assist blind people in preparing meals. Users orient the handle of the cool-to-the-touch pot to any of the raised dots that ring the induction hotplate; the more dots, the higher the heat. Thoughtful and thought-provoking work. mennokroezen.com
A porthole window in the shower—why not? It's sufficiently unusual that it could pass as a quirky moderne-period detail, and should you be fortunate enough to live seaside, it's a witty expansion of the standard nautical decor-theme. If you're interested in continuing such submariner style in other bath fixtures, here's a tub that will float your boat. kembleinteriors.com
After the hustle [and the hustling, courtesy of the pushers of the ridiculous shop-a-thons that are Black Friday and Cyber Monday] of Thanksgiving, I'm looking for a little quiet time in the kitchen; yes, this one would suit me fine. A couple of appealing details raise this space out of the ordinary: the frosty glass behind the stove is unexpectedly luxe for such a traditional kitchen, and the unpainted drawers on the island are a nice reminder of the material origins of the room. atelier-saintpaul.fr
Although this ad dates from 1950, the scene it depicts is may ring a more recent bell...as in yesterday, perhaps? Dishes—platters, plates, cups and saucers, pans and pots and roasters, and the occasional tureen—stacked everywhere in a silent testament to good-natured gluttony.
I'm grateful to be able to enjoy this holiday in comfort; life is back to pre-Sandy standards. But for many in our area, the hardship continues, and today is more a cruel reminder of loss than a celebration of bounty. Here's an opportunity to share our good fortune with them.
