Match Game

Look closely—or if I were inclined to make the occasional pun, I might say take a gander at—these tiles. Notice anything about the black forms? Those in the foreground pair up into a silhouette of a pig, while the ones on the far wall combine into geese. Sweet and/or sophisticated—you decide. bardelli.it

Peek-a-Boo Bath

Although much of its success hinges [ahem] on the overall floorplan, I'm intrigued by the now-you-see-it-now-you-don't design of this bath. [Speaking as a shower person, this is high praise indeed.] Swing open this series of four wall panels and let the light shine in; close them, and enjoy a soak in the tub in privacy. carlyledesigns.com

We Interrupt This Blog...

...to let you know that at the kind invitation of Stacy Garcia, I'll be hosting the venerable, vibrant, and veracious #kbtribechat. The topic of conversation is near & dear to us all: kitchen appliances of the major kind. The chat begins on Wednesday, 27 March [that's tomorrow!] at 2:00PM EDT/NYC time; sign in at tweetchat.com/room/kbtribechat. Please drop by and add your comments. Or lurk quietly and just read the feed. It's all good.

Transparent Thinking

Opaque surfaces are so...well, omnipresent. I'm excited about these laminated glass shelving units—what a novel, gorgeous way to bring color into a bath or kitchen. Designer Piero Lissoni jolts pure, elemental forms with an electric palette. For reasons beyond me, the collection is named 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. glasitalia.com

Back to Earth

After the glittery tedium of the Oscars, I'm ready for a reality check. This stripped down kitchen installation is subdued, but keeps my attention on a couple points. Such as... the careful way the grain of the fumed oak was placed and matched across the drawer fronts so it cascades down from the cabinet pulls. And about those pulls: Did you notice they are the inverse of the oven's control knobs? Neat trick. kbhsnedkeri.dk

And the Award for Best Costume Design Goes to...

...Kelvinator, for its 1965 production, 'Originals'. I can't quite make up my mind about which 'outfit' really takes the prize; maybe the Sampler, with its cross-stitched freezer door, or the frankly bizarre Carriage Lamp model. Credit for this concept goes to William Reddig, who was also a designer for Kelvinator's parent company, American Motors Corporation—a corporate relationship that obviously explains the number of auto motifs [Rambler '04, Flivver, Runabout, and 500] in this quirky appliance collection.

Visionary Design

Hmmm—a glance at yesterday's post would indicate a current fixation with mirrors—or lack thereof—on my part. [The psychoanalysts among us can have fun with that, I'm sure.] Today, I'm reflecting on this all-in-one sink unit, which is made of brushed stainless steel. Its integral "mirror", an irregular patch of highly polished metal at eye level, is a lyrical, seasonally-appropriate detail, recalling a peep hole that's been rubbed in a frost-covered window. everydaydesign.ca