The Good [Friday] Life

To mix a metaphor, this ad from 1925 plucks every sentimental string in the book. From the iconic country cottage, humble but perfect in its orchard setting and leaded glass windows to the exultation of innocence, with the child and her precious chick, it's impossible to resist the charm of it all.

The atmosphere is so idyllic that is distracts from—or does it underscore?—the curious fact that the kitchen has essentially only one feature in it: the sink. Which is, of course, the objective of the image.

Rendered in brilliant, resurrection-white, even though the basin in the background, it's the center of this scene, offering the promise of modernity to a pastoral life.

Off-Handed Elegance

There's an ad hoc progressiveness to this bath that seems appropriate to the finally-changing season. The casual inclusion of those high-style lights and the bespoke cabinets are clear indications of a sly design sensibility at work. The floor plan—such as it is—makes do with the existing conditions. Studying the photo, I think the space is more like a walk-in closet with sinks than it is a bathroom with lots of storage. katehume.com

Happy Birthday, Mies

Light-handed, but certain in stroke, this pencil sketch by Ludwig Mies van de Rohe shows a bathroom in the Farnsworth House. Life—and art—in the B.C. [Before CAD] era was different, indeed. farnsworthhouse.org

Very Hardwood

Cabin fever propelled me to take a walk along the banks of the Hudson River this chilly afternoon. There's still quite a bit of storm detritus along the shore, with fallen trees and tangles of driftwood bringing a different texture to the landscape. From the Soleras collection, these porcelain planks offer the weathered-wood look, without the rot, splinters, or splitting. abk.it

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While I don't think the logs that are chocked into the undercounter voids are meant to be used as fuel for the substantial grill in this kitchen, they do make a circular contrast to the angular galley design. Though there are a couple things I'd do differently in this space—the floor and the range—overall, I like the room. dot-partners.com

Urban Affairs

Murphy beds? Sure, anyone who's ever lived in a New York apartment knows about the fold-down sleepers. But it caught me unawares to learn that the manufacturer ventured into the kitchenette business, too. There's no plethora of cabinet space in this 1950 model, to be sure, but if mid-20th-century urbanites were anything like their contemporary counterparts, those cupboards—and, for that matter, the 'ranges of advanced design'—would be filled with sweaters and shoes and take-out menus.

As far as the cabinet material is concerned, I must say the notion of vitreous porcelain as the period's equivalent of laminate makes me nostalgic for a time I never knew.

Good Design Versus Bad Behavior

World Water Day is upon us once again. This faucet, a concept by Chanhee Han, addresses water-wasting in an intuitive and beautiful manner. Based on the observation that people leave the tap on while soaping up their hands—sending liters of clean water down the drain—he devised the Seesaw to automatically separate the lathering and washing actions by virtue of its back-and-forth design. Pressing the left side of the faucet starts the flow of water; pressing the right side dispenses soap: it's one or the other. Cleanliness and conservation can coexist.