Pin It, 1951-Style

There seems to be a bit of Red Scare bombast to this 1951 propaganda—oops, I mean ad—that highlights the progressive features of Hamilton's dryer. Both the graphic design and the verbiage echo the stringent path to social utopia popular at the time of the Cold War. I am most intrigued—maybe 'worried' is a better word—by the 'Sun-E-Day' feature, which involves inundating the laundry with ultraviolet light; for some reason, images of nuclear flashes come to mind.

Making Room

While most of the emphasis at this week's Cersaie design fair in Bologna is on tile and ceramic fixtures, I'm impressed with a product that introduces textiles into the bathroom. [I do have a bit of a contrarian streak in me!] Making its debut at the show, 'Shade' is essentially a folding screen that can be fitted with fabric panels that play a decorative role in the room, as well as Corian inserts that supply shelves and hooks for storage needs. Mirrors can also be incorporated into the freestanding, flexible piece. makro.it

Step Lively

You could have a lot of fun composing these tiles, playing their traditional forms against contemporary color schemes. In two patterns and 18 standard shades—and there's no problem if you want to spec a custom hue—the Flaster collection offers choices aplenty. Made of fiber-reinforced concrete, the durable tiles can be used for floors, walls, and outdoor applications. ivanka.hu

Hot and Cold

As usual, the advent of autumn brings a mix of warm days and ever-colder nights that I find disorienting [let's not even think about the depressing return to the darkness of Standard Time]. Here's a food-prep helper that mirrors this condition. [My apologies for the less-than-optimal photography.] Inset on an island top, these spacious, temperature-controlled pads are identified by icons etched into their stainless-steel surfaces. The 'heat wave' zone [left] keeps foods warm up to 40ºC/104ºF, while the area marked with a 'snowflake' [right] cools at 4ºC/39ºF. arclinea.com

C'est Chic

The work of Parisian designer Jean-Louis Deniot, this kitchen is quite the alluring space, n'est-ce pas? Sharing the same neutral-hued wood lets the cabinets, walls, and even part of the ceiling quiet the room. Positioning the banquette so diners face away from the work zones is trés civilized; it underscores the not-so-subtle difference between an eat-in and a see-in kitchen. Set at staggered heights, the pendant lights remind me of nothing so much as Champagne bubbles. deniot.com

Mixed and Matched

When I think of pairing pink and black together, just one thing is summoned to mind: the '56 Chevy Bel Air. But now, thanks to the crew at Admiral, that narrow view has been broadened to include...refrigerators. Who'd ever suspect that in 1954 a swatch of wallpaper could do so much to 'brighten' [really?] the appliance? It certainly seems to have put a smile on this fashionable lady's face.

Transparent Motive

Even thought its clear glass shade would do little or nothing to direct the light, I like this sconce nonetheless. Its see-through design allows easy appreciation of its construction. I find the exposed composition of nuts, bolts, and angle brackets most engrossing. machineshoplighting.com