Bright Ideas

What gives the Cyclone cooktop its name are the seemingly whirling gas flames, produced by channeling the fire through curved slits—rather than the standard round perforations—of the burner cap. And there are other illuminating features, too. LED lights beneath the control knobs and at the tips of the grates glow with a variable intensity that reflects the heat levels of each hob. arcelikas.com

Sink as Sculpture

I like the way the stepped structure of the Batea bowl makes the user—if only for a moment—think about the task at hand. Will the eggplant fit on the middle shelf? If the fresh herbs will be the first ingredient to be used, would putting them on the top level be most convenient? Cooking needn't [and shouldn't] be an autopilot process, and this design deliberately slows it down a little. marmorin.pl

An Evolution in Design

The Thema kitchen is more refined than the salvaged-industrial look kitchen, yet it still offers the opportunity to personalize the design—a quality that's essential to Gen Millennial. The shelves, back panels, doors, and drawers can be configured at will. And no, I don't have a clue why the dishwasher is so strangely situated. Thema is designed by Enzo Berti. madeinlando.it

Can't Face It

As devotees of Flashback Friday know, these weekly posts usually take a neo-nostalgic view of the past. While I could continue in that vein for this calvacade of children [that's a vacation?], the illustration puts me in mind of a contemporary event: the bizarre episode of the infamous Deflategate courtroom sketch of Tom Brady. More an example of the Hieronymous Bosch school of portraiture than a likeness of the football star, the artist might have been better off if she had adopted the strategy of the painter of this 1960 ad—depicting the subject in a literal about-face pose.

A Detail Makes a Difference

My theory as to why industrial-style plumbing has been more popular in the bathroom than in the kitchen focuses on the fact that a tall length of unadorned pipe is pretty boring. This faucet solves that  problem with a handy soap/sponge holder placed at midpoint on the fitting. watermark-designs.com

A Real Floor Show

Continuing on the topic of mixing wood with stone, this floor would elevate any bathroom or kitchen. No, it's not encaustic tiles or herringbone parquet—but there are times when beauty and craftsmanship win out over fashion. parchettificiotoscano.it

All of a Piece

The folks at A-Cero Design created the Spirit II vanity—which also, for all intents and purposes, includes a sink, too. With counter and storage elements offered in stone and wood, it's a cool way to mix materials without disturbing the overall form. Speaking of form: I think that's best feature of this modular design. Tapered and curved, it's a most welcome departure from the basic blocky model. porcelanosa-usa.com