Design food. 4 great contemporary objects for our kitchen

Oct 15 2017, 07:00 | by Gambero Rosso

Form. Volume. Pattern. And, obviously, function. The selections on these pages are linked by a careful attention to design that makes traditional objects contemporary. Trays, glasses, plates and curtains are revisited in the light of modern-day sensibility, with small but decisive variations from the classic.

Lovely Breeze | Alessi | Crusinallo (Vb) | tel. 0323 868 611 | www.alessi.com

“Lovely Breeze” resembles a miniature dancer who can rock, roll and rotate on the table. It takes up little room because it stands up by itself when empty. Japanese designer Sakura Adachi describes his first product for Alessi as a “rocking container”. Firmly convinced of the form-function bond, Sakura Adachi devises ingenious space-savers like Lovely Breeze. When not holding fruit, pastries, nuts or even keys and change, it swings back to its original upright position, like a leaf or a feather in the wind.

Gin Collection | Lsa International | www.lsa-international.com | www.mainocarlo.it

Flared stems, tapering forms and thick bases add character to this assortment of contemporary handmade glasses, all shaped by LSA’s master mixologist to enhance the expression of gin’s delicate botanicals, whether in a classic gin & tonic or a contemporary cocktail. Headed by Monika Lubkowska-Jonas, LSA International is one of Europe’s leading brands of handmade glass.

Stripes dissolve, overlap, divide and reassemble in the Streifzüge collection, the word itself a combination of the German for ‘stripes’ and ‘exploration’. The patterns suggest delicate clouds, city lights by night, sea birds above the waves. Nya Nordiska exploits the world of textiles, ranging from weaving and knitting to printing, appliqués and openwork fabrics. Citylife embodies vitality and independence, reflecting the tension between urban romanticism and modern metropolitan energy. Soirée is a series of elegant fabrics with a touch of extravagant luxury. Balance’s natural fibers, sensual materials and pastel shades evoke the beauty of landscapes.

Loona | Infinito Design | Castelvecchio di Monte Porzio (PU) | tel. 0721 955 101 | www.infinito-design.it

Loona, the new collection of plates from Infinito Design, completes a series dedicated to tableware d’auteur using krion, the first time this innovative material has been used in food-related design. It is warm to the touch, hardy, anti-bacterial and entirely recyclable. Made of two-thirds rock mineral and one-thirdmethyl methacrylate (MMA), an organic compound, it is environment-friendly. “Loona reflects our desire to capture the essence of the traditional, round plate form,” explained designer Cristina Zanni. “We based the shape of the plate on the moon, and the lunar phases became the six variations on the collection’s theme.”