The materials from Kareline, a finnish company (I think) were featured in the sustainable section of the Houswares show. The area was a little bit of a sad combination of bad brochures and odd sales strategies. More examples of actual products would have been much better than the materials library or interactive museum approach that was simply wrong for the space and the audience.
Still, even with that overly critical look there was some interesting info. Like the Composites manufactured by Kareline Oy Ltd which are reported to be excellent for injection moulding and extrusion. At present Kareline® natural fibre reinforced composite granulates are available based on PP, PE, ABS, PS, POM and biodegradable PLA matrix.
28.3.08
houswares 12
Attached is one of the more interesting innovations I saw at Housewares. I think that the brand hurts the innovation and so do the markings and the overall design. Having worked on wafflers in the past I know that innovation is not exactly easy and I think that they really achieved something with this. It would be nice to see what a Villaware version with a better interface might look like.
housewares 11
Kitchen AId was impressive in their color presentation this year but not much else. One exception is the attached cutting bowl and also the the toaster ovens. it is hard to judge from the outside what is really going on inside such a well regarded brand but it appears like they are being led around by the buyers and losing touch with their consumers a bit.
housewares 10
These are prep bowls by architec. Their colander, cutting boards and mixing bowls are also well done although oddly colored (this green one is one of the good ones) and a little thin walled to command the prices they look for at mass. Still, the forms are excellent.
25.3.08
housewares 09
isi north America, out of New Jersey, had several interesting silicone products. They all did a very good job of utilizing the strengths of the material in a creative (if not always intuitive) way. The colors were also quite good although I am not sure that the PC lids were working.
housewares 08
I had not heard of Miam before but their design for the Cuddle canister is eye-catching. I did not look at it up close but the materials, finish and the fit of the spoon cuddled into the canister looked great from a distance. The overall form was not nearly as well done as the latest canisters from polder but the main feature was well-done
housewares 07
So I guess I was wrong about Guzzini's lame presence at housewares. It was not entirely void of their usual excellent form and detail work. Although I think that this color is way out of season it is pretty nicely detailed. (It is a spice rack)
24.3.08
housewares 07
The Rachael Ray Annodized Stock pot was surprising. While there were many things in the Rachael Ray booth that were well designed and interestingly detailed there were also several that were clearly Le Creuset Knock-offs and this line with the very heavy handed, almost cartoony attachments was a pretty literal interpretation of the Circulon grip from the early 90's.
housewares 06
Another Aladdin product, this shows a lot of sophistication and range, given the heritage of the brand and the equity in the shape and finishes of the stanley thermos line. Pretty courageous.
Housewares 06
More interesting stuff from Aladdin. This is very thoughtfully done and has some interesting details. I think that the color and form might want to be a more natural but that may be a result of the post consumer material choice. It may also be that this is still in development...even with that you have to admire the positioning.
Housewares 06
The salad and go cup is an interesting concept that is well executed and nicely consistent with the sustainable message. I think that there is room for improvement based on use-pattern data but the basic idea is working. Here are the details from their website: "The Salad & Go™ with double-wall insulation, keeping salads, fruits and other food items fresh, cool and crisp. The easy-grab, ergonomic container includes a 3 oz. top compartment to store separates, such as salad dressing or grains to mix with yogurts. The Salad & Go™ is perfect for people that don’t typically have time for breakfast, eat lunch on the road or are hard-pressed to find convenient healthy meals or snacks."
22.3.08
Old Spice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Aj55sgudlc&NR=1
If you have not seen the Old Spice commercials check them out on You tube. I can not imagine the balls and the bickering required to convince them to make such a massive brand change but it is extremely impressive. If anyone know the firm/people that did the work please let me know.
21.3.08
Samsonite Black Label
Samsonite does so many things so well. There basics are so useful and intuitive that it is hard to throw them away even when they have reached the end of their long abused life. The attention to detail and material selection on some of them is actually delightful. Unfortunately their quest to be more global seems to be dragging the brand towards Euro-crap. It is almost like they decided that since Tumi is kicking their ass their ass they needed to get whimsical. Well, they should have held onto their in-house design team because the new stuff is not going to resonate. Any idea what would make them think that an $800 hardsider with a rib cage embossed in it was what people wanted?
Housewares 05
These Berghoff sets are very nice gifts but I think that they need to be reduced a little.
Imusa
Also by Imusa, this espresso set is interesting. The design and detailing (especially finishes) needs help but the idea is rock solid.
housewares 04
The Imusa booth was easy to miss and had a view dogs inside but it also had some interesting things going on. The material choice and mold texture for these salsa bowls is working well.
20.3.08
Housewares 03
Our good friends at Bosch have hit on something really interesting...although at $1000 I am not sure that it is worth the precious counter top space that it takes up. The cover is cool but would you really work on top of it and how much space is lost below? Still it is sweet.
housewares 02
Cuisipro really is making an impressive effort. If they can improve the tactile appeal and amp up the details a little they could give OXO a run for the money. Although, not with this very heavy handed liquid measuring cup which has a real inventor submission look to it.
housewares 02
Cuisipro. Horrible name, well designed products. Visually most of their products are simple and refined. The tactile textures are a little tiny bit wanting and the liquid measuring cup is very mechanical for the rest of the brand but overall their retake on the classics is excellent. Not mainstream America enough to drive any real volume, but very well done otherwise.
Housewares 01
Bai design was started in the 80's and has made pieces for many brands including MoMa and Graphis. So this stuff is no surprise but what was nice to see at this years housewares show was how they have continued to update their look subtly. The scale of the detailing is very good as well. The only real weakness is when they try to be whimsical.
19.3.08
what is new
I am working on putting together some images and comments about the show. Topics will include: the very lame green design section, the over-the-top mega booths, product innovation, NPD surprises and the annoying brands that are there but are invitation only.
17.3.08
Housewares Show
This is being done from the cell phone so please excuse the syntax and spelling errors. The housewares show has been productive so far, after a day. We were able to connect with some of our favorite people and possibly mend some fences with others. We also got to see some of our latest designs from Le Creuset and Jarden/Foodsaver as well as Cuisinart. Exciting. One shock was how poor the product in the Zyliss and Guzzini booths is. Two places that are normally so inspiring and both were dead this year. There was nothing anywhere near as cool and tactile as the attached by Guzzini from a few years ago. I am looking forward to tomorrow.
Also, the Chicago Chop House we went to for dinner, disappointing.
13.3.08
nice place to visit
Snaidero. Great looking stuff with amazing simplicity. But, Their slogan, motto, mission is "form follows life". The marketing team must have been passing the pipe with Whitney Houston when they wrote that one...unless they meant Modrian's life.
wow
Imagine, if you will, an environment free of confusion and distractions, the embodiment of simplified, relaxed living, the very essence of functional minimalism. The kitchen by Küppersbusch is a new approach to the way we think about the kitchen and our personal relationship to it. It's about creating an environment that allows us to experience new ideas and to rediscover aspects of our lives that have been lost in the daily rush of life.
This grill/cart is the perfect example of their mission, above.
kuppersbuschusa
New favorite client? Perhaps. The appreciation for detail is unmatched.I can not wait to start working with these guys. http://www.kuppersbuschusa.com
11.3.08
Great Escape Lodge Concept
I just found this image on google. I am not sure who did it but it looks like the work of my friend John. Sweet birdseye views are his specialty. Having seen the result I think that the design team would be wildly disappointed in the amount of cost reduction that took place. Most of the character details of their design were water down and turned generic.
Great Escape Lodge
This is the indoor water park and hotel by Lake George in New York that I will be taking the boys to in a couple weeks as part of my birthday weekend. Last time we were there we went around the lazy river about 300 times each day. The price is steep and the food is mediocre but it is well worth it because the boys have an awesome time.
10.3.08
Samsung "style and efficiency"
This sweet new printer from Samsung is nicely detailed and tightly engineered. The interface and the displays are especially well-done. The only slight criticism I would offer is that the marketing text is a little far-reaching and a tiny bit cheesy. Here it is, see what you think.
"Imagine the excitement and sense of pride that this sleek jewel of a printer will bring to your life. Banish unattractive technology and welcome a trendy laser that will sparkle on your desk and light up your printouts. With Samsung SCX-4500 it’s not that hard to imagine."
3.3.08
tea set
Sweet tea set. Georg Jensen living collaborated with new designer Helena Rohner to craft a modern tea service that paid homage to Georg Jensen's fluid organic design language, yet challenges the design principles of a modern tea service.
More Jatoba wood
Cool but is it worth $8000? Well, with spring coming right up I am looking for a new picnic table for the office but I think that this is a little out of my range. The gargantua outdoor table and seating system designed by dirk wynants. is a beautiful and functional piece of outdoor furniture that claims it "promotes social and family togetherness". It is part of the permanent collection of the design museum of gent (belgium), gargantua is a multifunctional piece of garden furniture, made of durable materials: galvanised metal, stainless steel and jatoba wood.
bbq
Exceptional for its use of materials and modern forms. The extempore traditional barbecue works on charcoal and is equipped with adjustable grills and a small wok to keep the food warm. the brackets can be used as handgrips or for hanging the accessories onto. the barbecue can be closed with a lid and is made of stainless steel. its frame, as the frames of the other products of the extempore range, is made of anodized aluminum, its joints of stainless steel and the tabletop of FSC labeled jatoba wood.
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