Hasta La Ideas

We witnessed the debut of Schmidt Brothers cutlery at the International Home + Housewares Show back in 2012, when the New York City-based brand started gaining attention for their distinctive, thoughtfully designed kitchen knives. After all, their offerings hit a sweet spot between German quality, fresh form factors and finishes, and a reasonable pricepoint, and brothers Jordan and Jared Schmidt bring the same attention to detail to their magnetic knife blocks and packaging.

(more…)

If the novelty product category seems to be an inexhaustible source of visual puns and other clever gift items, brands like Kikkerland, DCI, Fred & Friends, and at least a couple other mainstays of NY NOW and IH+HS offer reliably entertaining (and video-friendly) on a seasonal basis. This time around at the Housewares Show, we caught up with Los Angeles-based Mollaspace, who were exhibiting at Chicago’s McCormick Place for the very first time. The X-Ray playing cards struck our fancy at NY NOW, so it was good to have Fumi Suzuki walk us through some highlights from the new collection.

(more…)

Reporting by Morgan Walsh, photos by Benjamin Gross

For most 20- to 30-year-olds, the red Solo cup is an everyday object that stands for convenience, disposability and often debauchery. Often filled with an adult beverage, the Solo cup is frequently found at a house party, outdoor barbeque or while helping a friend paint an apartment. My first encounter with the ceramic version was during a studio visit. As I accepted the cup I was surprised by it’s weight and rigidity—I was expecting the plastic variety. In ceramic, the cup was classier, more grown up and signified something lasting, other than the obvious reuse value.

Though I still attend parties where the original plastic Solo Cup proliferates, I’m drawn, as I imagine Core’s audience is, to the durable and more thoughtful take on this vessel. While the Kikkerland version (pictured above) may or may not have been conceived in an effort to elevate the everyday object, the newest version by Revol, a 225-year-old French ceramics company, certainly is. (And here I can’t help but call out a Chicago design collective’s nod to ubiquitous design, Chilab and it’s 2013 Unfolding Chair. Located in the southeastern city of Saint-Uze, Revol is the ultimate heritage brand, employing nearly 200 workers and finishing each piece by hand.

(more…)

Reporting by Morgan Walsh, photos by Benjamin Gross and Ray Hu

When we came across Bosign’s Kitchen Tablet Stand in the Discover Design Gallery, we couldn’t help but think it looked a bit like, well, an ashtray. Cylindrically shaped and made from silicone, its five-inch base stands about an inch and a half high, with a small slit in each side. The cylinder has been ‘sliced’ on a diagonal to achieve the optimal viewing angle for an iPad propped inside. The screen can be set horizontally or vertically, and as its name suggests, the Tablet Stand is meant to be used while preparing food, displaying recipes while hands are otherwise occupied. Helpful during the making of a meal, its simple shape can be easily cleaned after.

Nearby, at the busy and plentiful Joseph Joseph booth, we spotted Cookbook, the analog adversary to Bosign’s digitally-geared design. Borrowing from traditional bookstand elements, Joseph Joseph’s plastic iteration does however come with some updates. The dynamic form folds together, itself becoming a book; when open, the book’s spine converts into an angled leg with a non-skid foot. Movable windshield-wiper-like arms hold pages in place. (Though the often-thick cookbook could nary fit into Bosign’s Tablet Stand, Joseph Joseph’s Cookbook was also created to support electronic tablets; the bottom lip is cut away in the center to allow a tablet to be charged.)

(more…)

Reporting by Morgan Walsh

After the cold, bitter, blustery and seemingly endless winter we’ve had here in Chicago—and across the country—everyone is desperate for spring. And so I went to the International Home and Housewares Show in search of products to help ring in spring.

Spotted: Ameico’s Y-ply, a teeny-tiny and super lightweight back and head hammock. The size of Y-ply rivaled that of the Foodskin and I could fit both in my purse, with room for a book, for a morning at the park. Y-ply’s two u-shaped legs are pushed into sand or soft ground and the body’s weight holds it in place, providing support and comfort for outdoor lounging. Heaven forbid we still weeks of winter to endure, Y-ply can also be used indoors, with the assistance of a corner, to simulate a relaxing few hours outdoors.

(more…)