Product Pick Of The Week: Mirabilia Range Hoods

The MIRABILIA line of kitchen hoods from Falmec.

above: the Manhattan

The line is composed of two versions, Oval or Rectangular. Made of decorated glass and with a light, it's more than a hood for your range or stove, it's a functional design element that provides light as well as ventilation.


above: the Comet

above: the Elektra

above: the Zebra

above: the Natura Gold

above: the Ice

Both designs are available in plain white frosted glass as seen below:



All the designs have very easy access to changing the bulbs:

as well as nicely designed electronic control panels:



Falmec S.p.A.
Via dell'Artigianato, 42
31029 Vittorio Veneto TV - ITALIA
Telefono 0438 5025 - Fax 0438 501531

Go here to purchase or for more information.

Best Domestic Appliance Nominees For Wallpaper's Design Awards

It's that wonderful time of year again when Wallpaper Magazine is getting ready to announce their design winners for the year.

Wallpaper* Design Awards 08 in association with Jaguar, does this yearly and they post the shortlist for the International Judges' Awards for each category.

The winners will be announced january 10 -at which time I will share them with you, of course.

In the meantime, enjoy the nominees for Best Domestic Appliance along with images and info not found on the Wallpaper site.

They are as follows:

1.

Alpha TV by Brionvega:
The elegant, 1930s-influenced curves of the ‘Alpha’ testify to the television’s elevation beyond technology to furniture status. The base, which holds a DVD player, is incorporated into the set’s sleek, chromed steel frame (no unwieldy stand required), while the fuss-free, die-cast aluminium remote control lies unobtrusively on the table when not in use.

More images and information (not available on wallpaper.com):
ALPHA CONCEPT

The icon, the past, the dream, the Italianness, the design and the future. Definitely too many meanings for a TV set. The bare necessary for ALPHA, the new generation of Brionvega TV sets.

An LCD TV set with built-in DVD player, characterized by a design which reminds of the immortal decorative masterpieces of the Thirties: Le Corbusier, Breuer, Mies, Eileen Gray.


Alpha is composed of two slender elements joint by a frame in chrome tube within which the special wirings are pulsing. A choice which comes from the rejection of the assumed bidimensionality of common LCD screens, always supported by a cumbersome pedestal, and which focuses on a new layout with the capability of containing the space required by electronics and DVD player.

Even the remote control has attracted a lot of attentions: you perceive the quality of the entire product from the moment you hold it in your hand. Indeed, the material used is die-cast aluminum, not metallized plastic, you just have to place it upside down on the table to find once again all the Brionvega design.

2.


Heater by Plus Minus Zero:
Plus Minus Zero, a company devised by Naoto Fukasawa, released its fourth collection of everyday objects in July 2007. The pieces, which include a coffee maker, old-school digital calculators and this heater, have a distinct 1980s feel yet retain the brand’s iconic minimalism, thoughtfulness and quiet beauty. The small heater sits discreetly under a desk to warm feet.

more info and images:




Available in red, blue or black.
Buy it here.

3.


Katamari 01 speaker by Gyanze:
This is more than just a sleek, modernist design. Enclosed in a forged aluminium block, the built-in digital amp and speaker set offers a room-shaking 15 watts per channel. It switches itself on when it detects an input, can handle a Bluetooth signal and is built like a truck, weighing in at 5.6 kg. If you’re still prepared to travel with it, a wax coating keeps it scratch-free.

more info and images:



AC100V（50・60Hz）30W(待機時２W）
W375×H116×D162mm
Buy it here.

4.


L10 washbasin by Norbert Wangen for Boffi:
The illustrious partnership between Swiss design perfectionist Norbert Wangen and Italian manufacturer Boffi continues to create dazzling results. The ‘L10’ washbasin, with it’s hidden brackets to support it on the wall and covered plug, is perhaps the most seamless sink to date. Made from a solid block of Carrara marble, it is also one of the most luxurious.

more info :
Name: L10 washbasin
Design: Norbert Wangen

Description: Washbasin in white marble with a linear aesthetic. Created from a sold block of Carrera marble, the basin is partially excavated and there is a rear space, with a single hole for the installation of a mono mixer tap. The water outlet is in the middle of the washbasin with a plug covered in the same marble.

The basin can be used both supported on a cabinet and free standing, fixed to the wall with brackets in steel that are integrated into the thickness of the block, and are, therefore, invisible.

Technical features:
Material: white marble.
Dimensions: h. 10 cm, l. 120 cm, d. 50 cm.
Outlet positioned always central with plug covered with marble solid as the washbasin. Wall version load bearing brackets in satinized stainless steel. Equipped with syphon in chromium-plated brass.

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5.


Ora-Ïto Collection for Gorenje:
A French designer with a Japanese name, a dropout genius and a provocative young creative whose work speaks of maturity, Ora-Ïto is full of surprises. His kitchen appliances for Gorenje, including fridge-freezers, ovens and ceramic hobs, blend high technology and simple functionality (what he dubs ‘Simplexity’) behind minimal façades in black glass and brushed aluminium.
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more info and images:









Behind the Ora-Ïto brand is a creative young French designer whose provocative ideas ensured his rapid assent to the very top of the design world. At the beginning of his career he presented his designs and ideas for the virtual products, undersigned by known brands on his own website. People began ordering products which did not exist. Large companies like Louis Vuitton, Swatch, Apple and Levi’s, could have sued the young pretender but were so impressed by his designs, that they hired him instead.

Ora-Ïto characterizes his recognizable style as simplexity; combining simplicity and complexity. His concepts are futuristic and provocative. Today, he designs for the world’s biggest brands, such as Heineken, Adidas, Ogo, Artemide, B&B, Cappellini, L'Oréal, Toyota, LaCie, Danone, Christofle, Ballantine's, Sagem and many more. He has received many awards, among which are ‘Oscar for Best Packaging Design’, for the aluminium bottle for Heineken beer, a ‘Janus award’ for the best architectural image of a Toyota building, and ‘Red Dot Design Award’ for Artemide lights.

Go here to see more.

The Porsche of Kitchens. Literally.

Porsche Design Group and Poggenpohl Möbelwerke GmbH present their first co-designed kitchen P’7340. The kitchen is distinguished for its innovative framework, purist styling and high-quality materials. Kitchen appliances maker Miele & Cie. KG will be the exclusive supplier of all fitted electric appliances.



Back in October 2005, Porsche Design and Poggenpohl signed a co-operation agreement for the purpose. Says Roland Heiler, Managing Director of the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See: “Our studio already had long-standing experience in designing kitchen and home appliances as well as furniture. In Poggenpohl we have found a partner capable of implementing our idea of what a modern kitchen should look like.”



With their new kitchen, both companies intend to live up to the trend that shows an increasing number of men displaying an interest in ‘kitchen and cuisine’. “In recent years, kitchens have turned into event and representation areas frequently equipped with audio systems”, explains Elmar Duffner, Managing Director of Poggenpohl. “Our co-operation with Porsche Design enabled us to design a kitchen whose sleek and functional design language specifically addresses male customers.”

The new kitchen will be on display as a show kitchen and sold in Poggenpohl studios around the world as of spring 2008. It will be available in the USA as of summer 2008. Aluminum profiles of different sizes, which permit individual styling, constitute the basic framework of the new kitchen. Within the aluminum frames, customers can position cabinet elements any way they like. The result is a modular, spacious and extremely versatile system of frames and carcasses that deliberately integrates clear spaces into the overall design concept.


Above: the Cooktop

The use of aluminum, a material typically used by Porsche Design, gives the kitchen an innovative and technical look as the material lends a high degree of originality to the surfaces of both the furniture carcasses and the frames. The frames come with integrated lights that directly and diffusely illuminate the worktop and the surroundings, respectively. Another material used is glass, which – painted unobtrusively on the rear side and available in a satin or glossy finish – embellishes the front surfaces or fills the frames. Using aluminum and glass for yet another product, Porsche Design once again adheres to its philosophy of combining sleek design language with the finest materials.



The two wood varieties available for the front surface design provide an eye-catching contrast with these cool materials. Customers can choose between Driftwood, a heavily brushed type of pine that feels quite natural to the touch, and Dark Oak, a finely brushed type of dark oak. The unsealed, textured wood surfaces create a very natural and cozy atmosphere, enhancing the precision of the technical materials – glass and metal – even further.



Thin worktops crafted from satin-finished glass or black granite convey an impression of elegance and lightness, which is rounded off by their alignment with the carcass.


Above: automatic coffee maker

A special highlight of the Poggenpohl Porsche Design kitchen is the fact that all cabinets can be opened without handles: A gentle touch of the finger, and pull-out elements and drawers will open magically thanks to built-in high-precision systems, while a light push suffices to make them all withdraw and, over the final centimeters, go back automatically into their original position. An innovative mechanism enables the graceful movement of doors and flaps: Gently touching the front face will activate a spacer pin that mechanically moves a door or a flap a few centimeters forward. The absence of handles further emphasizes the uncompromising, purist and aesthetic appeal of the furniture. However, for completeness’ sake and as an alternative to the handleless solution, functional bar-handles crafted from brushed aluminum are also available.


Above: the audio visual system

In addition to multi-functional lighting systems harmoniously integrated into the sleek overall concept, the kitchen also boasts a high-tech audio-video system. The module has a purist appeal thanks to the aluminum-titanium colored, anodized aluminum frame with its ultra-glossy surfaces in back-painted glass. The electronics of the built-in LCD module are installed behind glass to protect these delicate components against dirt and splashing water. The module itself does not require a ventilation system and features an innovative, extremely small sound system whose plug-and-play solution offers options for both analogue and digital connections.

As all electric appliances and furniture elements in the Poggenpohl Porsche Design kitchen form a unified whole, kitchen appliances maker Miele & Cie. KG will be the exclusive supplier of all appliances – from ovens to steam cookers to dishwashers. In design and styling, all appliances are made to match that of the materials used in the kitchen. The electric appliances are operated via sensor keys instead of buttons and feature user-friendly dialogue displays.
source:architonic

Poggenpohl
Germany
Phone +49-(0)5221/381-0