I love to see the creativity that is always present in the forms, colors and surface designs in the décor items at the Ambiente trade fair. Yet I am equally captivated by the idea of making some silly little everyday item look or work just a bit better. Here are a few examples of functional innovations from my first day at the fair:
WMF introduced the Utensilo knife block. It not only holds knives but also does more. There is room inside for extra utensils to be stored in the back. Who couldn’t use a bit more space for wooden spoons or silicone spatulas? Alessi found a way to tuck a wooden spoon into the lid of a pot. That solves another utensil problem we all have when we are cooking all over the counter top and there is no room for even a spoon.
Bramli has been tucking spoons into lids for years. Spatulas, too. Their containers are plastic. I have always liked their clever approach. At this fair, they debuted two new pieces. I took a picture of one of them.
Arzberg’s new food storage containers have plastic tops with corners that pop up so you can not onlyget them off more easily, but can also peek inside to see what you put away so long ago that you no longer can remember it.
I never really knew that I needed a tool to prepare my kiwi. Now I know better. Koziol’s Kiwi spoon is about as clever as you can get. Its tip is designed for scoring the skin. Once that is done you can actually give the kiwi a quick twist and the two halves separate. Use the spoon to scoop out the insides and enjoy!
Araven S.A. took a plastic bin the size of a laundry hamper and made it portable. It has a pull-along handle on it that might be the key to getting our 17 year old daughter thinking about doing her laundry rather than just watching her dirty clothes pile up.
Each one of these innovations makes a typically pedestrian product easier to use, more interesting and sometimes, a bit more fun. My hat is off to all of these companies for taking everyday products to the next step.