In the world of SMEG

I passed by this SMEG store on Kanstrasse 150a many times and admired the pleasant colourful palette. This time, I am decided to dare to go on the other side of the door and get in touch with this retro world. The first meeting: the tasters that look out of some Elvis or Cold War movies. Not bad to see have those shapes and colours last before your eyes till the atomic mushroom got on air, isn't it?

SMEG is an Italian company, created in 1948 in Guastalla, with an offer dedicated to both companies and private buyers. It combines Italian design and functionality, following the unique style of the 1950s. The curved corners and non-traditional shapes and variety of colour combinations keep the company forever young. 

It produces almost everything you need to make your house a little home temple, from toasters to microwaves or in-built coffee machines. The retro refrigerator, with its chunky handle, was launched in 1997 and is considered one of the most popular items. 

The fridges are the best represented in this shop, which is quite huge, but not necessarily stylish. A lot of objects in this Berlin store, some of them so beautiful like this Mondrian-inspired fridge, but without an appealing setting and with a more than modest customer service. 

The ovens are massive, look functional and available in some colourful variants. SMEG collaborates permanently with famous Italian designers, such as Renzo Piano, for permanently launching new lines of products.

The customers - and prices - are middle to high-end, but there are products made to last even more than five seasons. As for now, I am seriously considering to start saving hard for the Mondrian-inspired fridge. Or maybe to wait until even more chic-ness? Hard question...

Design trends for the kitchen - Overview of DMY Berlin

The last week I had the chance to visit the International Design Festival Berlin and I did some interesting research about the state of arts of ideas in terms of home and kitchen design. Poland was the special guest of the festival and there were many interesting ideas brought at the festival, by young designers from schools all over the country.

The products presented at the Festival were quite simple, with many practical features and ideas. Nothing out of the norm or over luxurious, even there were some big brands present. Here are one of the objects that caught my attention, after more than 2 hours of wandering.

For more details and photos, feel free to visit my Pinterest dedicated folder: http://pinterest.com/ilanaontheroad/dmy-2013/

A short video about DMY on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iixnZtfizqw

The works of Polish designers were simple, somehow inspired by the local tradition. The  white set can be used for coffee or tea or some hot drinks during the long summer.

Silver light always give a certain elegance to the objects.

It looks practical yet good looking and elegant, especially with the yellowish corners of the heating machine.

An interesting adornment for the table.

A classical design with a modern practical emphasis.

When you have a small kitchen and you are always in a hurry, it looks like the perfect way to have things done fast and in an organized way. I love this setting, the trademark of Swedish design.

More and more people prefer to cultivate their own plants and vegetables at home. What you can do when you are lacking the proper space? The Swedish designers might have a (good) idea.

Not only squirrels gathers provisions for the winter. But we, as humans, we have the chance to do it with style.

Simple cups with a former Communist touch.

One of my favourite objects by far, especially for the gracious presence of the ballerina.

I am a big fan of strollers and this one is not only practical but makes you feel happy when  on shopping/

What about assorting the glasses?

Grace and tradition, made Villeroy and Boch.

When you like to eat your home made food during the lunch break, this ingenious  snack set will  help you. 

The combination of wood and glass is special.

Good choice of colour for classical objects at the table.

The traveler in my loved this bottle, that it is also ecological.

There were the only models of fridges at the exhibition. The models are adapted to various space constraints, a reality of many German kitchen - which are very small.

It looks like some Snow white and the seven dwarfs setting.