Open the pages of any design magazine and you will be met with a plethora of household products that have been lovingly designed to be artworks in themselves. We are all familiar with iconic items such as the Juicy Salif, the juicer that is proud to declare that it is more about form than function, but will the kitchen accessories of the future put practicality above aesthetics? We take a look at what household products we could be using in the years to come if a certain inventor has his way. Recently, the man who invented the bagless vacuum cleaner filed for a patent in the US for a new range of household products that promise functional, practical appliances with style. The British industrial designer has found a flaw in our everyday lives, and that flaw is our kitchen worktops are a cluttered mess. Yes, with oversized juicers like the Juicy Salif teetering next to the toaster, we can probably agree that the kitchen worktop needs an overhaul. Well, a new range of household products that wouldn't have looked out of place in a 1950s vision of the future have been developed to save us all from work surface clutter. It was decided that kettles, toasters and juicers all use more space than they need because of levers, buttons and handles that protrude from the side and because of the random designs each appliance has. What better idea than to make all of these the same shape so they can form one unit on the kitchen worktop. By making each item a cube shaped module that can fit seamlessly with any other product of the same range it will be possible to have a uniform and functional range of household products. The buttons for each appliance are located on the front or the top which means the units can be placed next to each other without using any more space than necessary. Although the patent application seems like a fabulous idea to aid organisation where it is most needed, it smacks a little of standard issue goods. Kitchens are usually a place where families gather, pictures are pinned on the wall and everyone gets to show a slice of their personality. These units have the potential to sterilize this vibrant arena for family expression, and unless there are a number of designs for space saving household products available, it is hard to imagine anyone ditching the Juicy Salif for a cube. There are a plethora of alternatives on the market, all of which have made it through the patent applications. The products that really stand the test of time are the household products that offer a chance to express individuality, such as the Dualit toaster and kettle, or the rounded tops of Brabantia bins. Although these may not offer space saving alternatives, they are ultimately more space aged of the offerings. We should celebrate the unique designs offered by some of the best creative minds on the markets and mix and match to suit our taste.
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