MarilynKelvin: Appliances With Personality

Smeg dishwasher - seen at KBIS2016

My son lives in the midtown area of Houston, a very cool area of the city that is super close to downtown and has an unusual mix of properties.

There are dumps and dives, and then there is urban renewal, with lots of young entrepreneurs making their mark in the big city.

There are tons of original, locally owned restaurants, bars, cafes, breweries, bakeries, etc. that are unique and fun to discover. Living in The Woodlands (land of the suburbs and chain restaurants), an hour north of Houston, we rarely get down there to explore, and really aren't up on all these trendy, special places. We do, however, have our inside source. :-)

Our son and his fiance always try to find us some interesting place to meet them for brunch. They know I'm always keen on trying out restaurants with unique interiors (I actually used to work in hospitality design years ago), and I love to eat somewhere new.

This past weekend was my baby boy's birthday, and we met them at Weights + Measures, a restaurant, bakeshop, and bar. We had a tasty brunch with my usual eggs benedict (I order that just about everywhere) and coffees, and I admired their vintage/mod decor.

Weights + Measures, exterior

Weights + Measures

I couldn't help pulling out the iPhone camera when I saw this Big Chill refrigerator in the corner by the bar. Sooooo cool and so appropriate for the style of this establishment.

Big Chill refrigerator at Weights + Measures

This kind of appliance has tons of personality, doesn't it?

(By the way, I've always said the word “tons”, although constantly correct myself when writing. However, now that I've watched way too many “Fixer Upper” episodes, and listened to Chip Gaines say the word “tons” constantly, I'm back on that. It's Texan, it's natural, and that's all there is to it. ;-)

Today, I'm here to share appliances-with-personality. so let's get after it.

The first manufacturer that comes to mind is Smeg. I visited their booth at KBIS2016 with the Design Hounds / BlogtourModenus (same group), and they have got to have some of the cutest little appliances around. Don't you just want to pinch them? Along with Big Chill, these two hit that retro market beautifully with the look and colors of vintage decor.

Colorful Retro Smeg Refrigerators - seen at KBIS2016

Smeg dishwasher - seen at KBIS2016

Another appliance with personality is the famous AGA range. This cast iron range is typically thought of as hailing from Britain, but it was actually designed in Sweden in 1922. Here's one featured in House to Home.

If you haven't seen a pic of this pink range from La Cornue, presented at KBIS2016, then you aren't following many designers out there. I think this was likely the most Instagrammed object from the national kitchen and bath show - that I could tell. This year they blended some Suzanne Kasler colors with their iconic brand and came up with the most photographed moment in all of the show.

La Cornue Range - Suzanne Kasler pink color seen at KBIS2016

La Cornue, Suzanne Kasler Colors, debuted at KBIS2016

Last year they went orange and black and it was equally as impressive.

La Cornue KBIS2015

La Cornue KBIS2015 - detail

La Cornue KBIS2015 - black

I've always liked the Bertazzoni ranges - they're contemporary, Italian, and colorful. One of my clients, years ago, introduced me to them as a slightly less expensive professional range with a sleek look. The colors they have now just steal the show. Here's a bright orange one installed at Pirch, Atlanta, seen when I attended the Design Bloggers Conference, and a very pale green one seen at KBIS2016. I just love the knobs and the logo.