- Design
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The great thing about design is that it is a discipline that embraces almost all areas of our everyday life. From furniture to the way we move from one place to another, from the products we use for leisure to the objects that make people's life easier - both inside and outside the home -, from the clothes we wear to the way we take care of ourselves: design is everywhere.
On the other hand, the very definition of design - i.e. the creation of objects of various kinds that combine functionality and aesthetics - makes us realise that this discipline can easily find its place everywhere.
Therefore, it is not surprising that contemporary kitchens are increasingly influenced and shaped by design. Cooking and eating are fundamental components of our everyday life: why should they not benefit from the principles of functionality and beauty of design? After all, the attention of the most famous designers to kitchen objects is certainly not new.
The most iconic kitchen design objects of all time
The history of design is full of iconic objects dedicated to the kitchen. Many of these can even be admired in museums, while others can still be found in more contemporary, designer-focused homes. Here are some of the best known and most famous.
Wiener Werkstätte tea service by Josef Hoffmann

This tea service from 1910 by the Wiener Werkstätte illustrates the synthesis of all aspects of design at the time, from decorative to structural components, and symbolises how the Viennese avant-garde sought, through a utopian vision, to make even simple domestic objects total works of art.
Frankfurt Kitchen by Margarete 'Grete' Schütte-Lihotzky

Grete Schütte-Lihotzky's Frankfurt Kitchen was a low-cost solution for municipal housing built in the late 1920s in Frankfurt, Germany. With around 10,000 units produced, this designer kitchen was a first step towards opening up the world of design and architecture to female professionals.
Sleek, jar spoon by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

Originally created for Kraft Foods in 1962, the sleek jar spoon by Italian design titans Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni symbolises their extravagant and playful approach to functional, everyday objects.
Tea kettle 9093 for Alessi by Michael Graves

Girard, best known for his colourful textile designs for Knoll, was probably one of the first inspirers of Graves' interest in colour. In his Whistling Bird teapot for Alessi, Graves uses red to indicate the heat of the steam whistle, while the blue handle indicates that it is cool.
Juicy Salif juicer for Alessi by Philippe Starck

French designer Philippe Starck's work from the 1990s emphasises form over function and a predilection for a biomorphic aesthetic. Starck's Juicy Salif emphasises narrative over considerations of use: it is the sculptural quality of the object that stands out.
Porcelain eggcup for The Thing Quarterly by Ricky Swallow

Eggcups have existed since before Pompeii was buried under the ashes of Vesuvius. Since then, they have been made in a variety of materials and styles. In 2016, Australian sculptor Ricky Swallow created one for The Thing Quarterly. Based on a peg designed by the Shakers, Swallow used ordinary materials such as cardboard and glue to interpret the domestic form.
Contemporary design objects for your kitchen
Design and the world of cooking have never stopped meeting over the years. Besides the iconic objects we have just listed, there are many authentic design products for cooking and eating that you can find in the catalogues of top retailers such as AGOF Store. Here are a few with which you can enhance your kitchen and leave all your guests speechless.

The Glass Pot by KnIndustrie allows anyone to observe everything that happens inside, giving "a new point of view"! A design object that is as beautiful as it is useful and ingenious, taking your passion for cooking to another level.

The Bricola salt and pepper mills are handmade from maple wood. Practicality and design are combined in this product which, when brought to the table, is an attractive decorative element. The minimalist shape and simple lines make these salt and pepper mills match the décor of any kitchen.

A table set in white Bone China porcelain designed by the artist and designer Xie Dong who has revisited, in a poetic way, the workmanship of traditional Chinese ceramics. The porcelain is worked to a very thin thickness: extremely fine, almost resembling a sheet of paper.

Mum is a ceramic teapot with clean, soft geometric lines, delicate to the touch and pleasant to use. The cap of this teapot seems to disappear at the top and the profile maintains an essential design. Placed on the table, Mum brings with it a unique design combined with a touch of tradition.

Designed by one of Denmark's most famous architects, Jørn Utzon, these mouth-blown glasses are inspired by pure materials and fluid space. Utzon once said: "The greatest importance of glass is the space within it": Whether it is cognac, cocktails or water, Spring is more than a glass, it is a sculptural vase for your drinks.

With the 'Tools' series, Knindustrie enriches its collection dedicated to the world of global cuisine, bringing utensils typical of distant cultures into the kitchen in unusual materials. The risotto spoon, spatula and serving pair in Canaletto walnut echo the aesthetics of Japanese utensils, while the Molinillo comes directly from Mexican craftsmanship, for a simple yet culturally rich way of cooking.

KnIndustrie expands the Glocal collection with a new attractively designed accessory that is indispensable in the kitchen. Bari 2.0 combines the grater function with a wooden bowl that collects the cheese and a transparent lid that preserves its freshness. Beautiful, functional and practical, it is made of high-quality materials such as tempered glass, steel and Canaletto walnut, so it becomes an elegant container to take to the table.
The AGOF selection of design objects for the kitchen
On AGOF Store you will find lots of design objects for your kitchen. Take a look at the products we have selected for you in the carousel below and be inspired by our proposals!