When a toaster knows your idiosyncrasies, when a sewing machine knows about you and your Game Boy habit, when the smell of your liquid dish soap knows how to make you feel sensuous, something is up.
It isn’t good enough anymore to just be techno-smart. An “evolved” houseware now must be sensitive to the human condition and–dare we say–fun.
“Maybe the better word is ‘character-ful,’ ” says Martin Thaler, Design Studio Lead with IDEO Chicago, IDEO being one of the most cutting-edge product design firms in the world. The idea, Thaler goes on, “is to create a memorable experience for the consumer.”
Even if that consumer is just toasting a slice of white bread. Or sewing a buttonhole. Or washing the dishes.
All of this becomes especially pertinent this week, because the 104th International Housewares Show opens today at McCormick Place. It is an annual four-day (trade-only) extravaganza featuring the latest-and-newest in gadgets, gizmos, appliances and more. Nearly 1,900 exhibitors from 36 countries splay their products here across 13 1/2 miles of blustering aisles.
“Come play with me” is the message emerging from the chaos this year. Products, most of which will start showing up on store shelves anytime between now and this summer, are more colorful, more fun, more human-friendly than we have seen in the past.
Let’s go back to the fun part.
Singer Sewing Co. recently teamed up with Nintendo to create Izek, a “sewing machine system” that uses Game Boy technology to automatically stitch patterns, buttonholes and lettering–techniques that might be difficult for a beginner or intermediate sewer, the target market for this new machine. Izek even looks hip in a very iMac sort of way.
And then there’s the venerable Krups company, which is turning something as mundane as toast into a sophisticated electronic trick.
There are no clunky knobs on its new ToastControl Touchpad Chrome toaster. Instead, a pristine touchpad keyboard is your control panel. Features include a Countdown to Toast function that flashes the amount of time left until your slick pops, kind of like a scoreboard. But the piece de resistance on this machine is the Favorite Settings function. Similar to the preset buttons on a car radio, two presets allow you (or anyone else in your house) to program in your toasting preferences. The machine stores that information in its memory.
And so, if you are a creature of habit and frozen bagels, yours can be defrosted and toasted to the shade you desire, seamlessly, with the mere touch of a pad.
Housecleaning, too, can offer its share of thrills, according to a growing number of experience-conscious manufacturers.
The new Ergo Form Broom from Casabella, a New York-based company known for its high-style cleaning tools, is a long, sexy little number. The slightly bent pole, which is about 5 inches longer than most brooms’, was designed to promote a better, more comfortable sweeping posture.
But the award for the most creative cleaning product goes to Caldrea, a new Minneapolis-based company that is trumpeting its collection of natural household cleansers (made from plant-derived cleaning agents) that also are infused with essential oils (a.k.a. aromatherapy).
That’s right. It is now possible to get relaxed or energized from the smell of your furniture polish or dish soap.
“Everybody is so busy in their lives, and everybody has to clean their homes. Why can’t it be enjoyable?” asks Monica Nassif, president and founder of Caldrea. Nassif counts almost 20 years in the retail business, calls herself a “frustrated housekeeper” and was inspired to do the collection after considering her own cleaning angst. “I was tired of harsh-smelling chemicals and all these different scents going on in my house. And then I was lighting Aveda candles to make it smell right. And I had to do all this in one hour.”
Nassif spent almost a year working with a Minneapolis-based chemist to develop the collection. It includes: an all-purpose cleanser formulated with birch bark that is said to have natural antiseptic properties; window spray; liquid dish soap with soap bark extract; ironing water; wood furniture cream containing lemon balm, among other things; liquid hand soap with aloe vera gel and olive oil; and bar soap with sage and ginseng extracts. All are available in three signature formulas/scents–Relaxing Lavender Pine, Energetic Citrus Mint Ylang Ylang and Sensuous Green Tea Patchouli.
Even Philips, the shaver-maker, is showing a more sensitive side. It is introducing a kinder, gentler epilator, which is a hair-removal process for women that differs from ordinary shaving in that hair is plucked from the root and not merely mowed. Pleasantness never has been associated with the process.
Philips’ new Satin Ice Epilator hopes to change that. A cooling system is built into this epilator, gliding over and numbing the skin immediately before the two-speed, rotating disk system removes the hair. That cooling system easily detaches from the shaver, slips into a protective cassette and slides into your freezer for at least two hours before each use.
And then there are products at the show that offer no wizardry or technical breakthroughs of any sort, but are just more fun than they ever were before. Color is a big part of this story.
Sharp Electronics kick-started a color-me-fun trend in the major appliance sector last year by introducing its undeniably cute Half Pint microwave ovens dressed in bright, happy hues of translucent blue and orange (as well as black and white). The 600-watters were destined for dorm rooms and apartments.
This year, GE Appliances was not to be outdone. The electrics giant is unveiling a line of boldly colored, compact refrigerators–call them grape, blueberry, kiwi green, tangerine and cherry red. They’re perfect boxes, cubes with color, modern appliance art.
“We’re looking to get into new markets. Color is hot,” explains GE spokeswoman Julie Wood. “I don’t know if people are willing to put a colored refrigerator in as their main refrigerator, but we think people are more willing to have some fun in their den or other areas where they entertain.”
Certainly, there’s nothing new about suction cups, but OXO, maker of kitchen and hand tools, found a clever spin that jibed with its own Good Grips motto. Its new line of bathroom organizers (soap dishes, toothpaste/toothbrush holders, razor holder, small and large hooks, shelf and fogless mirror) turn suction into a snappy design element, not to mention a simple solution for personalizing a bathroom with little elbow grease.
And from Umbra, a Toronto-based company renowned for its high-design and highly affordable decorative products, comes the slick Cala floor lamp with a frosted glass and colored polycarbonate shade and tubular metal pole. The on-off gauge is built into the shaft; there is no visible chain or switch. Even slicker is the price: a mere $50.
