When I completed my kitchen renovation and was focusing my attention on all the little details, I found it impossible to find a beautiful, minimally designed kettle that didn’t have a brand name written all over it or lots of fussy, over-designed details, ugly buttons and flashing lights. After much searching I found a winner in Stelton’s Emma kettle, a lovely, simple design with clean, modern lines and an elegant little spout – no unnecessary gadgetry or pretentious logos here!
It’s been a while since I did a ‘Your Home Needs This’ post – profiling classic, timeless designs that I think should be on every home’s checklist – so I thought I’d focus in on this one piece and cast a spotlight on simple, mundane, everyday objects that can get somewhat forgotten when up against other, more beautiful things you’d rather splash your cash on, like coffee tables, delicate vases, designer lamps and iconic chairs.
Designed by HombäckNordentoft, the Emma kettle is part of a range of products for Stelton inspired by the golden age of Danish design in the Fifties and Sixties. The design duo’s philosophy is to create timeless designs that evoke emotion and have a meaningful quality. They design pieces that age well and don’t tire with trends – you can see their Emma kettle, for instance, working in a variety of different style homes and not dating.
The Emma kettle, seen below in my own home, has a simple, minimal form – everything has been reduced down to create a streamlined shape. The wooden handle provides a tactile detail when you pick up and move the kettle, while an insulated double wall means its less hot to touch than a traditional design.
The kettle already comes in grey, blue, black and white versions – perfect for the monochrome home. Now for Spring, Stelton has introduced a lighter colour palette, with a delicate terracotta and a soft nude, tying into a move I’m seeing for Scandinavian interiors beginning to embrace earthier, warmer, nature-inspired tones.
The Emma kettle is complemented by a pitcher, perfect for water at the dinner table, and a vacuum jug, for all your thirst-quenching needs. I like that they’re pieces you wouldn’t mind having out on display in pride of place in the kitchen. A kettle is something you use everyday, multiple times in the day, so I think it’s deserving of good quality, well-considered design.
So which colour would you go for? Traditional black and white or something a bit different with the gorgeous new soft tones?
Here’s a few things for the kitchen you might also like…
All images courtesy Stelton, except the three in my own kitchen.
