Ivo Vos is wry and sharp and it shows in his designs. His most recent series, called Brunch, are kitchen gadgets made for the likes of Hyacinth Bucket of Keeping Up Appearances (a ’90s BBC sitcom that still airs on many PBS stations). If that image doesn’t connect, just imagine the most neurotic hostess you’ve ever come across…
Despite the fact that Vos’s kitchen gadgets are meant to emphasize neurotic behavior — the perfection of mundane breakfast making activities — they are very cool designs, and at the risk of being dubbed "eccentric," I wouldn’t mind having a toaster that pops toast right on to my plate.
Ah, but first…
The Bread Slicer
The perfect tool for the perfect slice of bread, the Bread Slicer seems quite cleaver.
The Toaster
It is unclear whether the angle and force are preset on the toaster to get your toast to the desired target. If the consumer could determine each of those elements, the toaster would be more fun. I want my toast to sail from the counter to the table, actually.
The Teapot
This teapot establishes the height that the tea must be poured from. I hope that the calculations eliminate all tea splash on my clothing and tablecloths.
The Place Setting Grid
The perfect place setting…. Your tableware must all have a grid design; otherwise, how could you be sure it was set perfectly?
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Milk And Sugar Measures
These two gadgets record to the gram how much milk and sugar you like to make your own perfect cup of coffee.
Vos’s statement, expressed eloquently on his page, is that the desire for minutia to be perfect develops when humans no longer need our skills and talents to survive. Instead we imagine that we need those skills to succeed at the mundane — the perfect table setting, the impeccably ironed shirt, the allignment of a stamp on an envelop… Our lives must be pretty darn secure!
The Brunch
