Accessories
New Classics: The 9093 Teakettle
We could spout off about this kettle's postmodern lines and cheeky design note here, but the 28 years in production speak for themselves
In 1985 The Cosby Show was number one in the ratings, the Live Aid concert happened, Back to the Future was the highest-grossing movie, I was sporting a short, asymmetrical New Wave hairdo and Michael Graves became the first American designer to create an object for Alessi. It was a clever teakettle designed for mass production, and to date it has outsold every other Alessi item. It's a sleek design with a whimsical bird whistle at the end of the spout. You'd be amazed at the range of kitchen styles it fits into; take a look below while I do the math on how many bad hair trends its style has outlasted (really big perms came next) ...
Alessi 9093 Kettle
The teakettle's design gives a postmodern wink; it's a sleek mirrored-steel kettle of very careful geometry and proportions, but then it has this functional blue plastic handle letting you know it's OK to touch that part, and a red cartoonish bird that screeches at you when the water is ready. I wonder if these color choices were Graves' way of injecting a little bit of USA into the iconic Italian company's product line.
This kitchen looks as though it could have been inspired by Graves' kettle, with its stainless steel elements and beautiful use of blue.
The kettle is right at home being one of the only decorative objects in a minimalist kitchen.
The kettle is composed of 18/10 polished stainless steel and measures 8 1/2 inches in diameter and 9 inches high. The tapered design is efficient for boiling water quickly.
It also works well in contemporary kitchens full of warm wood accents.
A shiny steel backsplash reflects the kettle here. Another new classic we've explored recently are the chairs in this kitchen. They are Hat Trick Chairs by a starchitect and product-designer colleague of Graves, Frank Gehry.
The 9093 also adds a pop of postmodern charm to transitional kitchens.
The kettle holds its own in a country-style kitchen — perhaps because it has a tiny critter atop its spout.
The holding-its-own statement is true whether the kettle is in a room with full-on country charm or one with subtle country touches, like this one. Chances are, one of these would work in your kitchen too; at 28 years old, it's the most popular teakettle seen in Houzz kitchen photos.