Few of us live in homes that can accommodate a chandelier that’s 10 ft 6 in. in diameter, but the images of Italian lighting manufacturer Andromeda’s Hydroargentum collection were striking not just because of the size of the fixture itself. Maybe it’s because I have fashion on the brain, but the black-and-white images of the chandelier—which, according to the press release, gets its name from that given by ancient alchemists to mercury—seemed very much akin in spirit to fashion photography. (For some reason, I’m thinking American sportswear.)

Designed by Leonardo De Carlo and offered in three colors of glass—silver, blue and bronze—Hydroargentum ranges in design from 15 to 96 lights and in diameters of 3 ft. 7 1/2 in. to 13 ft. 1 1/2 in. The line comprises not only chandeliers but also floor lamps. As with all of the company’s lighting, the fixtures can be also customized.

The images are stunning and the chandelier does take on the look of some strange, unearthly sea creature. I’m not sure what to make of the photo of the men, but it, along with the rest of the images, are part of a 170-page catalogue for the line, which incidentally is equally dramatic in color. (Click on “Genus” and “Hydroargentum.”)

—Alice Liao

I had to wait a little for Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to approve my request for access to their press images, so I apologize for the delay in posting these images. Anyway, for those of you unable to make it to New York to see “Counter Space” between now and March 14, 2011, here are “official” images of the Frankfurt Kitchen;

Snaidero’s Spazio Vivo (Living Space), a mobile kitchen designed by Virgilio Forchiassin in 1968. Formed of steel, plywood and plastic laminate, the unit—when closed—measures 36 1/4 in. x 48 7/8 in. x 48 7/8 in.;

and a photo of the kitchenette and living room in an Apartment Designed for a Single Person. Created by Lilly Reich, the apartment was part of the Boarding House at Die Wohnung unserer Zeit, or The Dwelling of Our Time, which I’m guessing was a showcase at the German Building Exhibition in 1931.

If I remember correctly, the kitchenette is equipped with doors to conceal it when it’s not in use—a feature that you still see today in contemporary design and is probably useful in small spaces.

Unfortunately, the press images of objects in the show did not include one of the Vola faucets, whose bright colors and minimalist design reminded me a little of these from Zuchetti, but there was a photo of this contraption, which made me do a double take at the exhibition:

Do you know what it is? It’s the Solnar Tarcici, a collapsible solar cooker designed by Dr. Adnan Tarcici in the 1970s. Made of aluminum, it features a parabolic reflector and, when open, is 21 in. x 34 in. x 43 in. When not in use, it can be closed and stored in the integrated box.

—Alice Liao

On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to attend a press preview for “Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen,” an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art that showcases the evolution of the modern kitchen, as well as its social, political, economic implications and impact.

The centerpiece of the show is an installation of the Frankfurt Kitchen, which was designed in 1926-27 by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky as an attempt to increase the kitchen’s functionality and efficiency, thus reducing the amount of time women spent working there. Ergonomic and compact, Schütte-Lihotzky’s design was part of a larger plan to modernize the city and was incorporated into public housing built around Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.

The Frankfurt Kitchen results from an effort to “rationalize” the kitchen by perhaps breaking it down into its core tasks and then redesigning it in a way that, say, minimizes the amount of steps needed to accomplish each one. Compact, it features a lot of built-in elements, such as a waste receptacle placed conveniently to the side of the main prep surface, an array of compartments above the cooktop for storing condiments and a series of drawers for keeping flour and other cooking staples within easy reach. Apparently, the drawers were a little too accessible and had to be installed higher to prevent children from playing with them.

For me, the words “rationalize” and “rational” are of particular interest, as they seem to connote a lack of emotion, which seems to be the antithesis of the room that we typically call “the heart of the home.” The words are additionally significant given the changes in gender roles. We’ve certainly come a long way.

But there’s more to “Counter Space” than the Frankfurt installation. Nearly 300 works culled from the museum’s vast collections of photography, art, product design, films and media are also on display, adding color, interest, political and social commentary, as well as humor. These include a few brightly colored Vola kitchen faucets designed by Arne Jacobsen and Spazio Vivo, a heavily hinged multicomponent Snaidero kitchen from 1968.

Although the name of the exhibit makes some sense, as one journalist pointed out, the show offers little, if anything, on what countertops and counter space, which have become invaluable in today’s kitchens. Interestingly enough, though, it is being sponsored Silestone by Cosentino.

The exhibit runs through March 14, 2011.

—Alice Liao

As an industry, we keep forgetting the general public doesn’t know as much about our business as both we and they think they do. The media supplies them with construction jargon, so that they converse very knowledgeably about landing spaces and work areas, but almost all of us have stories about discovering gaps in that knowledge well after the project has started.

A few years ago, I read an invaluable article by the futurist Faith Popcorn. (She’s the one who accurately predicted cocooning.) I’m horrible at exact wording, but the gist of it was: No matter how vast the Internet is, or how knowledgeable people are, they’re secretly hoping you’ll have more knowledge and experience than they do.

Now I know some pros who give clients whatever they want. I also know some who take over completely. But as we transition to the next generation, those days are coming to a close. This next generation of homeowners (and a growing portion of this generation) wants to be part of the team. While they enjoy getting the information they want from the media, according to Faith, they secretly fear they’re only getting part of it. Judging by the tales of woe in consumer forums, they are.

If we’re going to welcome them on board, we have to provide the answers that allow them to make informed decisions. That also means putting ourselves in their shoes–Do they know we make two trips for recycling during the demolition process? Do they actually know that granite has a grading system and the poorer the granite, the more inclusions and fissures? Do they know that 100W light bulbs will be phased out in 2012?

We know more than we think we do.

I’m not saying you have to be a show-off, or you should overwhelm them with your knowledge. Clients who have been embarrassed or made to feel they’ve asked silly questions are non-clients. I’m saying, re-ask the above questions: Do you know how we try to be environmentally friendly? Would you like a crash course in granite since you’re interested in it for your own home? Would you like to know some of the key changes coming to home design?

Don’t be put off by the client who seems to know it all. Find the knowledge they need but didn’t know they were looking for, and you’ll set yourself apart with a lot of work over the next decade.

Until next time,

—Kelly