By Allison Zisko
Tabletop introductions at the Gourmet Housewares Show here this week span a variety of style and design approaches, but they are alike in the way they meld fashion (or just plain fun) with function.
Several are offering options for home entertaining. Grainware by William Bounds, for instance, is featuring its jumbo margarita glass at this show. The 3-foot-tall acrylic ice bucket is shaped like a margarita glass and can hold several bottles of wine, beer or water in ice. The base unscrews from the bowl for easy storage.
Sagaform is showing many new products focused on serving and entertaining. Eco Bamboo features serving bowls and boards, and Juicy has a line of glasses, decanters, trays and coasters in bright, fun colors. Sagaform is also showing its multifunctional pasta server, which it debuted at the International Home & Housewares Show in March, and launching barbecue tools and a picnic line in both vibrant colors and more traditional hues.
Revol’s Crumpled porcelain series, first shown at gift shows earlier this year, lends a conversation starter to home entertaining: the small cup, french-fry holder and small dish that resembles a paper hot dog wrapper are made from porcelain that appears crumpled.
Tervis Tumbler is featuring its line of wrapped hot-beverage tumblers. Nineteen new designs from a number of artists range from traditional summer motifs to other themes, such as floral or geometrics.
Zak Designs is lending its support to the National Breast Cancer Foundation with its line of Rose Bowls, four individual bowls in varying shades of pink that are sculpted to present the appearance of flower petals. When the bowls are nested within each other, they combine to create the bud of fully blossomed rose.
In addition to including the pink version of the Rose Bowls in the National Breast Cancer Foundation line, Zak is also releasing a pink version of the Happy Spoon.
Lynns Concepts is previewing a new color, juniper berry, in its COLORcode China program for 2009, along with some new serveware and bakeware shapes.