Wares reflect demand for quality
CHICAGO — Housewares that are simply cheap and operational don’t really cut it in North American homes anymore, as there’s a growing appreciation for esthetics and quality.
Over the past few years, there’s been a shift in perceived value: Homeowners are willing to pay a premium for products that last longer and look as sleek as they are functional. And as technology advances, electronic housewares are adding more customization to individual products. All of these trends were on display at the International Home and Housewares Show.
Richard Joseph, co-founder of Joseph Joseph — a leader in creating stylish housewares — said the 14-year-old British company starts with the idea of improving a common product, whether it’s using better materials or tweaking shapes to make something more compact or more intuitive. “Nothing is better to hear than when someone says: ‘Why didn’t I think of that before?’ ” Joseph said.
Architectural design and fashion are influencing common household products, he said, and floral designs and colour are becoming more popular, while established trends, such as Scandinavian design, continue to be mainstays.
Paolo Cravedi, managing director for the U.S. and Canada for Alessi USA, said consumers are beginning to have a better understanding of design, and that’s filtering into the housewares industry. An esthetically pleasing product evokes emotion, which adds to the appeal, he said.
The Italian firm was established in 1921 and is known for its collaboration with designers such as Philippe Starck and Michael Graves. Cravedi agreed that consumers are willing to pay for longer-lasting, higher-quality products. Also, environmental impact is becoming a bigger concern, especially with younger buyers.
Customer feedback helps improve products, said Hanna McPhee, brand manager for Fellow, which makes accessories for coffee connoisseurs. Fellow started on Kickstarter in late 2014, and the brand became established in 2015.
McPhee said customer feedback led it to change the lid on one of its popular kettles from plastic to metal.
In the electronic housewares category, consumers are interested in convenience and customization, which is leading to products such as smart rice cookers that can not only differentiate among different types of rice, but also have settings for grains such as oatmeal and quinoa.
Many of these electronic housewares look good on the counter, too, including electric kettles that retain the beauty of a traditional stovetop kettle but have different heat settings for various types of tea.
Many electronics are Wi-Fienabled, and some link to voicecontrolled systems such as Amazon’s Echo.
Joseph said esthetics are important to consumers, but improving how a product works is ultimately the goal. The company has moved from its early designs, such as multicoloured, all-in-one sets of nesting mixing bowls, sieves and measuring cups, to other kitchen utensils and storage items.
But there are limits. “I don’t know how we’d design for a better fork,” he said.
Carley Knobloch, smarthome expert for IHHS, said excitement over smart technology is high, but just adding WiFi capability doesn’t necessarily improve function. That’s where function takes precedence over esthetics.