Contemporary Heaven Division

There are certain things that we all need in our lives that are pretty mundane. One of those is a kettle. We ALL, without exception, need a kettle in the kitchen, if only to boil the water for the morning coffee, or tea if that is your preference. OK, perhaps the late, lamented, Peter Cook, of the Peter Cook and Dudley Moore duo, would have preferred a large shot of vodka, but for most of us it’s coffee or tea. Thinking about it, he probably did manage without a kettle. There are several other mundane things too, like somewhere in the hall to hang your coat as you come into the house. And somewhere to put the umbrella when it has been pouring with rain and you don’t want water all over the floor, so you need an umbrella stand as well. Coat hooks and umbrella stands can be a real nuisance because they can get in the way and they usually don’t look very pretty either, which is not the way you want to appear to your guests when you invite them round for dinner and the hall is th...

Umbra is a company based in Toronto that designs and manufactures housewares and was founded in 1978 by Les Mandelbaum and Paul Rowan who had been friends since childhood. The company today produces over 2,000 products and has 25,000 distributors in 120 countries. In 2007 the company opened its first retail store in Toronto and now has it own retail outlets in several countries across the globe. One of Umbra’s most famous designs was the Garbo trash can, named after the actress, as the design mimicked the shape of her body. It was designed by Karim Rashid and sold over two million units in the first two years after the 1996 launch. It still sells well today, along with the Garbino, which is a smaller version. Among its’ many products, the company produces a range of Umbra curtain poles , many of which are extendable so that they can fit windows of different sizes. Umbra curtain poles include the Cappa curtain rod which was designed by Mauricio Affonso and featur...

The company Kartell was founded in Italy in 1949 by Giulio Castelli, and is today run by Claudio Luti, and has become an international success story in the fields of lighting, furniture, furnishings, and home accessories. The company collaborates with many international designers to produce goods for the home that are both artistic and functional. The great designs combine both of these so that Kartell has become a name that is revered around the world. Kartell is forever experimenting with the use of plastics and new technologies to improve functional performance and the aesthetics of everything that the company produces. Nowhere is this more true than in its’ range of lighting which has to be seen to be believed. Kartell now has representation in over 130 countries with 130 single-brand flagship stores, 250 “shop within shops”, and no fewer than 2,500 independent retailers. Kartell lighting includes some incredible designs which have turned traditional ...