Dwell on Design is the one of the most important times of the year concerning both aesthetic as well as industrial design. While many companies focus on wowing with visual flair, many have products that are more than meets the eye. Brizo came to the party this year with a few tricks up there sleeve. Click past the jump to see what they’re coming out with.
Occupying a large space right in the center of the kitchen/bath section of the convention floor, Brizo was most recognizable from one end with their huge Jason Wu promotion covering one side of the booth. Inside was a wall of faucets, each one distinct as well as graceful and sexy. On the floor were functioning models of their kitchen faucets, featuring touch technology shown in the video below.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/11297453]
As for Brizo’s announcements, I had heard about something new and cool from Brizo via the owner of PlumbTile, but I didn’t think one of today’s hottest designers partnering with them would be it.
The announcement is not entirely a shock. Jason Wu and Brizo have collaborated on various projects dating back to 2006. This does mark Wu’s first foray into home design- he has only done design and fashion work for their previous promotional campaigns. His line of Brizo faucets will be available late 2011.
As for the rest of the faucets they had at the convention, they existed in a naturalistic state, most emphasizing designs that seemed as if they had come from the earth itself.
Not everything about Brizo’s showings was about form; function had a strong presence in their kitchen models. Most included a feature they called Magnadock™, which is a handsprayer that’s concealed in the spout of the faucet. A discrete latch in back helps the hand find it, and the recessed nozzle comes out easily to help spray water onto whatever you’re doing in a much more controlled fashion. Many also had the touch technology shown in the Brizo video above, allowing users to use any part of their body to turn the faucets on and off in case their hands are occupied while preparing food or cleaning utensils.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3FAiGwDyZM]
You can find all of these designs and more at PlumbTile.com