Kitchens.it

We continue our tour of the novelties and trends that Macef Spring 2003 has to offer for the table, and today we enter a sophisticated atmosphere, often encountered in the exhibition halls: the Fusion table, given its name because it is a fusion of traditional elements and styles from different cultures, symbol of a "melting pot philosophy" which has been appearing in the most fashionable venues of big cities all over the world for several months now.

Melting-pot, because as the phrase itself tells us, it is the outcome of a blending of styles and cultures, each with its own eating habits and its own objects, colours, materials and shapes. A blend which is intended as neither a standardisation nor a coarse imitation of "folk" styles and materials; rather, a cohabitation of cultural peculiarities and personalities which create new, attractive combinations.

This is why the new items for spring from Creso include a collection of Burmese lacquer-work, a Celadon line and a set of Mexican glasses.

The range of Celadons features a wide variety of shapes, decorative motifs and colours. The shapes, ranging from the most traditional to the most contemporary, are round, square and rectangular. The lacquer-work pieces reflect the latest western trends even though they are items rich in history, hand-made by skilled, patient craftsmen in far-off Burma, and express the eternal art of the distant East. (Illustration: Navy Tray, retail price 140.00 €; Fusion Box retail price 173.00 €. Torciglione Cutlery, Mexican glass and Blue Celadon place-setting.)

If we wish to add fusion-style items to the kitchen, we can turn for assistance to K&S, Kitchens&Shape, which at Macef exhibited vases in truly original style and of striking appearance, all made from paper and aluminium. They seem to be fresh from the hands of skilled Pacific Island craftsmen, with their tribal-drum shape and the paper which covers them in an effective play on shapes and lines. However, at the core lies tough, modern aluminium, that sustains their forms without detracting from their lightness.

The main materials from K&S for the table are in wood, for a decidedly ethnic style, with cups, bowls and plates with a "terracotta" effect painted in natural shades like cream and brown. Another "fusion" item, but this time with a more western spirit, is the white porcelain set, decorated with floral motifs: original, glowing and very unusual. Here the influence of the melting-pot is reflected in the square shapes, inspired by the world of the eastern table.

Last but not least the table-cloths. The finest cotton processing is taken from the West and "contaminated" with African-style weaves and earthy colours, brown, beige and cream. The Fusion effect is guaranteed if you combine the table-cloth with items in string or gauze.