Smeg is best known for its bright, fun appliances that add a splash of color to your kitchen. Its new Musa collection takes a different tack, however, using shades of black with a fun twist that’s only visible when you get up-close. Musa — which includes ovens (both full-size and compact), warming drawers, and induction hobs, with an extractor hood coming next year — is the work of Milan-based studio BorromeodeSilva, which has a background in automotive design. I spoke to co-founder Carlo Borromeo to find out how the studio is bringing that experience to your kitchen, and the challenges experienced along the way.
Carlo Borromeo
Carlo Borromeo is an Italian designer and co-founder of BorromeodeSilva, a Milan-based design studio renowned for its refined, research-led approach to industrial and product design.
This isn’t the first time BorromeodeSilva has worked with Smeg — in 2012, the two brands, along with eyewear company Italia Independent, teamed up to create a special-edition denim-clad version of the Smeg Fab 28 fridge. The resulting product didn’t just look cool; it was designed to be practical as well, withstanding regular use in an ordinary kitchen.
So how did an automotive design agency get involved in creating such an unusual product? According to Borromeo, the project came about from a relationship with Smeg’s founder, Roberto Vittorio, who pitched the initial concept.
“I’m like, ‘No, but that’s a terrible idea, you know? It will get dirty,’ and they’re like, ‘Ah, you find a way,’” says Borromeo. “And so we took the project very seriously, and we developed a plasma treatment for the fabric that allowed us to coat it with a protective surface. So, if you touch it, it feels normal, but it’s actually stain-resistant, odor-resistant; it doesn’t pick up mold or stuff like that. And the fridge came out, and it was a mega success — they sold thousands of them.
“So, that was the beginning of a very fun relationship with the Bertazzoni family and Smeg at home, especially with the Vittorios’ father, Roberto, who became kind of like a mentor. And we kept the relationship going more as a friendship. But then, in recent years, we got back in touch, and they asked me to come and design a few products for them, and it was an absolute joy to rekindle that relationship.”
The brief for the Musa collection was very different. Rather than experimenting with novel materials, the goal here was to make an appliance with the fun personality and character of a Smeg product, but that would also fit into a modern kitchen.
“These kitchens tend to be quite understated nowadays, so we need to figure out a way to add our flair, our fun, our playfulness, but in a context where it doesn’t explode too much, but fits in,” says Borromeo. “And this was the challenge about this project.”
There has definitely been a trend towards using natural materials and neutral colors in kitchens recently, exemplified by products such as KitchenAid’s stand mixer with a walnut wood bowl, and Pantone’s color of the year, Cloud Dancer. It’s a far cry from Smeg’s pastel-colored retro appliances, so I asked Borromeo how his team went about designing something that would suit.
“Was it a challenge kind of working with that, to create something unique?” he asks. “I mean, we wanted to do that right away, but as you see, the Musa, it’s black and gray. This was done by design because we thought, let’s try to see if we can make a product that is Smeg, even if we take away the color, which is the primary thing that identifies Smeg.
It becomes like a little portal into your kitchen, into your food
Carlo Borromeo
“We said, if we have to reduce it to its minimum components, let’s try to take away the color as well, and see if we can create a product that is still connecting, that is still fun, that makes you smile, that has a sort of magnetic aura. And I think we achieved it, because I noticed it during [Milan] Design Week. There was a wall with all these different ovens, and Musa was one of them, and immediately, you would notice it. So, it’s a product that doesn’t scream for attention, but captures it anyway.”
Although the Musa oven might look plain at first glance, get closer and you’ll see the elements that make it interesting and different, despite the lack of color. For example, it has an unusual texture, which comes from BorromeodeSilva’s automotive background.
“We work a lot with classic cars, modernizing them. And so this method of taking character traits and applying them to objects is something that stems from there,” says Borromeo. “Then there’s also a practical thing that helps us a lot, which is our knowledge of CMF — color, materials, and finish — in developing the texture that we use to decorate the objects.”
He turns to the Musa oven. “If you look at it from far away, the window is like a solid, but as you get closer, you notice this stripey texture, which is playful, it’s nice to the touch, it gives you more. And also, it gives you a little surprise as you get closer, which is a playful element.”
The other playful element is the window, which is smaller than usual, with rounded corners, prompting you to peek inside. Borromeo called it the portal — or “hublot”, in Italian.
“I think it’s a fun idea that kind of defines the spirit of the product,” he says. “Usually, when you have these ovens, you try to have the largest possible opening because it’s functional; it makes sense. In this case, we tried to actually reduce it, and we created like a portal — a smaller window that maybe looks not logical, but in the end, it invites you to peer in. So, it’s trying to communicate to you in a certain way. It becomes like a little portal into your kitchen, into your food.”
He explains that the oven established a “design language” for the whole collection, and four of the studio’s 15-person design team already have it in their homes — including him. If you want your own, prices start at £399 (about $530 / AU$770).
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catherine.ellis@futurenet.com (Cat Ellis)
