Seymourpowell has designed the Maison Breakfast set for Tefal. The set comprised of a stylish stainless steel kettle and toaster. The range hints at aesthetics from the past, with iconic retro touches, but also encompasses the technology and clean lines for today's contemporary home.
Tefal and Seymourpowell's culinary design partnership dates back to 1985 when they created the world's first cordless kettle. Seymourpowell went on to create the Avanti toaster - the world's first toaster with forward facing and slanted slots that established a new paradigm and a turning point for kitchenware.
"The world has changed greatly in the last 25 years. We've changed too, as have our kitchens," commented Dick Powell, Co-founder of Seymourpowell. "In the past, kitchens were a 'work' place where food was prepared and people ate in dining rooms. Now, they are living spaces that say more about us than any other room in the house. We need the functionality of appliances, but we also need our products to reflect both who we are and the kitchen environment in which they sit: functional yes, but stylish and aspirational too."
Seymourpowell identified two important themes, which they called "Culinary Kudos" (the explosion of quality cooking in the home) and "Contemporary Heritage" (a modern take on tradition) and married some of the emotional cues from the past with contemporary forms to create an emotional connection with people. The result is a look that is warm, friendly, homely and comfortable, reminiscent of 1950's toasters and kettles but with a contemporary feel.
Design features include an ergonomic open handle on the kettle that makes it safe and easy to pour boiling water. The 1.7 litre capacity is enough to make seven cups of tea and the concealed heating element and 3000W power boils the kettle quickly.
The toaster has four angled slots, allowing the user to watch their toast closely and to extract their toast easily via the extra-lift levers. It also features seven browning levels and three settings: cancel, defrost and a reheat function. With variable slot widths, it can toast bread and bagels, whilst the crumb tray keeps your kitchen counter shining.
Created and designed in the UK, for the UK, the range captures British style and character. Inspiration for the Tefal Maison Breakfast colour palette comes from brilliant and successful eclectic UK interiors. It reflects a British disposition to blend the old with the new, marrying emotive hues with the contemporary tones of modern life to create a quintessentially British mood.
"The British disposition to blend old with new is at the heart of the range," Powell explained. "We British have always been very good at eclecticism, so the carefully articulated range of colours will sit comfortably in any style of kitchen from country cottage to minimal contemporary."
