Spicing Up the Kitchen Counters With a Dash of Color and a Pinch of Calm

Architect and designer Ettore Sottsass is perhaps best known in this country as the guru of “Memphis,” the hyper-pop design movement of the ‘70s and ‘80s that spawned a provocative--some might say wacko--collection of brightly colored, remarkably shaped home furnishings and accessories.

One Sottsass signature was the use of vivid, printed plastic laminate--long considered hopelessly down-market--in high-style design.

Thus it was a tad surprising to see the 12 subdued hues that Sottsass recently developed for DuPont’s Corian, the ubiquitous acrylic counter-top material often embedded with mineral particles that graces millions of kitchens worldwide.

Sottsass, 86, and a handful of other consultants in Milan and Paris were hired to reorganize the Corian spectrum, which for years was divided into assorted categories based on texture or design line. The time had come to present a single, 81-shade palette.

“We filled in some colors that were missing,” he said in a phone chat from Italy. “I had already worked with Corian. I used it for counters and bathrooms in the airport in Milan.”

But don’t look for royal blue, kelly green or magenta Corian as you choose colors for your kitchen, bathroom or passenger lounge.

While DuPont’s old palette already included yellow, orange, red, lilac and pea green, the dozen new colors are muted. Most also carry earthy-sounding names: moss, gravel, adobe, butter cream, beach glass and silt.

“It’s not so much dull,” said Sottsass. “We wanted to see what group of colors can be used in architecture. They should be quite calm. They do not use [Corian] in gas stations. You will never do a hot-pink bathroom.”

For Memphis die-hards, more’s the pity.

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Are you a teak freak? If you’re a fan of the smooth wood, this is the season for you.

EZiba.com, a Web site at https://www.eziba.com, specializing in exotic handcrafted products, presents some fabulous furniture. Lounge in the luxury of a “Chilena” chair made of a woven Mexican teak that molds to the body ($550). A “Chilena” stool costs $325 on the site.

Teak also reaches a new summer peak in the Smith & Hawken 2000 catalog, “Teak for Life.” The catalog offers everything from armchairs to full outdoor dining sets. Call (800) 776-3336 for more information or visit https://www.smithandhawken.com.

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Blue-light specials aren’t the only lighting news at Kmart. The discount department store chain recently jazzed up its collections of lamps and shades.

“Our lamp business is up,” says spokeswoman Laura Mahle, “and our customers are looking for on-trend merchandise and a strong selection.”

That translates to everything from lava lamps for retro-loving teens to hand-painted Baroque torchiers. The handsome Mission-style lamps pictured, which are new this month at Kmart, come in two sizes: table ($34.99) and floor ($49.99).