Based in Venice, architect Mauro Cazzaro and Antonella Maione founded design studio Kanz as a meeting point among architecture, interior design, and product design. By broadening their definition of the field, they are able to reach many different scales in relation to their practice.

With a new set of porcelain kitchenwares designed for Hands on Design and manufactured by Risogama in Arita, Japan, Kanz named the series Bombette supposedly after their circular shapes and rounded edges. Each standing like minimal architectural structures, the pieces all have distinguishable features that correspond with their functions: the containers that hold spices have tiny openings on the side while those containing liquid have a cantilevered mouth piece. All of these differences are then brought together cohesively in planar view by circular wooden caps and a simple slit leading to the unique features. The detail that strongly communicates Bombette’s quirk is the placement of the caps. With a slight indentation in the centre top, Kanz smartly creates an illusion of the wooden button’s weight suppressing the pearl white bodies. I see that as a small detail that immensely contributes to this series’ sophistication.

Besides being aesthetically pleasing, Bombette’s forms make way for users to handle these homewares with precision and caressingly feel the porcelain’s cool surface and smooth texture. By simply manipulating a form’s curves, even minimal design treatments can make products excitingly beautiful.