For several years now I have been using Kartio glasses from Iittala as my everyday drinkware, and I can’t recommend them enough. The design is simple but very solid, and they come in a variety of colors. I have the light blue one pictured to the right.

The glasses were initially designed by the Finnish designer Kaj Franck in 1958, but they have a timeless simplicity and were brought back into production. I think the size and geometry of the 40 cl/13 oz tumblers are perfect for a drinking glass, and it feels great in the hand.

Outside of solid, clean design the only variations in the Kartio tumbler series are with size and color. The light-hued ones are my favorite as they add just enough color while still keeping it simple. Franck believed that good color was decoration enough, and this series proves it. You can see all the colors on offer at Iittala’s site, and they also come in a 20 cl/7 oz size.

Kartio glassware can be purchased at Amazon for $20 for a set of two.

This High & Dry dishrack by Black+Blum has a great design, sleek look, and comes in lime, sage and white.

I hand wash my dishes, so I am usually skeptical about design dishracks, but this one intrigues me. I like how the rack folds down to reduce its profile for storage, which is definitely a nice feature. Check out the company’s website to see how it packs up.

With that said, I wonder how sturdy the prongs are when extended, and it also seems as if the rack is better suited for plates and glasses and less for bowls and odd-shaped dishes. This is a common problem with many designer dishracks.

For small amounts of dishes, however, this looks like a good option. It also has a small/removable utensil holder, and there is a spout for draining that you can open whenever you want. This means you can put the dishrack anywhere in your kitchen and drain it later — a nice feature if your kitchen is not set up for drying dishes right next to the sink.

You can purchase the dishrack for $59 at Emmo Home.

This kitchen system would be perfect for a compact kitchen in an urban area. It is produced by bulthaup and consists of two tool cabinets, a workbench, and a water point. You can see the workbench and one of the storage cabinets to the right.

I admire how compact the b2 system is, and it then folds up when not in use. You can go to the bulthaup website to see it in frame-by-frame action.

I can only imagine how much it costs, but with a small kitchen space, a system like this would be invaluable.

I ran into this concept on ghigos.com. It is a brilliant way to create a do-it-yourself foodie chess set.

I think I am going to start searching for the pieces to make this reality.

Shot glasses can often be cheesy with logos slapped on them or just plain bland, but this set of four sold at Haus Interior are a departure from the common shot glass.

I like the four different etching patterns on each glass. Not only do the varying designs make the glass set more interesting, but you can tell which glass is yours.

You can purchase the set of four from Haus Interior for $75. I know it is kind of expensive when you consider that every gas station and truck stop has shot glasses for just a few bucks, but you must admit that they look great.

The Italian company, Guzzini, has a long tradition of making quality, design-oriented kitchen goods. You can browse their site to see a lot of interesting products, but unfortunately it is very hard to find their kitchen and home goods here in the US.

You can try to search on eBay to find selected items, but for the most part you are going to have to search high and low to find a place to do your shopping. I especially liked the Dolce Vita glasses (to the right), their gelato cups, and the salad spinner.

A lot of people don’t like how dish racks look on the counter and find ways to store or hide them away somehow. These dish racks, however, don’t really look like drying racks. They may not be for the serious hand dishwasher, but if you primarily use an electric dishwasher and just need some sort of drying tool, then these racks may be an option.

This Asker dish drainer from IKEA is stainless steel and folds up so that it is out of the way when not in use. It sells for $30.

The Dish Doctor designed by Marc Newson comes in four different colors. It is nothing too fancy but succeeds in looking great. The nice thing about this rack is that it drains into itself so you can place it on any counter surface regardless of where the sink is. You just dump the drained water out afterwards. This rack can be purchased from Hive Modern for $70. It is rather expensive, but it is undeniably a hip option for drying dishes.

This bamboo dish rack sold by Organize.com sells for $40. It has a sleek modern design and is good for small places. I don’t know what it is, but there is something about this rack that I like. Maybe it is because it looks good enough that you can leave out.

This Guzzini dish drainer from their Latina line is unique and stylish. It is designed by Karim Rashid, and you can buy it from Cuisine Gourmet for about $35. It also comes in different colors, but you may need to search for it a bit online. There is also another version on Rashid’s website, but I haven’t been able to find it on the internet. It is a bright green and seems to be an update on the white version shown below.

Lastly, there is the cheap Umbra in-sink dish rack sold for $8. It is simple and hidden within your sink. Of course, you have to have a double sink to use this drying rack, but if you just want to rinse things off or do a small batch of dishes, this drying pad may be a good option. The pad also comes in black.

The Argentinian designer, Alfredo Häberli, based out of Zurich, Switzerland has designed some beautiful home and kitchen products for many companies. Most of his work is furniture, but I love his simple yet colorful dishes that he designed for Iittala. If you like bistro tableware that is plain white, but are also looking for some color, the Origo line designed by Häberli is a fun option.

Starting 2 January, The Conran Shop is having a sale on his dinnerware with pieces marked down about 30 percent. You can also purchase the Origo line from Didrik’s for comparable prices and they also offer free shipping.

And even if you don’t want to go for the whole dish set because of expense, you can always opt for a serving dish or two to add some color.

This design-oriented dustpan from Alice Supply Co. will add some color to the otherwise mundane and dirty task of sweeping up in the kitchen. I am glad that designers are finally remaking some of these less glamorous tools of the home. And the Alice Supply Co. is doing just that with hoses, brushes, plungers, pails, brooms and toolboxes through their hip housewares line.

Former fashion industry executives Maria Barnes and Raili Clasen were south of the border one time and noticed brightly colored pails and brooms in an old hardware store. From there it only took some margaritas to come up with the concept of the Alice Supply Co. Of course, some may object to the somewhat stereotypical woman printed on the pan, but the logo and company name is a nod to Alice on The Brady Bunch. I still wouldn’t recommend husbands to give this as a gift to their spouse though.

I couldn’t find the orange dustpan sold online, but you can shop directly through the Alice Supply Co. and buy a lime green dustpan along with some other designs. The cost is $18.

This unique pepper grinder designed by Norway Says for Muuto will add some color to your table. I can’t vouch for how it grinds, but it is unique if you are looking for something different. You can also get it in plain white and plain black if the primary colors aren’t to your liking. The grinder is on the expensive side at $86, so it will probably appeal more to the design conscious foodies and toddlers who will find it a really frustrating set of blocks.

You can buy the grinder at A+R and at Unica Home.