MODERN MARVELS: (clockwise from top left) Mr. Chin egg cup with salt caster and spoon, $26; inside Alessi Dallas; Mediterraneo stainless steel and resin votives, $32 each. photography egg cup: Elizabeth Lavin; votives courtesy of Alessi |
Alessi, the Italian manufacturer of stylishly designed objects for kitchen and table, has just opened a store in Dallas. Call it a toy store for design-crazed grown ups. Cheerful bottle stoppers, bright Taiwanese salt and pepper mills, and white porcelain pizza plates painted with Italian children’s stories keep things from getting too serious. Forget asking mom to reach the prize on the top shelf—Alessi has all its products (more than 2,000!) arranged for easy viewing in museum-like cases. It makes sense, as several iconic Alessi pieces are a part of many modern museums’ collections. The idea here is usable art. Some of the world’s best architects, designers, and artists create high-quality products, bringing good design to everyday life. Alessi Dallas. Preston Royal Shopping Center. 5959 Royal Ln., Ste. 629. 214-346-5900. www.alessi.com.