antonio aricò crafts rustic kitchenware using traditional materials + techniques
photo © f. zaminga

 

 

 

looking at tradition and how things were made in the past, antonio aricò has crafted a small collection of wooden kitchenware, offering up contemporary ‘oldways’ of preparing food. the designs which include a cheese grater, chopping blocks, a rolling pin and utensils, draw on the italian creative’s cultural heritage; in which he was influenced by the simple, casual objects that would hang on the walls of his grandfather’s kitchen.

 

the rustic, wooden pieces are a collaboration between aricò and his grandfather, who handcrafted the objects based on the designer’s drawings — thus, further deepening the family connection. collectively they encompass a mediterranean aesthetic that draws on the purity of materials, and their inherent imperfections.

 

aricò’s ‘oldways’ collection made its debut at the 2015 designboom mart in stockholm.

antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
‘cheese grater’ is made from a tomato soup can with holes drilled into it
photo © f. zaminga

 

 

 

the ‘cheese grater’ is not about being glamorous or fashionable, it is about honesty, purity and simplicity — in form and in function. the design draws from an old method typical in the south of italy in which one would drill holes into a tomato soup can with a nail.

antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
the design draws on an old method that comes from the south of italy
photo © f. zaminga

antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
‘kitchen utensils’
photo © f. zaminga

 

 

 

aricò’s wooden kitchen utensils take their shape from his drawings, which have been cut out using fast, simple techniques by his grandfather. each one is slightly different from the other, and have a graphic two-dimensional, but artisanal look.

antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
the utensils are quickly cut out using fast, simple techniques, making each one slightly different
photo © f. zaminga

antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
the utensils have a graphic, two-dimensional
photo © f. zaminga
antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
‘chopping blocks’
photo © f. zaminga

 

 

 

roughly and instinctively cut-out of beech wood, ‘chopping blocks’ draw their sizes from the ancient boards of lumber that were used for heavy cutting. in making them, aricò wanted to create something that would last for years to come, while at the same time showcasing the various cuts made from slicing food on it, making it even more expressive.

antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
the different sizes are derived from ancient blocks of wood used as heavy chopping boards
photo © f. zaminga
antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
the different shapes can be catered to different foods
photo © f. zaminga
antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
‘rolling pins’
photo © f. zaminga

 

 

 

‘rolling pin’ is simply a big, straight cylinder. the wood has been left rough in order to give texture to the dough. antonio arico oldways kitchenware designboom
‘rolling pin’ is a large, straight, wooden cylinder
photo © f. zaminga