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Home Goods

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Home Accessories Design

EBB: Oil and Vinegar Cruet Set

Design Brief

This oil and vinegar cruet set draws inspiration from nature's serene sounds and embodies luxury, artistry, and motion to celebrate the art of gastronomy. More than just functional containers, the set is designed to enhance the ambiance of refined dining spaces by offering a sensory and interactive experience. Each piece adds a dynamic, aesthetic element to the table, making the moment between order and service a more immersive, artful experience for diners, contributing to the overall elegance of the meal.

Inspiration

This project draws its inspiration from my moments of quiet reflection along the Providence River and at the Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial (Johnathan Bonner, November 12, 1947). I was struck by the image of a solitary pebble resting peacefully at the center of a spiral of truncated poles. As I meander through the spiraling path closer to the pebble, it stood out to me as a symbol of resilience, stillness, and balance amidst structure. This visual and emotional resonance went on to inform the design of the cruet, where the interplay of form, material, and proportion evokes both calmness and intentionality, turning an everyday object into a refined and contemplative experience.

Concept Development

Through many observational sketches on site, connecting ideas off site, and figuring out the components of the cruet, I landed on the elements to move forward with with my design. The interior of the container outlines the the ebbs and flows of waves and abrasion on sediment. A marble rests in the small vessel that connects the glass containers to the bottom cap, which makes a soft ringing sound whenever the vessel is played with.

Design Language

Sound

A marble rests in the small vessel that connects the glass containers to the bottom cap--making a soft vibration-like sound that enhances a meditative mood.

Sound

A marble rests in the small vessel that connects the glass containers to the bottom cap--making a soft vibration-like sound that enhances a meditative mood.

Geometry

Depiction of sediments in bodies of water collide with bedrocks to carve out stream-like patterns. Emphasizes how the journey of the liquids in containers travel through nature to arrive on the diners’ dinner table.

Geometry

Depiction of sediments in bodies of water collide with bedrocks to carve out stream-like patterns. Emphasizes how the journey of the liquids in containers travel through nature to arrive on the diners’ dinner table.

Imbalance

Creates an interactive element of play between the diner and cruet that makes turnaround time more dynamic.

Imbalance

Creates an interactive element of play between the diner and cruet that makes turnaround time more dynamic.

Prototyping

I experimented with vacuum forming processes using polyurethane foam, PET-G sheets, clay, and plaster wraps to prototype the fluid and transparent forms of the cruet.

Technical Drawing

Final dimensions and details of the oil and vinegar cruet set.

Rendering

Visualized in 3D.