If you thought dish racks and drainers went the way of the Dodo, do look again: the energy-efficient, eco-friendly kitchens of today (and tomorrow) are sporting leaner, cleaner & greener dish-drying alternatives that harken back to a kinder, gentler, more family-friendly era.
Fluidity Dish Drainer/Planter
The “Fluidity” dish drying rack and planter from Milan-based DesignLibero combines clean with green in a way that’ll really grow on you. Made from recycled materials, Fluidity features a pair of removable planter pods with perforated bases that absorb water dripped off of washed dishes. Waste not want not, as they say!
The planter pods’ growth medium is composed of clay pellets and coconut fiber which helps keep the dish drainer clean while resisting bacteria and insect pests. Wash, rinse, rack & grow, all in one attractive package.
House Dish Rack
Your A-list dinnerware deserves an A-frame drying rack, no? Slovak designer Veronika Paluchova answers the question by serving up the homey (not homely) House Dish Rack.
Exemplifying Paluchova’s design philosophy of simple design using natural materials, the House Dish Rack may not hold a lot of dishes not is it as utilitarian as something you’d find at Walmart but hey, why spend time and money creating a pleasingly perfect kitchen if you’re going to dumb it down with dull accessories?
Grass Countertop Drying Rack
The low-profile, two-piece Boon Grass Countertop Drying Rack may be small (10 x 10 x 2 inches) but luckily Boon also makes the larger Lawn rack. Designed to securely support baby bottles, pacifiers and other washables, the rack is simply styled with no cute graphics enabling its use in any domestic setting.
This self-contained design allows water to drain into the lower holding basin until emptied by the user at their chosen time, place and purpose. Choose from white or green “grass”. Cleaning is a breeze thanks to the rack’s two-piece construction and curiously perhaps, it’s dishwasher-safe.
Progressive Collapsible Dish Rack
The Progressive Collapsible Dish Rack from Sur la Table takes water “Flo” seriously. This no-nonsense dish rack/drainer insures, er, ensures your dishes dry evenly and your kitchen doesn’t look tacky in the process. best of all, the rack’s space-saving design can hold up to 15 dinner plates and once they’re dry, it conveniently collapses for easy storage.
AUREA Designer Dish Rack
The AUREA series of kitchen accessories by Ernest Perara displays ultra-modern style without sacrificing day-to-day practicality. Wood and melamine construction helps save weight while the rack’s flat-folding design helps save space in small apartments, condominiums or dormitory rooms.
Viewed in profile, Perera’s dish rack displays its economical footprint and vertical design theme ideal for limited countertop spaces. In addition, the rack’s stylish yet generic look helps it blend in with almost any kitchen decor scheme.
