Toys that capture kids’ attention with their whizzing noises and flashing lights are a dime a dozen. Toys that excite a child’s eye, pique their curiosity, and encourage creative play are much harder to find. That search is now a little easier with the official debut of Stapelstein in the United States. The Germany-based play brand was founded in 2016 by designers Stephan Schenk and Hannah König who saw a void in the market for toy products that bettered a child’s physical, emotional, and mental health through the power of play. Coupled with the fact that there is a lack of activity amongst children, Schenk and König sought out to solve the problem with a colorful and ingenious product line.

Stapelstein, which translates into “stacking stones,” is composed of Originals (stacking elements) and the Board (a balance board that doubles as a base for stacking). Manufactured in Germany using climate-neutral production methods, the pieces are made from eco-friendly EPP (expanded polypropylene) foam in an innovative process that uses pure air and water vapor. The result is a “stone” that’s light enough for even the littlest hands and remarkably strong that even a full grown adult can stand on it. They’re food-grade, odorless, toxic-free, and entirely recyclable. Since its launch, Stapelstein has garnered several awards, including the spiel gut® seal, a renowned award for children’s toys in Germany presented by the German Committee for Children’s Play and Toys, and the certification of being “Besonders entwicklungsfördernd” (particularly development-promoting) by the Federal Association for Posture and Physical Activity Promotion. Not many toys can check off such an impressive list.

The only question left is, do kids actually like them? We gave Stapelstein a spin and the results were highly satisfying, for both parents and children. Stapelstein granted us over an hour of free play without rules or directions and the pieces took on multiple forms: a crib for their dolls, a bowl, a mushroom hat, a rock, a chair, stepping stones, a balance board, a surf board, an element in an obstacle course, and a booster seat to sit at the right height at picnic tables. Endless imaginative play was had, validating Schenk and König’s well-placed value in open-ended, active play as a practice.

Stapelstein is available for pre-orders now.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

While low-slung outdoor chairs are functional and comfortable, they can take away from one of the best parts of sitting and relaxing – the view. Think about how often your line of sight is obstructed by landscaping or a railing and what you’re missing out on! That’s why Loll Designs has introduced the first-ever outdoor lounge chair made to specifically to eliminate the issue: the Lollygagger Hi-Rise Chair.

Known for its sustainable, colorful, and fun-loving outdoor furniture, the brand drew design inspiration from the lifeguard chair. Then, some thoughtful extra touches were added. A bottle opener under one of the arms and a bag hook, as well as a modular design that allows you to connect multiple chairs with a table and shelf (the Bridge) in between. The perfect setup for lollygagging with friends and family! So, sit back with the beverage of your choice and enjoy the rest of summer.

Black

Black

Driftwood

Blue

Red

Navy

Green

White

Orange

Loll Designs donates 1% of all sales from this collection to environmental organizations as part of their pledge to 1% For the Planet. To learn more about the Lollygagger Hi-Rise Chair and Bridge, visit lolldesigns.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

Nestled in the picturesque town of Villago, a short distance from the heart of Kyiv, the Mlynchik Residence, designed by Sivak+Partners, is a vibrant interior full of colors, patterns, and unique decor. The architects created a one-of-a-kind living experience that showcases the personalities of its owners and the craftsmanship of local artisans.

The journey of the Mlynchik Residence began in October 2019 when Sivak+Partners took on the challenge of transforming the interior of one of the identical cottages into a radiant and welcoming space. While the exterior of the cottages may appear uniform, the interior vision reflects the client’s deep appreciation for colorful patterns and cozy atmospheres.

One of the initial hurdles faced by the team was the geographical distance between their main office in Odesa and the construction site in Kyiv. To maintain the project’s momentum, the dedicated design team made the arduous journey to the site every two weeks. However, this obstacle only fueled their determination to bring the client’s dream to life.

The client’s passion for travel and their penchant for collecting vintage decor and textiles from around the globe drove the design. Inspired by the captivating Moroccan style – a fusion of various objects, patterns, and colors – the design team set out to incorporate these unique treasures into the project. The result is a space that effortlessly showcases the client’s individuality and wanderlust.

The Mlynchik Residence is a two-story home complete with a spacious garage and a sprawling outdoor area. What sets this project apart is the meticulous attention to detail, with 90% of the furniture being made custom by local craftsmen.

An eclectic blend of textures, patterns, and thoughtfully curated colors fill the living space with a luxurious aesthetic while ensuring a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.

Photography by Yevhenii Avramenko.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

As a lifelong fan of audio solutions that blur the line between furniture and audio components – think designs like Dieter Rams’ Braun L-2 or Bang & Olufsen’s Beocenter system series – I became immediately enamored by Refynd Studio’s Speaker Shelf system for its timeless presence, one that seems every bit 1930s modern as it does 2020s contemporary. The one-off audio cabinet was designed specifically for Der Stuhl Café in the neighborhood of Yeonhee-dong in Seoul, Korea as a multi-purpose bar and sound system. Only after reaching out to the studio did I learn my initial inclinations were not completely unfounded, with the cabinet’s austere design credited to the historical facades of old European architecture and the “free spirit of the Bauhaus.”

During my stint as a toy designer years ago, I remember how often LEGOs were referred to as “the most perfect plaything ever designed” within the industry. What’s amazing is not only have the modular block toys remained relevant since the 1930s, but they’ve been able diversify their scope and appeal to include everything from the entomological, architectural, to the astronomical. The brand’s Technic line is aimed at adults, sets with bafflingly accurate detailing. And I have to admit to some trepidation starting to assemble the intricately accurate model of the Yamaha MT-10 after a long LEGO sabbatical. But as someone who subscribes to “slow and steady wins the race” I’ve come to appreciate any time with the set as a sort of meditative stress reliever. I work on it for a few minutes here, a few minutes there whenever time permits, allowing for a quiet singular focus that is so sadly fleeting these days. Eventually I will be able to display the results upon my shelf to admire or use the LEGO Technic AR app to bring it to life, but as fast as this motorcycle might be IRL, I have to admit I’m in no big rush to piece together the 1478-piece replica.

When we moved into our new home last year, we initially considered replacing the original 1960s wood flooring in our living room, noting the years had not been so kind to certain sections used and abused by a pet household. But after crunching the numbers, we decided the easier and more affordable route would be to cover it with a large rug. I knew I wanted something neutral and understated for now, but also hoped for floor covering with a textural quality that would feel good underfoot. I discovered the same company responsible for the mattress we sleep upon has surprisingly begun offering rugs also, handcrafted wool and polyester rugs marketed for the bedroom. But the organic modern Navi rug is exactly what I was hoping to find for our living room, especially for its nearly perfect 10′ x 14′ dimension. The Navi’s pebbled texture is understated aesthetically – mirroring the tiny pea gravel found in our yard – but much more pronounced as a tactile experience, a feature we’ve come to appreciate underfoot or while laying across its hand-loomed expanse. One day we’ll replace those warped wood floors, but for now we’re happy how this rug really does tie the room together.

If you, like me, believe the journey is more interesting than the destination, then you’re the ideal candidate to appreciate this upcoming 456-page tome from art and design publisher Phaidon dedicated to the visual archive of prolific French designer, Ronan Bouroullec. While Ronan is intrinsically tied to his brother Erwan in name and creation, each also operate as unique wellsprings of creativity on their own, something this upcoming hardcover title puts clearly into the spotlight in chronological format. The book reads sort of like the earliest days of social media when documentation was the primary impetus for sharing images, a colorfully rendered and captioned timeline of the designer’s life, work, and inspirations. This 3,000 image “feed” just happens to be in book format, and belongs to one of the most famous names in design. Yet, you might find yourself wishing there was a “like” or “share” button while thumbing through its pages.

You could say it was love at first sight/light. I’ve become totally enamored by architect and product designer George Chacko V’s (aka Design by Joffey) modular lighting and organization concept, a modular metal wireframe system that exists at the intersection of lighting and storage solution. The possibilities seem endless in its configuration and storage applications thanks to the open grid form. Admittedly, I think there’s also something a bit 80s retail display about the airy wireframe grid design, but I mean that in the most nostalgic-positive way.

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Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Nearly 70 years after their debut in 1954, Knoll reintroduces two iconic Florence Knoll seating designs: the Model 31 lounge chair and Model 33 small sofa. Florence Knoll, founder of Knoll Textiles, was an architect, interior planner, and furniture designer who is essentially responsible for setting the standard for modern interiors. She’s known for creating spaces customized for each client and designing furniture that’s simple, well-executed, and adaptable. The attention to detail put into every design and proportion continues to make her work popular among designers, collectors, and design enthusiasts. Today, it’s laughable to learn that she often referred to her contributions as the “meat and potatoes” of Knoll’s catalog!

“Model 31 and 33’s designs form beautiful lines that complement any modern setting,” said Jonathan Olivares, Senior Vice President of Design, Knoll. “This reissue highlights Florence Knoll’s incredible ability to design pieces that stand the test of time, and we are thrilled to make these archival designs available to the public once again.”

Model 31 lounge chair

Model 31 and Model 33 are complementary to any space, ideal for use in residential settings and easily scaled for commercial spaces. Lightweight, strong, and stylish, the duo supports socialization, engagement, and connection among users. Both pieces are now available to upholster in a wide range of textiles, with the enhanced textile offering giving further nod to Florence Knoll’s Knoll Textiles. Choose from a collection of colorful weaves, durable leather, and vinyl, all with high-quality craftsmanship and timeless aesthetics.

Model 31 lounge chair

Model 31 lounge chair

Model 31 lounge chair

Model 31 lounge chair

Model 31 lounge chair

Model 31 lounge chair

Model 31 lounge chair

Model 31 lounge chair

Model 33 small sofa

Model 33 small sofa

Model 33 small sofa

Model 33 small sofa

Model 33 small sofa

Model 33 small sofa

Both seating pieces are available for purchase at Knoll Design Shops in New York and Los Angeles and at Knoll.com, as well as to contract clients via authorized MillerKnoll dealers. To learn more about the rerelease of Knoll’s Model 31 lounge chair + Model 33 small sofa, visit knoll.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she’s likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.

More graceful than it is ghoulish, the Ghost Chandelier is 101 Copenhagen’s latest artistic expression in lighting design. Kristian Sofus Hansen and Tommy Hyldahl of NORR11 designed Ghost for the Danish design studio to enchant rather than scare by casting an array of shapes and patterns onto your living spaces. Inspired by minimalism art, the modern fixture comprises a white acrylic tube that’s been manipulated into an organic shape originally based on a hand sketch.

Unlike symmetrical pendants, Ghost looks slightly different depending on the viewpoint, making it an ever-changing piece of light art. The built-in LED light source casts a warm luminance to create an inviting environment and the small detail of bronze metal fittings adds an elegant accent to the already minimal design. Four stainless steel wires allow you to adjust the pendant to the desired height, which is key to seeing it at its most dramatic view, the underside.

The Ghost Chandelier is available in two sizes, Big and Mini, and is available for purchase at 101cph.com.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

Ever since I spotted this Pool Pasta, I knew I had to share it with the masses! The Standard Hotel partnered with NYC design studio Jumbo to create a collection of inflatable pool floats that are anything but standard. These pool noodles have taken inspiration from the world of Italian cuisine and transformed it into a playful aquatic experience. Get ready to lounge on oversized macaroni, shells, farfalle, rigatoni, lasagna, tortellini, and ravioli that will make you feel like you’re floating in a giant “pot” of water.

In December of 2022, Jumbo unveiled their super fun pasta-shaped pool floats at Art Basel Miami in collaboration with The Standard Hotel. These supersized pasta-inspired inflatables added a touch of whimsy and creativity to the iconic pool at The Standard Miami. Just imagine relaxing on a giant tortellini or lazily drifting on a colossal macaroni – it’s a poolside experience like no other.

Each pool float in the collection has been designed to capture the essence of its pasta inspiration. But what sets them apart is the clever “Emoji-fied” twist. These inflatables are not just giant pasta shapes – they are pasta shapes with personality!

Whether you’re a pasta enthusiast or just looking for a playful way to continue summer fun, you can buy most of the Pool Pasta floats for $70 up to $175 via shopthestandard.com.

Model by Gabrielle De Castro.
Model Photography by Elkin Jaramillo.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

It’s not every day that Lalese Stamps works with wood, foam, and fabric. After all, the ceramist, founder of her own studio Lolly Lolly Ceramics, usually works with water and clay, but as it turned out, her neighbor down the hall had an interesting proposal for her.

While working out of The Fort, a late 1800s, 240,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that belongs to Fortner Custom Furniture & Upholstery, Stamps would often visit the Fortner workshop. When the Fortner team was looking for an artist from outside the furniture industry to collaborate with, the decision was a no-brainer. Stamps, just as excited, said yes. “Once I started to be able to see…what I can make by hand, like a small piece, I started to imagine bigger pieces and…the way that people interact with furniture has always been really fascinating to me,” the ceramist shares.

Like many determined creatives before her, Stamps had previously completed a 100 Day Project, where she committed to creating a mug every day for 100 days. When it came time to pick one of those mugs and bring it to a larger scale, Mark Cryer, Commercial Sales Manager at Fortner, and Stamps agreed that mug 53/100 was the winning design.

Stamps, Cryer, and the production team at Fortner were able to bring a pair of chairs to life based on a ceramic mug with three arches forming the handle. In the translation from clay to foam, the arches become the backrest and arms of the chair. From a bird’s eye view, the three arches are clearly represented.

To learn more about the Fortner x Lolly Lolly collaboration, head to fortnerinc.com.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She’s probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

Founded by Bruno Basso and Christopher Brooke in 2002, wallcovering brand JUPITER 10 has never been shy about exploring the bolder spectrum of graphics for the wall. From inception, the duo set to capitalize on the technological possibilities and capabilities of digital printing to realize repeat patterns with a level of depth and perspective capable of transforming any wall into a veritable statement piece. The brand’s latest Glitch wallpaper collection mines the depths of digital artifacts, transforming visual anomalies into an invigorating expression of modern mayhem for the wall.

With 24 different designs, the Glitch collection offers a wide spectrum of corrupted digital visuals for domestic aesthetic purposes, ranging from dark and blocky, to the snow-like artifacts associated with late night analog broadcast sign-offs, to lighter expressions of the glitch art style.

Regardless of style, every JUPITER 10 Glitch wallpaper is free of glass fiber or PVC, digitally printed with environmentally-friendly inks on 100% non-toxic, eco-friendly paper from sustainably managed sources and made into 150gsm fine grade coated non-woven wallcovering.

The glitch art genre has its roots as far back as the late 1970s, but has been most recently popularized by a generation weaned upon video games, electronic music, and other digital mediums where pixelation, grain, light leaks, and color degradation are now remembered as a form of beautiful decay. Artists Nam June Paik, Dom Barra, and Rosa Menkman are all associated with the aesthetic, with online glitch art creation tools now also available to toy with.

Jupiter 10’s Glitch collection essentially transforms walls into one enormous static “screen” of pixelated and distorted digital visuals.

Samples of each Glitch design are available for £3 (about $3.75), with 20.5” x 11 yard rolls specified for 56ft² of coverage for £155 (or about $193.50 + shipping). Check out the entire JUPITER 10 Glitch collection here.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.

Who doesn’t love brunch, that leisurely compromise that’s a little bit breakfast and a little bit lunch all at once? The midmorning occasion is as much a mood as it is a meal: unhurried, sociable, and celebrated as an opportunity to gaze, graze, and laze with life’s worries put on pause. It also doesn’t hurt to pour a few libations to keep the weekend rolling. But let’s be honest, despite its reputation as a low-stress meal thrown together with savoir faire ease, hosting can easily become a culinary juggling act. Signature Kitchen Suite appliances are the perfect kitchen accomplice while preparing a multitude of brunch dishes, each with their own specific temperature and preparation requirements.

Signature Kitchen Suite invited food stylist, creative consultant, and Design Milk Taste columnist, TJ Girard to highlight the brand’s Signature Kitchen Suite 48-inch French Door Refrigerator and 48-inch Dual-Fuel Pro Range with Sous Vide and Induction. Then, she created a brunch menu to “sweep away the worries and cobwebs of the week” and offer aficionados a few tips along the way.

Girard serves her home cured gravlax topped with sous-vide egg parfaits and salmon roe, accompanied with a sourdough boule and a lemon dill butter sphere. Photo: TJ Girard

Sous Vide Precision for the Perfect Sous-vide Parfait Egg
Sous vide cooking has been a closely guarded secret of professional chefs for years, producing evenly cooked, urgently flavorful, and healthier dishes. The secret: using a water bath to cook with a gentle, yet precisely measured body of water rather than a violent boil, ensuring food cooks evenly every time.

Photo: TJ Girard

The Signature Kitchen Suite 48-inch Dual-Fuel Pro Range is unique in its category, equipped with its own integrated sous vide. Girard thinks the feature is especially ideal for preparing parfait eggs with perfectly velvety-creamy yolks and just-set whites a day ahead of a planned brunch. “You can prepare the parfait eggs en masse one day ahead, then easily reheat them the next day with a quick 10-second sous vide bath just before serving.”

Photo: Signature Kitchen Suite

And to empower the cooking enthusiast with an unprecedented amount of control , Signature Kitchen Suite Pro Ranges and Rangetops are exclusively engineered with intuitive Smart Knobs that display the heat level, temperature, and cooking time. Each cooking method is controlled by a dedicated Smart Knob featuring large, easy-to-read, illuminated numbers and a Wi-Fi timer you can monitor on the ThinQ app, in case you want to leave the room all together and spend time with guests. Simply turn the knob to the desired temperature or burner level and rotate the LED display to set the cooking time. A chime will sound when the timer is finished to ensure perfect level of doneness whether cooking meat, veggies, or eggs.

Photo: TJ Girard

Your Refrigerator, Your Best Brunch Prep Assistant
Seasoned brunch hosts know a few things about the trials and tribulations of finding enough room in the refrigerator, first for ingredients prior to entertaining, then afterward to store leftovers. If there has ever been an appliance designed to address these practical concerns, the Signature Kitchen Suite 48-inch French Door Refrigerator does so confidently with a system of adjustable shelves and compartments that can adapt to a wide range of items of various shapes and sizes.

Photo: Signature Kitchen Suite

Girard notes the refrigerator can come in particularly handy while storing ingredients like her salmon filets during the curing process or after plating the gravlax across a presentation board. “The SKS refrigerator’s double door opening allows for us to fit our Taste:Work:Shop 42-inch long dome runner platter and have it pre-set ahead of our guests arriving. Being able to store an entire filet of gravlax or a charcuterie board makes preparing brunch a nearly no-effort affair.”

Photo: Signature Kitchen Suite

Photo: TJ Girard

Moreover, the Signature Kitchen Suite refrigerator’s Craft Ice Maker invites the addition of a sophisticated touch, typically limited to only the finest of cocktail establishments. Ice spheres melt slower than cubed ice, helping retain subtle flavors as those found in Girard’s sip-worthy, Tomato Water Gazpacho Gimlet cocktail. Don’t be surprised when brunch guests offer a toast in appreciation.

Photo: Signature Kitchen Suite

Photo: Signature Kitchen Suite

Induction Technology: Efficient, Fast, and Safe
When you’re hosting brunch, time is of the essence. Even with plenty of cocktails on hand, you never want to keep your guests waiting. This is where Signature Kitchen Suite’s induction-equipped appliances offer an efficient upgrade while preparing a multicourse brunch. Girard appreciates the range’s precise induction temperature control – crucial for delicate preparations like making homemade yogurt, tempering chocolate, or caramelizing onions – to produce predictable and reproduceable results. Additionally, induction is proven to be a safer and healthier cooking method within the home, keeping interior air cleaner.

Girard notes the Signature Kitchen Suite range’s two-zone induction zones and two ultra-low gas burners capable of simmering down to temperatures as low as 100 degrees are optimal for preparing chocolate, a technique utilized to prepare a signature monogram embellishment to top off her spoon-shaped cookies. Photo: TJ Girard

“Signature Kitchen Suite appliances are a gamechanger,” says Girard. “[The] versatile pair of appliances equipped with everything from sous vide, induction technology, steam and convection cooking, alongside the spacious refrigerator with its craft ice maker, allows anyone preparing brunch to focus upon the joys of creative preparation and artful presentation.”

More brunch tips from TJ Girard:

Plan a menu you can prepare mostly ahead of time
Choose a menu you can make ahead of time. That doesn’t mean you can’t handle one or two “à la minute” elements. For example, I like to occasionally prepare fried squash blossoms. But your whole menu shouldn’t monopolize your attention. People came to be with you.

Label your serving vessels with assigned menu items
Use Post-Its, scrap paper, or tape to label serving vessels. Labeling gives you an ending place for each food item and ensures you don’t forget to put something out. Labels are also handy if you have an early guest that wants to help.

Opt for self service
Offer and make a drink for guests when they arrive, but leave a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and a pre-batched cocktail on ice next to a pretty display of glasses to make self-service obvious and super seamless.

Be creative and break the ice
It’s a party! Break the ice by serving food in a way that encourages people to engage with one another. For example, I used a dome runner platter for the cured salmon alongside a brass spring with sesame tuille attached to the side of a bowl of homemade yogurt with berry fig salad. The silver art deco breadbasket for the fruit display belonged to my grandmother, and I served the lemon dill butter sphere in a CPIA resin ashtray designed by Goudeman, then served the salmon caviar in a terracotta tequila sipping glass.

Elevate your brunch repertoire with this simple yet exquisite gravlax recipe, a dish that pays homage to tradition while embracing modern convenience. Enjoy the delicate balance of flavors and textures that make gravlax an entertaining favorite Photo: TJ Girard.

Home-Cured Gravlax Recipe

Gravlax, a timeless classic dating back to 1600s, is a dish whose name is derived from the Swedish word “grav,” meaning grave. Gravlax was originally prepared by burying salmon underground in a dirt grave for several hours. In modern times, we’ve upgraded to the convenience of refrigeration, but the simplicity of this culinary tradition remains as captivating as ever.

To create the finest gravlax, begin with a premium, sashimi-grade salmon fillet. Alternatively, opt for high-quality frozen salmon. If purchasing from a fish market, kindly request that the fishmonger scales and removes any bones for you. But leave the skin on intact to prevent excessive salt absorption, ensuring a harmonious balance of flavors.

The key to crafting an impeccable cure lies in the perfect blend of salt, sugar, and aromatic elements like spices and citrus zest. Opt for natural coarse ground sea salt or kosher salt, as iodized (table) salts can introduce an undesirable chemical aftertaste, resulting in overly salty gravlax. Granulated sugar works nicely for this recipe. You could also use light or dark brown sugar, which adds a light molasses flavor. Aim for a cure mixture that constitutes approximately 20% of the salmon’s weight to achieve the ideal balance. Overuse of the mixture can lead to an excessively salty outcome.

As for the herbs, only use fresh. Dill is a classic choice, but don’t shy away from exploring alternatives like cilantro or Thai basil. The possibilities are endless once you’ve mastered the foundational recipe, allowing you to experiment with ingredients like beets, orange zest, and crushed toasted coriander seeds. Add chopped lemongrass, grated ginger, lime, and red chili to create a punchier flavor profile.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb salmon, sashimi-grade, bones removed and skin on
• 1 Tbsp white and pink peppercorns (whole)
• 1 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped, or 1 big bunch, do not use dried herbs
• 250g / 8 oz rock Himalayan salt
• 250g / 8 oz white sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 oz. gin

Instructions:

1. Begin by rinsing the salmon fillet and gently patting it dry.
2. Roughly grind the white and pink peppercorns along with the Himalayan salt using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
3. Zest and juice the lemon separately. Set the zest aside; the lemon juice will be used later.
4. Chop the fresh dill.
5. Combine the lemon zest, ground peppercorns, salt, sugar, and dill by tossing them together in a bowl.
6. Line a hotel pan or glass baking dish with a piece of parchment paper.
7. Spoon half of the salt mixture onto the parchment paper.
8. Place the salmon, skin side down, on top of the salt mixture. Press the remaining salt mixture onto the top side of the salmon.
9. Pour the lemon juice and gin evenly over the mixture, ensuring the fish is fully covered.
10. Cover the fish with plastic wrap, sealing it tightly.
11. Add a small cutting board or baking dish on top of the sealed fish and weigh it down with something heavy like cans.
12. Allow the salmon to chill in the refrigerator for 24 hours, undisturbed.You can extend this time to 36 hours for a firmer cure if desired.
13. After 24 hours (recommended), carefully unwrap the salmon, scrape off the salt mixture, and rinse it. Pat it dry. For enhanced texture and flavor, if time allows, return it to the fridge uncovered for 3 to 12 hours.
14. When ready to serve, slice the gravlax thinly on an angle using a sharp sashimi knife, being careful not to cut through the skin. The skin can be broiled separately for a delightful crispy snack.
15. Once plated, your salmon can be garnished with fresh dill and lemon zest. Or if you’re lucky enough to have an urban farm like me, a vine of “spoonful” baby tomatoes make the perfect adornment.

If there are any leftovers after your gathering, rest assured cured salmon will stay fresh for up to 5 days when tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

To learn more about Signature Kitchen Suite’s innovative appliances and to see how they can fit into your lifestyle, visit signaturekitchensuite.com.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.