We all know about designer clothing. In fact, designers have branched out into all kinds of areas, including facial tissue boxes, unfortunately! (They used to be pretty and discreet but are now rather loud and a bit obnoxious.) Of course, teapots are included in the array of designwares!

Here are a few I’ve come across recently:

• Muuto Bulky Tea Pot — A porcelain teapot designed by the Swedish architect and designer Jonas Wagell. It’s colorful, expressive, and a little oversized to fit better in a child’s hands and imagination. Muuto is a company seeking to expand the Scandinavian design tradition with new and original perspectives. Their name comes from the Finnish word muutos (“new perspective”). They seek out new designers and give them free rein to approach everyday objects in an expressive way, representing the best of Scandinavian design today.

• Genie Teapot — Designed by Stefan Lie, this sleek and stylish teapot takes a giant step away from the practical. Tea time is sure to be a giant step away from boring, too! Lie was born in Sydney, Australia, but raised and educated in Zurich, Switzerland. From the age of 20 he pursued a career in toolmaking and design, winning various awards, and has lived and worked in various countries, including Australia.

• Armani Casa Durer Tea Set — Any man with a sense of style has an Armani suit in the closet. And women also know that “a little Armani in the closet never hurts.” Besides men’s and women’s apparel, Armani has a division called “Armani Casa” that features wonderfully designed items for your home. This tea set is a great example. It is ivory enameled porcelain decorated with a striped motif and a 22-carat GA logo. The set is a harmony of design coordination, playing off the translucence and fineness of the porcelain. Made in Italy.

• Calvin Klein China Teapot with Lid — This is another designer that is practically a household word. The brand is on a wide range of products, including clothing, fragrances, and this teapot. The design is sadly discontinued. It has such a sturdy appeal and looks like it could last for ages, serving up potful after potful of perfectly steeped tea.

Just think of it — you could have an entire house/condo/apartment/etc filled with all Armani or all Calvin Klein and include in that array a great designer teapot dazzler. Or you can go for the stubby but cute Muuto Bulky designer teapot or the super sleek designer teapot by Lie. Wow! Don’t you just love free choice? And no dull tea times!

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