Michael Graves: Beyond Kettles

As an architect, Michael Graves is well known for designing many prize-winning buildings, from The Humana Building in Louisville, Ky., to the Disney headquarters in Burbank, Calif. But it's in his design of household products that he has made the biggest impact -- he has revolutionized the way the world views something as simple as a tea kettle.

In 1985, Graves designed a modern stainless-steel tea kettle with a whimsical red singing bird on the spout for the Italy's Alessi. The kettle marked the renaissance of the architect as interior and product designer and has since been featured in numerous movie sets. Alessi has sold more than 1.3 million of kettles since its launch. Twenty years later, Alessi has introduced a special 20th anniversary edition, available exclusively at Barneys store, packaged with two bird-shaped whistles, one transparent and one in dark red, like the original. The special edition runs through Sept. 1.