Utilitarian objects: when the useful becomes beautiful
Discover how everyday objects are being reinvented to combine functionality and aesthetics in our homes.
Why reserve beauty only for decorative items when it can enrich our everyday routines? On average, we spend sixteen hours a day at home,surrounded by kitchen utensils, storage accessories, organisers, toiletries and other practical objects. These items no longer need to sacrifice function for beauty (or vice versa). With thoughtful design, even the simplest objects can be both efficient and visually pleasing – and a pleasure to use.
The aesthetic epiphany of the everyday
These words from French philosopher Gilbert Simondon invite us to reflect on the beauty of the objects around us. For him, an object’s aesthetic value is inseparable from its function and the way it fits into its environment: “Any technical object, mobile or fixed, can have its aesthetic epiphany, insofar as it extends the world and belongs within it.”
Like a ship’s sail, a utility product reveals its beauty in use. It comes to life when it fits seamlessly into our routines: an organiser that transforms a cluttered drawer into a tidy space; a basket that structures a room while remaining discreet; or kitchen utensils that help us prepare meals while bringing life—and order—to the kitchen.
Design that emerges from function
This kind of functional beauty contrasts with the “disguises” Simondon criticised, where technical objects hide behind purely decorative façades. True aesthetic appeal comes from the function itself, creating the natural harmony that defines good design.
The traditional boundary between art and utility is gradually fading. While a work of art exists to be admired, contemporary utility products also aim to inspire and evoke emotion – all while fulfilling practical needs.
Home Beauty: bringing beauty into everyday life
This approach aligns perfectly with the Home Beauty philosophy, which seeks to make homes simultaneously beautiful, functional, and inspiring. Utility products help realise this vision in everyday life.
We no longer have to passively accept purely functional items. Every object, no matter how simple, can help create spaces that reflect who we are and make our homes feel calm and welcoming.
Accessible design done intelligently
Bringing together function and beauty is part of a wider movement to democratise design. Brands such as 5five embody this vision, creating products that are practical, genuinely useful and thoughtfully designed for everyday life.
At 5five, this approach goes beyond mere functionality. The brand not only prioritises precise, unadorned design, where every detail matters, but also gives equal consideration to the choice of materials. Eighty per cent of products eligible for certification are FSC® certified, and the environmental and social impact of 75 per cent of all products has been assessed using The Good Living Score.
More than simple tools, everyday utility products are often chosen with care – to last, to fulfil their purpose, and to integrate harmoniously into our homes. By combining practicality and aesthetics, they help create environments in which functionality and harmony coexist.
