Alessi — ES18 | Beechwood spice grinder by Sottsass

Three cylindrical volumes rise like small table architectures: black, yellow, red. Beech wood - a warm, organic, ancient material - is reinvented through a color palette bold enough to be festive, almost irreverent. The ES18 salt, pepper, and spice mills do not hide among the tableware: they take center stage with the same naturalness with which a well-designed object knows it belongs exactly where it is. Behind these three cylinders are the hand and vision of Ettore Sottsass, one of the great protagonists of 20th-century Italian design, founder of the Memphis movement and the unmistakable voice of an aesthetic that has always rejected the grayness of anonymous functionalism. For Alessi, Sottsass poured his ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary: everyday objects elevated into cultural statements, filled with color and gentle irony. The ES18 belongs to the 100 Values Collection, the project through which Alessi celebrates a century of history with pieces designed by the masters who helped build it. At Stilmobili, we chose this set because it embodies exactly what we look for: Italian craftsmanship combined with authentic design thinking. It is the perfect gift for those who love design with awareness, who want even the everyday table to tell a story. Ideal in a contemporary kitchen, but equally at home in an eclectic setting where color is never accidental. Design notes: Height 11 cm, diameter 7 cm. Beech wood in black, yellow, and red. Functions: salt mill, pepper mill, spice mill. Designer: Ettore Sottsass. Collection: Alessi 100 Values.