I was searching for a kitchen timer as a gift for my mom. Both she and I are huge Alessi fans and I wanted to contribute to her collection. She loves the “Salif” Philippe Stark designed juicer I gave her a years ago. You know the one, it looks like a long legged aluminum spider from outer space. It actually does a fine job of juicing and makes a nice job of adding a touch of whimsy to your counter top. I ended up buying the Michael Graves timer, but wish I would have went with the Josephine Banana design instead.

The Alessi Josephine Banana Kitchen Timer is an adorable little cheeky monkey from the OrienTales collection. OrienTales is an ongoing collaboration between designer Stefano Giovannoni and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. The project brings the charm and wit of 18th century trinkets into products that are functional and contemporary. The kitchen timer features a mechanical timer and is made from hand decorated thermoplastic resin.

My design philosophy is all about shock and awe, obviously.