PHILIPPI : Margarethe

Bowl XL

A grand gesture without the grand performance

At 52 centimetres across, this isn't exactly a shy piece of design. Yet the PHILIPPI Margarethe Bowl XL uses its generous proportions not for noise, but for a shape that looks almost as though a gleaming sheet of stainless steel has just settled gently onto the table. Wide curves, deep folds and softly rising edges give the silver-coloured fruit bowl its sculptural character. Better still, Margarethe is shaped by hand. Rather than repeating an entirely identical pattern, the folds give each piece its own individual contours. Crafted from polished stainless steel, this large PHILIPPI bowl measures 52 cm in diameter and 18 cm high and weighs approximately 3 kg. That provides generous room for apples, oranges, lemons and larger fruit while leaving plenty of the distinctive shape visible. Its highly reflective surface picks up colours and light from the surrounding room and carries them across the flowing folds. A generous collection of citrus fruit can suddenly look rather like an installation. And when the fruit bowl happens to be empty, Margarethe doesn't seem particularly concerned. Without anything inside, its expressive shape becomes even clearer, turning the XL bowl into a design object for a dining table, kitchen island, sideboard or generous console.

Plenty of room for fruit. And other ideas.

The XL proportions make Margarethe a fruit bowl for homes where one lemon is considered more of a beginning than an arrangement. Its wide, open form gives different fruits room to breathe, while the rising folds help contain them without disappearing beneath the contents. Margarethe doesn't have to remain a fruit bowl, either. Branches, seasonal arrangements or carefully chosen decorative objects can all make use of its generous dimensions. At 52 cm across, it deserves to be placed deliberately and is particularly suited to a larger dining table or kitchen island where it can have some space of its own. This is also where the interplay between polished stainless steel, light and its surroundings becomes especially apparent. Reflections shift as you move around the bowl, turning a seemingly straightforward material into something remarkably animated. Its handcrafted shape adds another layer: small variations aren't details to disguise here. They belong to the design.

When stainless steel starts to move

PHILIPPI is an owner-managed German design manufacturer known particularly for characterful home accessories and its distinctive use of stainless steel. The company develops its own collections and, according to the brand, works with pure materials including stainless steel, iron, ceramics, wood and leather. Margarethe is a lovely example of what can happen when material itself becomes part of the idea. Stainless steel feels anything but rigid or technical here. Through its hand-shaped folds, the substantial surface appears almost fluid, while the polished finish continually reinterprets the room around it. At LIVOSY, that is precisely what we enjoy about a good interior object. It can catch the eye without taking over the room and still offer something worth noticing years later. Margarethe has plenty of personality for the job. At 52 centimetres wide, it has a certain confidence too.

Give it a little room to breathe

Against dark timber, the cool silver creates a strong contrast; on pale wood, the effect becomes softer, while in a restrained interior Margarethe can take on the role of a sculptural focal point. Colourful fruit adds another dimension to the reflections, with yellow lemons, green apples and oranges appearing several times across the curved surfaces. Alongside the generous XL version, the Margarethe collection also includes the more compact Bowl M at 32 cm in diameter. It carries the same distinctive design idea in proportions suited to smaller surfaces. The PHILIPPI bowl can also be paired with vases and other interior accessories from the brand. Margarethe XL itself, however, needs surprisingly little company. Give it some room, a little light and something worth placing inside. The folds will take care of the rest.