Character counts

Eurocucina, a barometer of the state of Europe’s kitchen industry, is the place to go for the very latest developments. idfx trawled the aisles for this season’s hottest trends, discovering warmth and character amid the cutting-edge design

Many visitors’ memories of Eurocucina 2010 will be clouded by Icelandic volcanic ash and the travel panic that ensued as 90 per cent of the interiors industry tried to get home from Milan by road. This is a real pity because, before the volcano erupted, the four exhibition halls of Fiera Milano dedicated to Eurocucina were virtually exploding with spectacular designs from Europe’s most talented kitchen manufacturers.Actually, Eurocucina 2010 should be remembered as the event where stark, neat minimalism collided with the untidiness of nature or, perhaps, as the year that continental chic and shabby chic joined forces to create kitchens with character. It can also be remembered for the return of the handle,which even became a star attraction in the case of Marc Sadler’s Carré kitchen for Ernestomeda.

Other highlights worth a mention include more than a hint of artistic decoration,most notably in the form of hand-painted murals on larder doors,which provide sharp relief against otherwise plain cabinetry, as well as doors clad in photographic scenes of Manhattan skylines, flowers and famous architecture.Ceramic-clad doors were also hot property.According to Rational, ceramic is lighter than aluminiumyet harder than granite and absolutely impervious to heat and aggressive substances,making it an ideal material for kitchen furniture.

In sharp contrast to the trend of the preceding Eurocucina in 2008, technology was mostly hidden at this year’s show,with electronic opening mechanisms, such as Blum’s Servo-Drive system, keeping any no-handle fans happy, and discreet remote controls used to reveal sinks and appliances hidden underneath glide-out breakfast bars.

Instead of falling into iPod-esque controls and plasma screens at every corner, technology was quietly working away behind the scenes, resulting in much more relaxing, approachable kitchens that do not require Mensa-rated intelligence to operate. In short, the next generation of kitchens, even those by uberminimalist manufacturers, have soul and you can really imagine them slotting comfortably into the hurly burly of modern life.

A bit of rough

Piero Lissoni started the trend for rough-sawn timber in the kitchen, when Boffi launched his Duemilaotto concept at Eurocucina 2008. Lissoni introduced solid acacia wood, virtually in its natural state, contrasting it spectacularly with man-made materials such as stainless steel and Corian.Although heat treated, the wood was unusual in its naked, unstained form and it certainly had not met with a fine sander on its passage from forest to kitchen. Boffi is careful to state that the low-level surface is designed to be used as a dining table rather than a worktop and, as such, is not suited to hot pans or food preparation. However, its impracticalities have not dented its popularity.Having picked up the rough-sawn trend, several manufacturers, including Toncelli,Cesar and Grattarola, allowed practicalities to fly out the window altogether this year, using saw-blade-riddled timbers on doors and worktops to add a refreshingly textural element to minimalist design.

Access all areas

Forget minimalist modular runs with push-touch openings that make access a serious mental challenge. Contemporary kitchens appear to be opening up, either with entirely open cubbies and shelving or with glass display boxes that put the contents on show while keeping dust at bay. At Eurocucina, the latter tended to house cute compositions of vintage accoutrements, such as retro utensils and battered books. Open display examples include Dada’s affordable Indaba range, with its chunky shelves and wall-mounted storage containers, Paola Navone’s modern take on the plate rack in her Menu kitchen for Bontempi, and Boffi’s Domestici wall units with open-faced storage finished with panels in wood or matt lacquer.

Alongside transparent glass boxes, swathes of tinted glass are being used to create vast ‘wine cave’ style cabinets or modern food larders, and coloured glass is also bringing zesty hues to otherwise white cabinetry. According to Bravo, this new openness is designed to ‘free the kitchen from traditional constraints’ by emulating library or living room furniture. Whether left fully open or enclosed in glass, the message is clear: it’s time to put your belongings on show.

Come dine with me

The global trend for open-plan kitchen/diners shows no signs of abating, so the news that kitchen manufacturers are making a move on dining furniture will come as little surprise. Poggenpohl has arguably taken the most holistic approach with its +Artesio range,which encompasses wall coverings, ceilings, floors and freestanding furniture as well as soft furnishings. Created in collaboration with architect Hadi Teherani, the +Artesio kitchen extends seamlessly into the dining room and beyond using coordinating materials and design. ‘This kitchen creates an exciting living space with three-dimensional transitions and boundaries that can be defined by the individual,’ Teherani says. ‘Right down to the table and chair, the entire kitchen with its innovative style is so easy to live in that kitchen is almost the wrong word for it.’ Elsewhere,media centres constructed from kitchen cabinets make light work of hiding gargantuan plasma TVs,while dining tables that match the lines and materials of island units are also in high demand.

Natural high

In clear contrast to the trend for rustic rough-sawn timber, it seems mother nature can also do glamour with a plethora of ultra-luxe natural materials bringing a more refined warmth to sleek minimalist lines. The Checkers range,Giorgio Armani’s third collaboration with Dada, is a great case in point. It uses sukupira wood, buff-brown quartzite and grey ash alongside metallic bronze laminates and fabric-lined splashbacks for a stunning result.

Toncelli’s Progetto50 range combines Colorado white marble with furrowed wood, leather and cement, drawing from the company’s roots in fine furniture and embracing the skills of master saddlers and stone masons. ‘I find it interesting to work only with materials that have a soul, in the same way that I respect people whose life story I can get to know,’ says Lorenzo Toncelli, head of international markets at Toncelli. ‘Without a stimulus from past life, I find it impossible to create something that really speaks of the present and will be worthwhile in the future.

Rough and ready

In Cesar’s new Kalea kitchen, rough oak doors in a choice of stains contrast with high-gloss lacquer and stainless steel to create a dramatic backdrop with a tactile quality. www.cesar.it

Rational thought

Rational presented two new wood veneers in oak and larch. The distinctly grained veneers are left with a natural finish to keep theimperfections intact. Also shown in the background are the company’s ceramic sliding doors in a burnished bronze finish. www.rational.de

Rugged good looks

Swedish design force Claesson Koivisto Rune supports solid wood as the material of choice in Grattarola’s Cube kitchen, which leaves saw-blade grooves unsanded for a rugged look. www.grattarola.it

Shelf life

The wall-hung units of Bravo’s Elements range are structured to mimic bookshelves, with internal drawers in contrasting timber providing practical storage for smaller items such as herbs and spices. www.bravobravo.it

Open up

Paola Navone’s Menu range for Bontempi features open wall-hung plate racks with dramatic red supports that coordinate with tap handles and cabinet feet. www.bontempi.it

Mellow yellow

Yellow mattlacquered cabinet interiors are combined with yellow tinted glass to create eye-catching display units in the System HD23 range by Massimo astagna for Rossana. www.rossana.it

Know the code

Snaidero’s Code features open units that can be cut to size vertically and horizontally. The interior shelves can be adjusted as required. www.snaidero.it

In the black

The emotionNova kitchen by Dietmar Hentschker for Häcker has modular units in black gloss and macassar ebony for the kitchen and living room. It also comes with an unusual basalt ceramic door option. www.haecker-kuechen.de

Dining out

In the +Artesio range from Poggenpohl, dining chairs match the soft leather finishes of doors, ceilings bridge cabinets with built-in lighting and wall panelling features adjustable stainless steel shelving. www.poggenpohl.com

Magnum opus

Austria-based Team7’s extendable dining table and new Magnum dining chairs ome in finishes to match its Linee kitchen. www.team7.at

Back to nature

Toncelli’s Progetto50 gives traditional craftsmanship a modern twist by combining natural materials (hand-sawn wood and leather hand stitched by a master saddler) with the austerity of Colorado marble, high-gloss lacquer and mousse cement. www.toncelli.it

Check it out

The Checkers range by Armani Dada takes an understated approach using subtle textures and luxurious materials, including waterproof bronze fabric – backlit for a warm glow – sukupira wood and buff-brown quartzite. www.armanidada.it

Rock star

Pessina Cucina’s System 0.3 kitchens are clad in luxurious slabs of nuova crema granite and feature elegant veining and natural pitting to ensure each kitchen is unique. www.pessinacucine.com

This article was first published in IDFX Magazine.








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