Kitchen Trends 2016/2017 – The Latest Kitchen Talk Culinary delights are created in the kitchen – here are the latest trends!

For cooking and enjoying life: the kitchen is the undisputed heart of the house. The basis is a parquet floor made of Smoked Oak. (Copyright: Photo: www.haro.co.nz ) Gone are the times when people cooked behind closed doors. Nowadays, it is done right in the midst of everyday life. In most homes, the kitchen and living room merge seamlessly. In other places, kitchen enthusiasts are pushing the boundaries of conventional interior design by making the kitchen just as comfortable as a sofa corner with art on the walls, shelves full of cookery books and creative nooks for the children. In the summertime, the kitchen moves out of the house, as people like to have barbecues and eat outdoors. Now that the cosy time of the year is here and it is time for baking mince pies for Christmas, preparing the roast chicken recipe and spending merry evenings with friends, it is worth having a closer look at the new kitchen trends. This does not mean that the whole kitchen has to be rearranged, but sometimes small details can make a big impact. 1 Cheers to the Home Bar! The fact that the home bar is experiencing a revival is down to Don Draper from the cult TV series „Mad Men“. While the series finished long ago, the trend has remained. It has brought us classy glasses, gin and whiskey specialities from ambitious new labels (such as Monkey 47 and Slyrs) and, most importantly, great new interior design ideas for making a house bar, for example with velvet-covered cocktail chairs and modern bar trolleys (the most beautiful ones are from Gubi). The Italian star designer Patricia Urquiola thinks that the home bar belongs at the heart of the house: in the kitchen. This is why she added a softly curved bar to the „Code“ kitchen from Boffi, where you can enjoy an aperitif or even have lunch with friends. An idea to try at home. Salut!

Come what may! A stainless steel kitchen like that from Ilve is indestructible and always creates an elegant ambience. (Copyright: Photo: www.ilve.it) 2 Gold & Brass It was only a question of time until the decoration megatrend „gold and brass“ flowed into kitchen design. And here it is! It has even started pushing the traditional chromed tapware with its silver look from its leading position. Now, kitchen taps are also available with a golden finish. Dornbracht even has them in the trend material brass („Tara Ultra“). Especially plain kitchens are enhanced by this luxurious tapware.

Welcome to the private greenhouse: green herbs are growing in the pots, sometime soon to become part of a meal. (Copyright: Photo: www.ikea.com) 3 Tiles – the new wall decoration Originally, tiles were supposed to be a floor surface, but that did not stop them from conquering new ground: the wall behind the kitchen counter, for instance. Until recently, mainly aluminium or glass panels served as splashbacks, but tiles were only rarely used, although they are perfectly suitable as they are durable, easy to clean and highly decorative. One example is the tiles from Made a Mano, which burst with colour and intense patterns.

Urban nomads do not stay in one place forever and a kitchen like this can move, too, as it is module-based. (Copyright: Photo: www.vipp.com) 4 A perfect blend of smart technology and elegant design No day goes by without technological change. This is something we have become used to, although robots that cook for us and do the dishes are still a long way away – at least in our own four walls. However, new technologies such as steam cookers, temperature sensors or chill drawers have established themselves, especially among ambitious amateur cooks. Many of these ingenious technological inventions are not in the spotlight, but discreetly remain in the background. Among these inventions are the new under-top hobs (for example from Boffi). The only way of detecting them is by a tiny cross. They disappear under the worktop, which until now has only been possible under ceramic surfaces. This is a welcome aesthetic novelty, especially in loft-type apartments, where the kitchen is always in view. 5 Black Beauty When the kitchen is all dressed in black, it is no reason to be sad – it is just a courageous step towards the latest kitchen trend. Elevated to the pinnacle of interior design, this highly popular „colour“ is taking over. In other words, the kitchen cabinets and fronts are preferably black, and the same goes for the appliances, tapware and wash basins. When the walls, ceilings and lamps are as black as night too, you have an incredibly comfortable cooking den. Not convinced yet? The British interior designer Abigail Ahern also swears by the holistic use of dark tones: „They unfold their calming effect especially when the ceilings are lime-washed with dark colours,“ she says in her book „Decorating with Style“ (Quadrille Publishing). Abigail lives and cooks in just this kind of room design.

Dark parquet floors are an enhancement for bright kitchens and elevate the mood. (Copyright: Photo: www.haro.co.nz ) 6 Most importantly: It has to shine! Stainless steel kitchens are nothing new – they have had their regular place in restaurants for decades. After all, there is hardly a material that is as hygienic and durable. In private homes, they are seen more frequently, for example staged as futuristic kitchen islands, placed on concrete floors and with a minimal use of forms. Combined with a natural parquet floor, stainless steel or aluminium get a softer touch. The contrast of materials can also be used for details, for example when the interior of the kitchen cabinets is made of aluminium, and big wooden cutting boards as well as wooden cooking spoons are placed on the cupboards… You are not a fan of the anthracite/silver-coloured gloss of stainless steel and aluminium? Then there is more good news: bronze is finding its way into kitchen design! Examples of this can be found in the „Pure“ kitchens of Siematic or the kitchens of Reform Design. 7 Marble, stone and more Marble had almost disappeared from the world of design, but now the beautiful stone has made a comeback. Small accessories are preferably made from Carrara marble, just like luminaire feet and even entire kitchen lines (for example by Piet Boon). Kitchen worktops are increasingly being made out of marble with its intricate grain. However, as it is not the most resistant stone of its kind, other hard rocks and natural stone alternatives such as Composite or Dekton are used more and more. The main thing is that the grain is as pronounced as that of their role model, because this new trend is all about the surfaces: they should enchant and be the envy of every work of art.

Even a tap classic such as 'Tara' cannot draw attention away from the noble white marble worktop and protective panel, which is installed here. It has a noble, Nordic and incredibly contemporary look. (Copyright: Photo: www.dornbracht.com) 8 Wood conquers the kitchen floor Since the walls between kitchens and living rooms have disappeared, the homely character of a kitchen is more important than ever. All the furnishings of a kitchen need to find the balance between comfort and functionality, whether it is a cooking island or a kettle. However, this is not the case with the floor design. Contrary to common opinion, a parquet floor can be installed easily in the kitchen and is unbeatable when it comes to comfort. If you want a floor that is even easier to maintain, you should choose a design floor with woodoptic. These are now available without plasticisers and in a water-resistant version such as DISANO Classic Aqua. So even when you throw the wildest party, a modern floor can still spread its homely charm. An article by Janina Temmen More about Kitchen in Stories More about Kitchen in Discussions