This is the latest instalment of The Inside Story, Wallpaper’s series spotlighting intriguing, innovative and industry-leading interior design.

It’s 2025, and designers are being tasked with creating homes for content creators – the newest subset of clientele with cash to flash and aesthetics to consider.

That was the challenge Brazilian architecture firm Gurgel D’Alfonso Arquitetura embraced when commissioned to design a home for a family of culinary content creators. The couple, who run a YouTube channel, needed a space that would integrate their family life and their work.

The result is the Fidalga Apartment, a penthouse in São Paulo’s Vila Madalena neighbourhood. In the home’s natural light and soaring ceilings, the couple saw the potential for both comfort and camera-readiness.

The first job of a renovation was to make the kitchen the anchor of the home. Walls were removed to create an open, continuous space for cooking, filming and dining. At its centre is the undeniable showstopper: an epic Vitória Régia quartzite island. Surrounding this are layers of natural materials like warm woods and stone, offset by industrial touches like stainless steel. Also vying for the attention of observers: gleaming gold brass cabinetry.

In the living room, a custom masonry bookshelf, accented with Sucupira wood, incorporates the air conditioning duct – the home is full of such clever design quirks; elsewhere, large windows and breeze block partitions significantly reduce reliance on artificial lighting. The window frames match the wood of the freestanding furniture, which comprises a mix of family heirlooms and modern design, including restored Sergio Rodrigues chairs, an armchair by Luisa Attab and side tables by Maximiliano Crovato.

Upstairs – home to the bedrooms and a home office – the architectural language shifts. It feels airier, with the exposed gabled roof enhancing ceiling height, while the decor leans softer, filled with simple forms. The office is home to a light blue epoxy floor and a Sucupira wood desk.

The primary suite revolves around a built-in central volume made from Virolinha plywood. This multifunctional unit integrates the bed, headboard, closet, TV lounge and storage, flanked by stainless steel Formica bedside modules. A carpeted base forms a step, and doubles to conceal electrical systems – another example of the home’s clean, smart detailing. Finally, the bathroom is clad in terracotta-hued ceramic tiles with a monolithic floor that flows into a concrete soaking tub.

As the lines between work and home continue to blur, our living spaces are evolving to reflect this shift. The Fidalga Apartment is a set for both daily life and on-screen action, showing that, in 2025, architecture is as much about flexibility as it is about aesthetics.

If you favour craft and quality over endless firmware updates, you’re not alone. For our first foray into the realm of longstanding designs that have survived the test of time thanks to their innate simplicity, we’ve scoured suppliers of the most enduring kitchen tools you can buy.

Big the Corkscrew

First up, an evergreen mechanical device with a difference. Campagnolo’s ‘Big the Corkscrew’ is a bit of a departure for a Vicenza-based company that’s best known for its high-performance bicycle gear. Uncorking wine isn’t really associated with (modern-day) bike racing, but this oversized winged corkscrew ensures you can do it in style, with a refined and updated version of a mechanism that’s been in use for nearly 150 years.

Kinu M47 Classic coffee grinder

The Kinu M47 Classic is a manual coffee grinder sold by specialist bean provider Assembly. The hefty stainless steel-barrelled device, which comes with its own carry case, can take up to 60g of beans (an espresso needs about 7-10g of beans, depending on strength). With an oversized handle and the ability to adjust the burr for precision grinding, it’s the manual machine of choice for the cognoscenti.

NECCST Series 1 coffee grinder

The NECCST Series 1 is a bit more of a wild card, like every crowdfunded piece of hardware. It's a manual coffee grinder that can’t resist squeezing in a bit of additional tech. This comes in the shape of a detachable touchscreen scale that slides into the base of the hefty device, which was designed by Munich-based studio Eckstein Design. Made from aluminium, stainless steel and titanium, the NECCST Series 1 is created to make a countertop statement.

NECCST Series 1 manual coffee grinder, €549, Get.NECCST.com

Chantry Classic knife sharpener

A longstanding kitchen staple, the Chantry Classic knife sharpener was originally created for the commercial food industry. Designed by the silversmith and industrial designer Robert Welch, who also worked with David Mellor, the compact metal device was first made back in the 1970s and earned a spot in MoMA’s permanent collection.

Ernst pestle and mortar

One of the oldest and earliest of all tools, this version of the timeless pestle and mortar is made by Swedish interiors brand Ernst. Made from black granite, it’s designed as a sculptural object that looks good even when not in use.

Zassenhaus bread slicer

German manufacturer Zassenhaus dates back to 1867. As part of its 150th anniversary, the company revived its classic mechanical bread slicer, with a blade made in the centuries-old heart of the country’s steel and cutting industry, Solingen. Produced from die cast and stainless steel, this hefty sideboard tool dates back to 1904.

Ernest Wright Kutrite scissors

In the UK, the heart of the steel industry has always been Sheffield. Local firm Ernest Wright (founded 1902) has recently revived its classic Kutrite kitchen scissors, a sleek design that debuted in the 1960s, designed by fourth-generation owner Philip Wright. After the company fell on hard times, the Wright and Kutrite names have now been revived, as has its Sheffield manufacturing base.

Peugeot Boreal salt and pepper mills

Jean-Pierre and Jean Frédéric Peugeot set up a company making saws in 1810 before branching out into bicycles in around 1880 and thence on to automobiles – Peugeot is the oldest car brand in the world. In 1874, a profitable sideline was established with the invention of the tabletop pepper grinder. Since 2014, Peugeot Saveurs has been divorced from its parent company, maintaining the same factory in Franche-Comté and turning out hand-operated and electric mills for sale around the world. The latest variant is the beech-bodied Boreal.

Febal Casa has collaborated with Zaha Hadid Architects on a smooth and contemporary collection. Titled ‘Onda’, it comprises a kitchen island and sideboard, a perfect addition to a minimal, and modern home. The collection is visually tactile through the use of materiality, with the kitchen island and sideboard taking on a sculptural form and playing with spatial perception.

Febal Casa and Zaha Hadid Architects' Onda collection

The inspiration behind the collection comes from the sea, more specifically the geology of coastlines, eroded rock formations and the intricate striations that are then imprinted after being continuously knocked by waves. The essence of this is transplanted into the design language, where the result is an equilibrium between a darker colour palette and light and bright detailing.

The Onda Island is designed to be a centrepiece within a kitchen space. The length is customisable, while the depth is fixed. It is crafted with an aluminium frame, and smooth glass doors with a metal effect, colours vary from ‘Bronze’ to ‘Champagne’. There are options of having an integrated hob, with hood and sink, along with modules that can house drawers, trays, and pull-out trays.

The Onda Sideboard, also crafted with an aluminium frame and similar finishing, is defined by a balanced structure and harmonious proportions. Onda and Metal Iridio Onda is an internal structure designed for this collection to create a brighter storage space, due to the extra-clear glass shelves. This break in materiality welcomes a visual lightness to both pieces, and nods to the glassy surfaces of the sea.

The collection is an example of a contemporary interpretation of the dialogue between nature and design. This is rooted in a lot of Febal Casa’s pieces, which are informed by the Adriatic Riviera. ‘What we love about this project is realising the dream which designers and artists had for a long time: to recreate the subtle beauty of nature,’ shared Zaha Hadid Architects’s principal, Patrik Schumacher.

The collaboration between the Italian kitchen company and globally renowned architecture firm marks a matrimony between Italian design and architectural avant-garde, both of which welcome aesthetic beauty and modernity. This collection is an example of transforming nature’s inspirations into considered, contemporary pieces.

zaha-hadid.com

• See more modern kitchen ideas for 2026

This year's kitchen trends are brought to you by the brands at the top of their league for mixing design with culinary wizardry and gastronomic gadgetry. Every year, we search for the greatest kitchens design ideas from some of the world's leading brands, specialists in the art of blending functionality with sleek design and expert manufacturing.

Kitchen design: the golden rule

These ingenious and aesthetically remarkable kitchens follow the golden rule of kitchen design: creating a space that is efficient and functional. This is reflected beautifully in these modern kitchens, where storage is cleverly incorporated and easily accessible, and functions are contemplated within a controlled aesthetic.

Discover the most impactful kitchen design ideas for 2026, from luminous surfaces to unexpected materiality, from kitchen islands created to collaborate and host seamlessly, to colour delivered like never before. Come with us on a journey to discover the latest kitchen trends, blurring the boundaries between utilitarian design and aesthetic folly, creating inventive new ways to cook, prep and host.

The collaborative kitchen

Monolithic kitchen islands add beauty and simplicity to a kitchen's functionality. We particularly enjoyed Boffi's 'Cove', a Zaha Hadid Design kitchen, originally conceived in 2017 as a limited-edition model, and now updated with a full-length snack counter to match its island. Zaha Hadid Design’s signature sinuous, dynamic forms offer the perfect base for a collaborative kitchen that is big enough to prep, cook and host. Also available this year are new materials and colours for its countertops, including Verde Alpi marble, and for its cabinet fronts, which can be finished in metal-effect lacquer or raw clay mixed with resin.

Silky colourwork

While neutral hues are often still the way to go in the kitchen, in the past few years an increasing number of designers have been offering daring alternative to reductive palettes. This year's superstar is Cesar's ‘N_Elle’ by R&D Cesar, here with the super attractive 'Nuance' glass finish by Spanish studio García Cumini (who also serve as the company's artistic directors). Inspired by the delicate glasswork of the previous century, the silky Nuance finish aims to capture the fluid nature of frosted glass and combines translucency with depth. First applied to worktops, it can now be used to customise the kitchen in caramel, blue, green and red.

Dramatic marble

Marble surfaces in the kitchen are getting increasingly dramatic, and we're here for it. Take Modulnova's 'Blade Lab’, by Carlo Presotto and Andrea Bassanello: the result of the Italian company's meticulous research into new materials and technologies, this kitchen uses heavy Sahara Brown marble for its countertops, units and back panels. Meanwhile, its 1.5cm-thick doors, hollowed out and lightened to allow for easier opening, are paired with glass and aluminium cabinets coated in Bronze Dust, while a full-height bookcase offers a transitional element towards the living area.

Luminous warmth

Unexpected materiality

We are seeing an increasing desire to shake up the kitchen materiality, with some brands leading the way in terms of experimentation and innovation in how materials are used in this functional space.

Henrytimi has been at the forefront of this movement, describing its collections as functional works of art and prioritising the use of natural materials like wood and stone to produce kitchens with a geometric purity and a minimalist aesthetic. Forged in black clay and Nero Fossil stone, the ‘Arca’ features textured curved cabinet doors, behind which are a series of practical drawers, while the raised backdrop not only hides any mess from view, but also works as a bar counter.

Elsewhere, this experimental project by 70 Materia aims to create new elements to complement ‘Satellite’, its modular kitchen system, with the help of emerging designers. It also explores the potential of the brand’s 70 Materia, a material made with cement, water and either sand or gravel, and available in three different mixes. The series includes the ‘G Rover’ table by Cara\Davide, whose ‘off-road castors open up unexplored paths within the domestic landscape’. Equally eye-catching are a totem-like tower by Finemateria and a drawer module with bold display shelves by Groovido.

At Milan Design Week 2025, Italian luxury kitchen brand Officine Gullo unveiled its Nautical Collection of yacht kitchens – designed to transform the traditionally cramped galley into a central, social hub. On land, kitchens are the heart of the home. Why shouldn't the same be true at sea? Think islands for panoramic breakfasts, bar counters for sunset aperitifs, and cooking stations that serve as gathering places.

At sea, versatility is key. The Nautical Collection includes full kitchen and bar configurations, as well as modular elements for custom layouts. Countertops, cabinetry and walls can be outfitted with wine cellars, refrigerators, ice makers, glass washers, dishwashers, coffee machines, cocktail stations and more. In short, every detail is tailor-made to suit space, preferences and requirements.

Material selection was equally considered by Officine Gullo, which is known for its metal-crafted kitchens. The core material is AISI 316 stainless steel, chosen for its resistance to corrosion, finished in bespoke colours and accented with polished chrome.

The collection includes three standout design concepts. Ocean Flow offers both indoor and outdoor iterations. Indoors, a ‘vanilla frost’ matte pairs with chrome accents. A central island bar with cantilevered seating is the heart of the space, incorporating an ice basin, bottle and tool storage, a coffee machine and refrigerated wine columns. Outdoors, the palette shifts to a ‘cappuccino’ tone, anchored by an Arabescato Corchia marble countertop. Features include a professional barbecue, integrated sink, drawers and wine storage.

The Timeless Tide concept is rendered in matte grey with chrome finishes and Nero Marquina marble, boasting a tasting island that separates the cooking zone from a marble panel framed by eco-leather stools and Officine Gullo lamps. The working area features a double barbecue, a refrigerator, a freezer, an oven, a glass washer and a sink, with fun extras like cocktail and cheese carts.

Sundeck Retreat is crafted for cooking and conviviality on the flybridge. Dressed in a breezy matte blue and topped with Cristallo Traslux marble, its U-shaped hospitality island offers generous seating, a double barbecue, a maxi burner, an integrated sink, large refrigerators, display cabinets and a dedicated cocktail space.

With the Nautical Collection, Officine Gullo extends its legacy of Italian excellence to the sea, merging aesthetics, technology and ergonomic design. The collection – debuted at a special installation at the brand’s Milan showroom back in April – proves that culinary artistry doesn’t have to stay anchored at port.

In partnership with Eba

The contemporary kitchen is the modern home’s theatre, communal hub and showpiece. Busy prep space and gastronomic testing ground meets smart storage facility and convivial social area designed for both practicality and pleasure.

To ensure the correct and joyful function of the house’s most multitasking room, layout, footprint and architecture are carefully choreographed. Every detail, cupboard, counter surface and appliance is intelligently placed and rigorously considered for the enhancement of its users’ lives. Expanded and opened up for modern living, the kitchen is now the nerve centre and beating heart of the domestic sphere.

‘Le plan libre’ – or open plan – is a concept pioneered by Swiss architect Le Corbusier in the early 20th century, whose residential designs championed flexibility and functionality, dispensing with segregated rooms to maximise living space. Staircases and landings segued into bedrooms, the garden flowed into the sitting room, study and dining room, which were incorporated into the kitchen. The look and layout caught on. In the US, Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s blueprints broke boundaries by knocking down walls between rooms to create more cohesive, useful, multifunctional and genial environments. Almost 100 years later, this is how we live now.

Like Le Corbusier and Wright before them, the space makers at Eba have strong views on configuring kitchens. The brand shares its pillars of quality and innovation with its founding company, the kitchen manufacturer Santos, which began its journey into modular, open-plan design back in the 1960s. The use of the very best available materials, from steel to marble and glass, for its creations became Santos’ hallmark. In 2019, the Santos family founded the Eba brand, opening a debut showroom in the heart of Paris, and the affinity for tailormade environments, premium materials and flexible designs continues today.

To open up the kitchen, a free exchange of ideas is key. At Eba’s London showroom on Wigmore Street, Marylebone, a consultation with one of the resident experts during the first phases of a kitchen project considers dimensions, lifestyles, materials and aesthetics. Ergonomics and economy, cooking and entertaining schedules are all discussed. Desires, needs and constraints are identified. Clients are encouraged to ask: ‘What would I like to do in this space other than cook? Will I work here, have the children do their homework, entertain friends? How big do I want this space to be? How do I want to arrange my kitchen?’

A pioneer in uncompartmentalised projects and open-plan artistry, Eba works from a simple premise: people are unique; the spaces where they live should be unique also.

The challenge? Granting every space in the house its own character, creating personal, singular and unique interiors, so that each person feels at home.

A kitchen layout to make the most of a space

The Eba hypothesis recognises kitchen-unit distribution as fluid and space-dependent, advising that a linear layout is best for long, narrow areas – just a single wall section fitted with units. This prevents spatial overload, allowing for a balanced, minimalist and workable galley.

For larger, rectangular spaces, the parallel open kitchen allows for more storage space while optimising movement. The L-shaped open kitchen works where square meterage is limited, freeing up space in the central area. Both practical and adaptable, a U-shaped footprint makes ergonomic sense, optimising the so-called ‘triangle of activity’ formed by the cooking, washing and food storage areas of a kitchen.

The open kitchen with a central island is a user-friendly and functional solution but requires sufficient space. Either dedicated solely to preparation or including a sink and cooking area, the island can incorporate a bar area and a breakfast station.

With open-plan living, the kitchen can open up onto a garden or living room, optimising light, space and volume, while subtle demarcations can distinguish each zone. An island combined with contrasting floor coverings and paint colours for the walls and ceilings will create a gentle signifier of transition. The use of a chromatic palette, based on woody, ecru and grey tones, for example, can also subtly define one zone from another, and the distinction may be enhanced by indirect lighting to create mood and character.

This is the contemporary kitchen and the modern, open house.

ebainteriors.com

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In partnership with Febal Casa

The low waves of the Adriatic, generated by its shifting sandy seabeds, are the inspiration for a new collection that Febal Casa has designed in collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects, comprising a beautifully fluid kitchen island and accompanying sideboard.

Zaha Hadid Architects’ Patrik Schumacher and Maurizio Meossi interpreted the primordial energy of the sea to create an aesthetic for the doors of the ‘Onda’ collection in which light, shape and materials interact. ‘What we love about this project is realising the dream which designers and artists had for a long time: to recreate the subtle beauty of nature,’ says Schumacher.

The doors of the collection’s pieces feature sculpted back-painted fused glass with metal effect surfaces in a range of hues – Metal Onda, Metal Bronzo Onda, Metal Champagne Onda and Metal Iridio Onda – evoking the depth of water and its ever-changing reflections. Aluminium frames add a contemporary lightness.

The sideboard’s lacquered top and casing offer seamless continuity, while glass shelving and blade-style supports emphasise the lightness of touch.

The kitchen island – in lengths from 1,800mm to 3,600mm, with a fixed depth of 1,218mm – is a sculptural centrepiece. Textured, metallic effects contrast with the worktop, side panels and base in a choice of Febal Casa materials such as Gres, Abitum, Laminam, Neolith, Optimum and Laminate, exploring the relationship between light and matter. Rigorously designed but extremely customisable, the kitchen can include a hob, a hob with integrated hood, and a sink, as well as modules that can be equipped with drawers and baskets. Its back-painted fused glass with metal effect door is a pure design statement: a feature that does not merely define volume but reshapes the entire space, moving beyond the concept of a front panel to become an architectural element.

Having already worked with some of the world’s most notable architects, such as Daniel Libeskind, Febal Casa commissioned Zaha Hadid Architects to transform its architectural vision into a scalable product designed to integrate into different living contexts. Blending craftsmanship and advanced industrial production excellence while maintaining a balance between striking design and functionality, the ‘Onda’ pieces ‘echo the timeless coherence of nature but also celebrate Febal Casa’s heritage’, explains project director Meossi. ‘By marrying the fluid forms evident in the natural world with detailed craftsmanship, the collection embodies both contemporary innovation and historic tradition.’

febalcasa.com

In partnership with Boffi

For 90 years the Boffi atelier in Italy’s province of Monza and Brianza has been revolutionising the concepts of cooking and living. In its collaborations with key Italian designers, from Luigi Massoni to Antonio Citterio and Piero Lissoni, Boffi’s insightful approach to design, innovation, technology and artistic direction has launched products of visionary scale and groundbreaking function.

Now Boffi has announced its latest collaborative project – a monobloc kitchen island that multi-tasks as a workstation, a hub of culinary creation, and a place of conviviality. An architecturally rigorous design, characterised by simple forms, gentle curves and malleable materials, such as Corian, Boffi’s Cove Kitchen is borne of an original concept first developed by Zaha Hadid Design back in 2017.

Now further developed and finessed for a 2024 iteration, the kitchen’s emblematic silhouette has evolved, so that the entire side of the island is covered. Panels with rounded edges and perimeters hug each end of the island, while a plinth, gently inclined, features the same finish as the doors.

‘Boffi embodies elegance, craftsmanship and integrity of Italian design,’ explains the Zaha Hadid Design team. ‘The new idea of Cove Kitchen evolves from the intrinsic logic of the previous original design, while offering the flexibility of a modular system. This new iteration is supported laterally by two panels with rounded edges, both with identical cross-sections, covering the entire side of the island.’

Like all Boffi products, the Cove Kitchen is made in Italy at the company’s 25,000 sq ft factory in the furniture district of Brianza. Time-honoured processes such as the famous, glossy lacquer Polyester finish are complemented by cutting-edge techniques developed in strong continuity with the territory and local traditions. Heritage and innovation coexist across the company’s collections, while production is highly customisable and excellence is a given.

boffi.com

We've brought together our favourite examples new kitchen appliances for the contemporary home, with an emphasis on labour- and space-saving technology that should pay dividends down the road. From creative coffee to countertop composting, here are nine devices to dine in with, fitting right in with the latest kitchen trends.

New kitchen tech and gadgets to save time, space and food

DRO!D Food Vacuum by B!Pod

DRO!D is the answer to a problem you might not be aware of, but once used it’ll have a potentially revolutionary effect. Essentially, this is a ‘food vacuum’ system, consisting of a compact vacuum device and charger and an array of compatible food containers. Place leftovers or spare ingredients into a suitably sized container, plug in the vacuum and the air will be swiftly removed, arresting the decay process and making things last up to five times longer than they normally would.

It’s a straightforward process, and the bowls are pleasingly shaped and available in an array of colours and three sizes, up to 1.5 litre capacity. The vacuum device is made from recycled plastic and the whole ensemble is intended to cut food and packaging waste out of your life.

DRO!D starter pack, from £319, B!Pod, Bipod.it

Pebble by Kanu

Designed by prolific design agency Layer, the Pebble is a compact espresso machine created for the Korean coffee brand Kanu. Compressing the art of making a perfect espresso into a friendly device that doesn’t scream ‘coffee snob’, the Pebble has softly rounded edges, a simple rectilinear form factor and is available in two colours, off-white and charcoal grey.

As Layer’s Benjamin Hubert says, ‘coffee is one of life’s little joys and, with Pebble we look to elevate that experience in an affordable way’.

Pebble, more information at LAYERdesign.com, Kanu.co.kr

Breville Oracle Jet

At the other end of the scale is the Oracle Jet, a new device from Breville (the company known as Sage in the UK), an ultra-sophisticated coffee machine that offers every conceivable option and approach to the perfect. Cup. The Oracle Jet is laden down with proprietary technology, including the company’s Auto MilQ microfoam system and a fast internal heater Breville has dubbed ThermoJet.

The Orace Jet promises to deliver a wide variety of drink options, and there’s a touch screen for pre-programmed favourites. The host of other options for grinding, tamping and foaming milk also includes the ability to use soy, almond and oat milk.

Oracle Jet, coming soon, $1,999.95, details at Breville.com

Minix The Flender

Garnering a clutch of design awards across the world, yet currently only available in Asian markets, The Flender is a countertop device from South Korean company Athome’s Minix brand. Part of an ongoing trend towards ultra compact home devices, spurred on by South Korea’s demographic shift towards single-person households, The Flender is a processing unit designed to shred and compact waste food, removing smells and saving space.

Minix The Flender, further information at Minix.life

Space cookware range from Joseph Joseph

Recently Highly Commended in Wallpaper*’s 2024 Smart Space Awards, Joseph Joseph’s Space cookware is another excellent choice for the smaller kitchen. Using the company’s patented folding handle system these high quality saucepans can be stacked up in a much smaller space than most cook pots.

Space 3-piece set, £295, JosephJoseph.com

Citring One Juicer

Juicers have a bit of a bad rep when it comes to technology – the infamous Juicero Press internet-enabled smart juicer became shorthand for the inept and unnecessary application of ‘smart technology’ to dumb objects (as well as the venal and shortsighted VC money that enabled it).

The Citring One doesn’t make any wild claims or require its own app. Simply load up three oranges and the machine takes about a minute to extract the juice straight into a glass. The internal mechanism is shielded by easily removable bright yellow silicon components that can be rinsed in an instant.

Citring One, Citring.com, available via Kickstarter.com

Ninja Double Stack XL

Another Smart Space winner, Ninja’s Double Stack XL air fryer takes the popular cooking technology and shrinks its footprint with a simple design tweak. You still get the same big capacity baskets and synch functionality, but now the Ninja saves space as well as time.

Ninja Double Stack XL 9.5L Air Fryer, £269.99, NinjaKitchen.co.uk, @NinjaKitchenUK

Oyster Tempo Cooler

A high-end, high quality coolbox, Oyster’s ice free, heavily insulated cooler can also be supplemented with additional ice packs to create a portable fridge. Using their own DLTA vacuum insulation technology, the Oyster is simply styled with a slim structure to allow for more capacity. Oyster also make their coolers from recycled aluminium rather than plastic, encouraging wear and tear to be worn with pride.

Oyster Tempo Cooler, £471, OysterCooler.com

Vego Composter

Another device for the smaller home, this time making use of waste to create compost for plants inside and out. Although getting the most out of the new Vego kitchen composter unit will require a little more input – it needs the addition of special tablets to add the necessary microbes and enzymes – this could be a game changer for small scale self sufficiency.

Vego Kitchen Composter, $319, Vego.com

Every year, Wallpaper* searches for the greatest kitchens trends from some of the best specialist brands, blending functionality with sleek design and expert manufacturing. Here, we select the most impactful kitchen design ideas for 2025, from textured surfaces to multifunctional islands and a touch of the unexpected. Discover our kitchen trends, with kitchens that blur the boundaries between a utilitarian approach and aesthetic splendour, with inventive new ways to cook, prep and host.

Kitchen trends 2025: the Wallpaper* edit

Ultra-accessorised kitchen islands

These voluminous kitchens come with an impressive array of extras, addressing every food prep need in style.

‘Isola’, by Officine Gullo aims to become the epicentre around which family and friends can gather: the five models in the ‘Isola’ collection can be seamlessly integrated into any kitchen project. The wide range of customisable options allows for the creation of dream set-ups with accessories that include pasta cookers, steamers, lava stone barbecues, mirror-finished fry-top plates, coup de feu burners and direct-cooking electric grills.

officinegullo.com

‘Proxima’, by Antonio Citterio, for Arclinea is a high-performing stainless steel kitchen defined by its bold handles, which appear along the entire perimeter of the island, allowing for the effortless opening of doors and drawers. The minimalist design, which integrates large American appliances, also aims to encourage proximity, both in terms of easy access to cooking tools, and fostering sociability in the preparation and consumption of foods.

arclinea.com

Grooved cabinet surfaces

A new approach to minimalism, these grooved surfaces elevate the most effortless designs with a contemporary aesthetic.

‘Tangram’, by Garcia Cumini Studio features two new innovations by Cesar that add elegantly bold visual effects to the brand’s ‘Tangram’ collection. the ‘Nuances’ worktop showcases a dynamic use of colour that evokes the fluidity of polished and frosted glass, while the oak ‘Groove’ doors feature an irregular pattern of three-dimensional vertical grooves designed to camouflage the joints between cabinets and give the impression of a harmonious, unified surface.
cesar.it

This kitchen island, by Carlo Presotto and Andrea Bassanello for Modulnova is clad in Silver Roots marble slabs, with ‘Groove’ walnut doors in a new Moka finish. The island appears to float on a narrow stone base but can still integrate a large appliance such as a dishwasher. Handle-free doors conceal an LED light bar that emphasises the interplay of textures and materials, while a versatile ‘Glass’ door component can be used in various applications, such as bases, wall units and columns.

modulnova.com

Multi-functional layouts

‘XO’, by Elisa Ossino, for Boffi is inspired by Luigi Massoni’s classic 1972 ‘Xila’ kitchen (the first model without visible door handles). Ossino’s island is part of a new generation of kitchens as destinations, where prepping, cooking and entertaining all exist within a cohesive design. The XO focuses on geometries that combine precise lines and delicate edges. Hovering only 2cm above the floor, its handle-less doors are framed by a thick Breccia Imperiale stone top and side panels, while a circular solid wood counter, with a matching curving leg, creates a place to congregate.

boffi.com

Invisible tech

Gaggenau's collection of perfectly balanced designs seamlessly integrate into worktops (so your kitchen can be a rock should you wish it to be). The kitchen authority has distilled the cooktop to its essentials: all that is visible is an LED ‘dot’ in the smart cooking zone and a front-mounted performance knob. Designed to integrate exclusively with the stain- and scratch-resistant Dekton stone countertops, the range is accompanied by a series of removable magnetic protectors for existing cookware, which reduce noise and ensure optimal cooking performance.
gaggenau.com

Informal cooling solutions

Designed to be useful throughout the house, these refrigerated drawers, by Patricia Urquiola, for Signature Kitchen Suite, can be used as freestanding or under-counter elements in a kitchen, or to store drinks in a bedroom or beauty products in a bathroom. Featuring strong textures and colours, thanks to Urquiola’s ‘Cimento’ tile cladding, the compact two-drawer module can be combined with matching storage cabinets. As well as the ceramic tiles in five colours, a natural or stained wood finish is also available.

signaturekitchensuite.com

The new marble

Marble in the kitchen is nothing new, but designers David/Nicolas' approach to the material gives it an unexpected twist. Their ‘Ratio’ kitchen trolley for Marsotto is part of a collection that includes a more traditional kitchen island and plays with the modernist possibilities of the material. Their sculptural bar cart stands out, thanks to its concave modular marble panels and contrasting circular inlays. It is available in various combinations of materials, including Lasa white, Zimbabwe black, Roman and Titanium travertine, and Lava stone, while the inside can be lined in sanded oak, mahogany or ash.

marsotto.com

This article appears in the July 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 6 June, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

A new year often inspires thoughts of a new look. Those on the hunt for a kitchen makeover are likely to have their heads turned by the new Vipp V3 kitchen, a unique-looking kitchen that pays homage to the Danish design brand’s 85-year tradition of metalwork, and is photographed here in the Vipp Cold Hawaii Guesthouse, the brand’s new bookable property in Denmark.

Founded back in 1939, Vipp has become synonymous for combining everyday functionality with a sleek minimalist aesthetic. But it actually all started because of a lottery ticket. Trained metalworker Holger Nielsen won a car, sold it to buy a metal press and then used it to lovingly craft a bin for his wife’s hairdressing salon. He never intended it to be for sale, but a request to make more prompted him to start production on a larger scale, resulting in what is today known as the iconic Vipp pedal bin. 

The company would later add a wealth of other stainless steel items to its portfolio, including toilet brushes and laundry baskets, before launching the first all-metal Vipp kitchen, the V1, in 2011. This was followed by the Vipp V2 kitchen, launched in 2021 and featuring an organic material palette.

Despite sharing the same overall design principles as the original, the new V3 kitchen swaps the black powder-coated steel form of the V1 for freestanding modules made from naturally anodised aluminium, inspired by the material’s use as staircase cladding in Vipp’s eye-catchingly Instagrammable Chimney guesthouse in Copenhagen. Resting effortlessly on four legs, the modules’ vertically extruded profiles curve around the edges to bring a light elegance to their industrial appearance, while a 4mm-thick stainless steel countertop gracefully floats above the cabinets, which feature discreetly integrated handles. The kitchen is available in three different modules: island, wall and tall.

‘The new V3 has allowed us to combine valuable knowhow from our first kitchen with our legacy of metalwork in a visual expression that is both compelling and innovative,’ says Vipp CEO Kasper Egelund. ‘In addition to its functional nature, we were able to introduce one of our trademark materials – extruded aluminium. I think we have managed to create a unique kitchen that feels like a sculptural piece on its own.’

vipp.com

Every year, Wallpaper* searches for the coolest kitchens design ideas from the world's best specialist manufacturers. Here, we select the most impactful kitchen trends for 2024, from the must-have functional designs to sculptural forms that nod to art history. These contemporary kitchens blur the boundaries between a utilitarian approach and aesthetic splendour, with inventive new ways to cook, prep and host. 

Kitchen trends 2024: the Wallpaper* edit

Textured surfaces

It's no longer the most minimalist marbles all the way, and the smoothest, most discreet surfaces are giving way to ridges, textures and three-dimensional motifs. Launched in 2022, the ‘Tangram’ kitchen by Garcia Cumini for Cesar combines curved and straight elements to give greater design flexibility. This year, it has been given a sleek update, with new features, including a drip-saving groove along the edge of the Bianco Apuano stone worktop, new handles and white lacquered cabinetry. 

cesar.it

Integrated, exposed shelving

Even the most exclusive kitchens now focus on functionality, with additions such as integrated shelving that serves the double function of beautifully displaying decorative objects and keeping kitchen essentials nearby. The latest update of the ‘Skill Gres’ kitchen by Modulnova features an integrated shelving system in an elegant new offering of materials, including Piasentina Fiammato stone, lacquered metal and Noce Grigio laminate. Very thick vertical uprights and bookcase elements enrich the kitchen’s linear composition

modulnova.com

The latest offering from the Dada Engineered collection includes Vincent Van Duysen’s ‘Atelier’ storage column, which can be adapted to suit the breadth of Molteni & C’s kitchens. The fully customisable niches can be left open, their shelves exposed and easy to access, or concealed behind a choice of framed door designs and equipped with drawers to enhance their functionality. Available finishes include glass, ceramic, eco-skin and wood, and Van Duysen has also created a series of accessories that allow for the display of bottles and glasses. 

molteni.it

Multifunctional worktops

The most contemporary kitchens are all-in-one marvels, where you can prep, cook, entertain (and more) without leaving your island. Using different materials and discreet shapes to define each purpose, our favourite interpretation of this trend comes with moving options to enhance different function, or to hide them when not in use.  

Twenty years separate the original ‘Case 5.0’ by Piero Lissoni for Boffi from its newest offering, which now comes with a worktop that can slide in three different directions, creating cantilevered areas for food prep or hiding sinks when not in use. Its updated ‘Hide Pro’ handle-free cabinet system allows for seamless design.

boffi.com

Meanwhile, driven by an ethos of minimising environmental impact, Arclinea has released an innovative new panel finish, g-cover (shown here on its Lignum et Lapis kitchen), made using recycled graphite powder, a byproduct of electrode production. G-cover enhances the durability of the kitchen, protecting it from light, impact and signs of ageing. 

arclinea.com

Sculptural volumes

Making a statement with a quiet sense of elegance, these kitchens add a sense of timelessness to an otherwise ultra-functional space, with details that nod to classical sculpture. 

Taking inspiration from ancient Roman civilisations, the monolithic kitchens by Henrytimi are carved from Greige Pompeii marble and travertine. The ‘Thermopolium’ is beautifully offset by a series of round terracotta basins set into the worktop, echoing earthenware bowls found at Pompeii, while the 'Colonna' interpret the ridges of classical columns with contemporary rigour. 

henrytimi.com

A similar approach can be found in Poggenpohl's Delicious Welcome kitchen. The German manufacturer's recent offering focuses its efforts on mixing functionality with an emotional approach to forms and materials. A kitchen island made of Brazilian quartzite features an ample asymmetrical ridged curve that helps enlighten the monolithic object. The kitchen is completed by dark smoked oak cabinets, that help give the structure a warm atmosphere. 

poggenpohl.com

Eggersmann offers a different take on the concept: Canadian studio Yabu Pushelberg’s first kitchen for the innovative German brand marries organic form with Japanese design sensibilities (nami meaning ‘wave’ in Japanese). The modular kitchen, which consists of a graphically sculptural island and a cabinet system with discreet sliding doors, is conceived as the perfect gathering place, allowing for the seamless transition from food preparation space to bar-like drinking spot. ‘We aimed to create a kitchen that didn’t dictate space, but also didn’t disappear,’ says George Yabu. 

eggersmann.com

Colour meets modularity

A combination that can be as playful as it can appear sophisticated and everything in between. An update to a 2018 design by Marc Sadler, the 'Sei' kitchen by Euromobil, is a good place to start. The new version adds modularity to the original concept, with new elements that seamlessly complete the collection. These include an expanded range of colours and finishes, such as matte embossed lacquer, anodised lacquer, sandblasted chestnut wood and the exclusive natural quartzite Palladium Arte matte finish, as well as an update of the existing Fenix finishes, with 25 new colours added to the catalogue (making the chromatic offer more than 50 stong). 

euromobil.com

Hi-tech wine cabinets

Today’s dream kitchen must have a wine cabinet. The V4000 45, from Swiss appliance brand V-Zug, is an elegant compact cooler, featuring a mirror glass front in a choice of three finishes and handle-free doors. It is packed with functional details, from the anti-condensation door and 17-bottle capacity to the dimmable LED and digital display to keep track of temperature. The shelves, made from Swiss beech, can be pulled out or tilted at a 30 degree angle to offer a better view of the bottles inside. 

vzug.com

Officine Gullo's new space in Florence is perhaps the world's most unusual kitchen showroom in the world. A deconsecrated chapel in the complex of Chiesa di San Salvatore di Ognissanti has become the new home of the Florentine kitchen brand.

Officine Gullo in Florence

Chiesa di San Salvatore di Ognissanti is a legendary place in Catholic culture: a Baroque church from 1627 (its current structure replacing the original1250s building), it is the burial place of early Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli, Age of Discovery explorer Amerigo Vespucci, and Napoleon Bonaparte’s younger sister Carolina. Inside, are a plethora of important Renaissance works, including several paintings by Giotto and frescoes by Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio. 

The location is a rather fitting background for Officine Gullo. Inspired by Tuscan cooking traditions and the local approach to craftsmanship, Carmelo Gullo launched the company he is now running with his three sons as a celebration of artisanal excellence and gastronomy. 

The Officine Gullo House is a striking space that nods to the rituals behind cooking, presenting and consuming food, elevating each moment. It is also a location that allows Officine Gullo to fully immerse the company in the city whose history inspired it. 

‘The beauty of the city, in which we have the good fortune to live and work, amalgamates the two cores of our production: tradition and technology,’ says Gullo. ‘The wonders of this astonishing place inspire us every day; they guide our imagination every time we devote ourselves to a project.’

The space was created in collaboration with Milanese studio SuperSpatial, who leda renovation focused on discreetly adding modern touches that would complement the site’s Renaissance elements. The renovation was faithful to the location’s sacred layout: a large tailor-made Officine Gullo kitchen stands where an altar would normally be. It’s a bespoke composition featuring an island, two ovens, four gas burners, a coup de feu, a pasta cooker, and induction and preparation hobs. Officine Gullo’s guests dine at a special table placed in front of the kitchen island, so they can fully experience the surroundings.

‘The architecture of the space, and its location in the centre of Florence, reflectour brand values: a luxury kitchen maker that creates in continuity with the Florentine tradition of exquisite craftsmanship,’ says Manfredi Conforzi, commercial director of Officine Gullo. ‘But the location is not just an exhibition space: it’s a place where true brand experiences can be lived. The display kitchen is fully functional, allowing for the hosting of events and private dinners. This perfectly aligns with Officine Gullo’s vision of bringing the pleasure of cooking and convivial moments to people around the world.’

Each Officine Gullo kitchen is a unique combination of craft, technology and precision, and the company’s virtually unlimited customisation opportunities make its offering highly desirable. The design is rooted in both tradition and modernity, with a modular system that can be adapted to any space and which features timeless details that reflect the craft and mechanical engineering behind it. To create a bespoke kitchen, customers can choose from a catalogue featuring appliances, cooking ranges and accessories, including 10kW gas burners, lava stone grills, professional fryers, polished fry tops and steamers. Each element is available in seven finishings that range from burnished brass and copper chrome to 24ct gold, with an unlimited choice of colours. If cleanliness is next to godliness, then surely the dream bespoke kitchen isn’t far behind. 

officinegullo.com

On its tenth anniversary, Superfront unveils the Bruta Kitchen by London-based design studio Raw-Edges. Launched at the Stockholm Furniture Fair during Stockholm Design Week 2023, the collection marks the first design collaboration for the Swedish brand, known for its creative upgrades of standard Ikea kitchens through colour and textures. 

Bruta collection by Raw-Edges for Superfront

‘The kitchen is probably one of the most functional areas in our home; it requires a high level of practicality and efficiency,’ says Shay Alkalay, one half of Raw-Edges. ‘As a design studio, our aim was to find a way to incorporate joy into that functionality.’

The Bruta Kitchen collection for Superfront is a new interpretation of the brand’s approach to breathing new life into standard Ikea cabinets. The range covers different modules – base cabinets, wall cabinets and high cupboards, and the pieces can be mixed and matched as well as purchased independently.

The Raw-Edges design can be used on the Ikea Metod kitchen, for users looking to either renovate an existing kitchen they have at home, or working on a new model of the Swedish company’s kitchen.

The brutalist-inspired design is defined by sculptural handles and matte surfaces. While the wall cabinets are available in seven colours that range from grey and dusty green to terracotta, brown and moss, the low cupboards feature abstract textured fronts in off-white and black. Completing the collection are tall cupboards available in oak veneer and black oak veneer with the option of cast iron handles in matte black.

‘As inspiration, we looked at how, during the brutalist era, it was common to add concrete bas-relief sculptural murals to decorate the highly minimalistic architecture,’ adds Yael Mer from Raw-Edges. ‘Similarly, for Bruta, we designed curved line handles that create an impression of a relief in beautiful patterns, adding a sculptural element to the kitchen.’

The Bruta Kitchen collection launches at Stockholm Furniture Fair during Stockholm Design Week 2023, until 12 February, Hall C, Stand C 07:39

superfront.com
raw-edges.com

Milan's Expo is still one month away, but the very first pavilion dedicated to the universal exhibition - and the only one that will be located in the city centre -  has opened its doors inside Milan's Triennale Design Museum. Entitled 'Arts & Foods: Rituals since 1851', the exhibition takes on the Expo's overarching theme of sustainable food but peers at it with an artistic lens. And the results are, in a word, delectable.

Curated by Germano Celant, the prolific artistic director of the Prada Foundation and curator of Milan's Fondazione Aldo Rossi, the exhibition sprawls across the entire 7,000 square metres of the museum, including its outdoor garden. It's like a never-ending feast of food-related objects, tools, paintings, installations, rooms and ambiences from 1851 to the present.

The first room of the exhibition, dedicated to the period between 1851 and 1948, is the most densely packed, cohesively designed and powerfully conceived. It features a fascinating mix of antique cooking tools, kitchen furniture and butcher stations to real Florentine bars from the early 20th century that have been painstakingly reconstructed, bottle-by-bottle. A magnificent collection of antique silverware, loaned by Milan's famous G. Lorenzi cutlery company, is on show, as are thoughtful portraits of chefs by Monet and Manet and an array of mid-century kitchen accessories.

Other rooms are dedicated to the 1950s, 60s and 70s, as well as to contemporary art's dealings with food. It's a tribute to Celant's profile that he's managed to wrangle top works by major artists such as Andy Warhol ('The Last Supper' and his infamous Campbell's soup cans), Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Tom Sachs, Marc Quinn and Urs Fischer (whose 'Bread House' smells just a little bit stale after nearly 10 years of circulation), even though their assembly makes less impact than the first historical room. No matter; Paul McCarthy's giant, inflatable ketchup bottle, which has been planted in the centre of the Triennale's lush park like a plastic skyscraper, makes up for it.

Also noteworthy is Gaetano Pesce's site-specific installation (the only one in the whole museum) which features giant pieces of kitchenware on a glass floor along with a group of actors chatting, cooking and fighting (what kitchen hasn't seen that?), all visible by nosy viewers looking up from the floor beneath.

This ambitious exhibit shines the spotlight on Milan's Triennale, shaking up this sometimes sleepy institution just in time for the Expo. Not only is the green garden in full aperitivo action but it also has water in its fountains for the first time in 50 years, thanks to the restoration of Giorgio de Chirico's 'Bagni Misteriosi'.  In tandem with the brimming activity is a proper - and long overdue - restaurant opening up on the museum's first floor that features a balcony overlooking the park.

ADDRESS

Triennale di Milano
Viale Alemagna 6
Milan 20121

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These outdoor kitchen ideas provide the perfect spot to prep, cook and enjoy a meal or an aperitif during the warm season, whether you are planning your next lunch in the sun or a moonlit dinner. 

The outdoor kitchens reimagine gardens and terraces as an extension of our homes, bringing the party outside with a plethora of innovative solutions, cutting edge materials and design compositions to suit any space.

Outdoor kitchen ideas: the Wallpaper* edit

Small outdoor kitchens

In keeping with its mission to enhance outdoor living, Ethimo’s latest launch is a new outdoor kitchen and barbecue created in collaboration with Gordon Guillaumier. The newly launched Phil kitchen aims at simplifying the art of outdoor cooking, with a round design imagined to be nomadic and emphasising a modern approach to entertaining within different outside spaces. 

Key Features: The small cylinder only measures 95cm in height and 75cm in diameter, making it ideal to fit in smaller balconies and patios as well as larger gardens. The metal structure is available in olive green and sepia black, and can be configured as a barbecue, induction hob or sink (with the possibility of combining them in a more complete outdoor kitchen offering). Guillaumier’s design combines all main kitchen elements within a small, ergonomic structure, with a soft design that is functional yet sturdy and portable.

ethimo.com

Italian brand Very Simple Kitchen has over the years perfected a single kitchen design that, as the brand name suggests, is based on a minimal, flexible design. Made of stainless steel and based on lightweight modular elements, each kitchen can be tailored to suit specific needs and space limitations. The brand has now expanded its offering to include outdoor kitchens, based on the same efficient design and featuring a series of outdoor-appropriate accessories, including a corrugated metal canopy. 

Key Features: Like all of the brand’s modules, the outdoor kitchens can be customised with colourful surfaces and accessorised with barbeques, hotplates, folding sinks, and even wheels.

verysimplekitchen.com

Based on the Isle of Wight, enamel specialist Vlaze have launched the Adapt outdoor kitchen collection, aimed at outdoor entertaining and featuring modular elements clad in the brand's signature materials. 

Key Features: Freestanding and on wheels, the Adapt outdoor kitchens can be configured to suit different cooking and entertaining styles, from drinks trolley and prep area for pizza ovens to barbecue grills, with a larger module imagined for group entertaining.  

vlaze.co

Modular outdoor kitchens for cooking and entertaining 

A modular aluminium outdoor kitchen, Emily by Emu features a stoneware countertop and comprises different elements that can be used individually or combined into a bespoke functional solution. 

Key Features: Each module can be configured to be used as a cooking, washing, barbecuing station, as well as a single countertop, and its design can adapt to be open or closed, featuring shelves or storage containers. The outdoor kitchen design is raised from the ground with a lighter appearance thanks to the slim legs, while the rounded edges give it a soft shape.

emu.it

A kitchen and cooking specialist, Boffi has taken its savoir faire to the outdoors with the AH01 outdoor kitchen. Inspired by light and healthy Mediterranean cuisine, the outdoor kitchen features practical details and a nimble design. 

Key Features: The kitchen includes a wide cooking panel that's inclined for easy cleaning, or the stainless steel sink, expanding its functionality. Modular cooking and storage surfaces allows this kitchen to adapt to different spaces, as well as cooking and serving styles, making it a perfect destination for preparing and hosting in the warmer months.

boffi.com

Making its first foray into the outdoors, Scavolini presents the Formalia collection, featuring 19 elements that can be combined with existing appliances to create a bespoke outdoor kitchen area.

Key Features: Based on an aluminium structure, the range can be expanded with elements in three finishes – rust, black and titanium – with doors and worktops available in steel or high-performance treated wood. 

scavolini.com 

 Outdoor kitchens for cooking pros 

Rodolfo Dordoni’s ‘Norma’ outdoor kitchen for Roda, developed in collaboration with Italian appliance manufacturer Ilve is a modular system, comprising two freestanding modules – one with an extendable table – with tops made from sintered Lapitec stone. It’s so elegant we might get one for indoors, too. 

Key Features: The freestanding island in features an AISI 304 stainless steel sink unit while the space below can be equipped with a fridge. The outdoor kitchen can be adapted to include a five-burner gas hob (with a central double-crown burner and advanced Dual technology, complemented by two compact burners at the front and two medium-sized burners at the back), a barbecue module with three grills. The kitchen can have either fixed feet or castors for extra flexibility, with extra storage options under the island’s work area.

rodaonline.com

The Helios outdoor kitchen is part of Molteni & C’s debut into outdoor furniture, an expansive collection led by creative director Vincent Van Duysen and launched in spring 2023. 

Key Features: The Helios outdooir kitchen combines the company’s rigorous approach to design and its all-encompassing approach to the art of living, combining innovative technology with traditional Italian craftsmanship. The monolithic design is created to be a discreet presence in an outdoor space, and the kitchen’s wide selection of material and finishes makes it a perfect companion to Molteni & C’s outdoor furniture offering.

molteni.it

Outdoor furniture company OiSide presents OiCook, a modular collection of outdoor kitchens inspired by traditional indoor models, featuring an aluminium structure and a selection of four porcelain worktops. 

Key Features: The collection comprises integrated fridge, stove and sink, and its four different models can be combined in a myriad of compositions, both wall-hung and island with a bar-style cantilevered worktop. 

oiside.com

Best outdoor kitchens for grilling and barbecuing 

Italian kitchen and living specialist Modulnova is taking its expertise outside the home with their outdoor kitchen. Designed by Andrea Bassanello, the new piece follows Modulnova’s modus operandi: rigorous lines, a rational composition and a design that enriches the outdoor space. 

Key Features: The kitchen’s materials, from steel to stone, have been specially selected and treated to withstand the elements and convey the stark aesthetic the brand is known for. Functionality and performance are at the core of the design, which features a classic BBQ, a wood-fired oven, a fryer, a teppanyaki grill and an induction grill. Further spaces have been created for watching and cooling, including an ice machine. 

modulnova.com

Outdoor furniture specialist Kettal has branched out into different areas of design, including modular office structures and hydroponics indoor gardens. Among its all-encompassing offering is an outdoor kitchen that comprises a grill and barbecue option and is equipped with a sink, storage and a preparation area.

Key Features: The kitchen features an aluminium frame that can be customised with a series of colours that range from neutrals to bold (think lilac, terracotta, jade and cobalt among many others), a stone worktop in ceppo di gre and the option to swap the aluminium for teak on the doors.

kettal.com

Stainless steel outdoor living specialists Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens have collaborated with designer Luca Nichetto on Cube, a new modular kitchen concept available in late 2024, bringing architecturally-inspired design and colour to the brand's offering. 

Key Features: The kitchen modules feature sharply drawn outlines and a distinctive range of bold hues. Contrasting colours, including on surfaces resembling wood slats, create a modern juxtaposition in the individual pieces. Each kitchen can be equipped with the Brown Jordan's range of cooking appliances, from stovetops to grills and barbecues.  

brownjordanoutdoorkitchens.com

In partnership with House of Rohl

Cleansing, renewing and restoring, combining both the liquid delight of warm, falling water with the calming immovability of stone, ceramic and brass, contemporary kitchens and bathrooms offer a gamut of luxurious sensations: tactility and substance, alchemy and materiality. Such qualities are at the heart of House of Rohl and its collection of brands.

Victoria + Albert Volcanic Limestone baths and sinks

Volcanic Limestone is at the core of House of Rohl bathroom materiality. The white rock is formed when immense heat and pressure from liquid magma transforms surrounding limestone. The result is a world-class stone of unrivalled strength and beauty, perfect for creating Victoria + Albert bathtubs. 

Versatility, optimised insulation, liquid and heat retention are all vital considerations for bathroom materials.  With each Victoria + Albert bathtub, cast from one single, hand-finished, stone-rich piece, a thinner wall construction and exceptional strength-to-weight ratio is guaranteed, the material offering superior strength and resistance to chips and cracks. No creaking or flexing of the bath ensures a quiet, unspoiled soak.    

Colour is pure, consistent and naturally white. Exterior surfaces of each Victoria + Albert bathtub can be painted and personalised in a gloss or matte finish, and in a broad spectrum of colours to match or complement surrounding décor. 

Shaws fireclay sinks 

In a quiet, distinctly non-volcanic corner of north-west England the craftspeople at Shaws have been making sinks the same way, by hand, for over 100 years. Employing an age-old process passed down through generations, each Shaws sink is a work of art and the epitome of understated luxury. 

Materiality is key to a Shaws sink’s construction, the clean lines and natural shapes of its designs formed using the time-honoured ‘slip casting’ method and locally sourced fireclay. The preferred process is manual and highly skilled; liquid clay is poured into porous moulds, glazed twice and fired for two days in specially designed kilns. 

When the newly minted sinks are sufficiently dry, expert hand-finishing begins, through an artisanal procedure of sponging and ‘fettling’ to create a smooth surface. Only once a sink has been left to slowly dry out for a period of over 40 hours, is it deemed ready for a first coat of glaze. A second glaze is added to improve the feel and durability of the product.  Each sink is then carefully fired in specially designed kilns at temperatures of over 1,200 degrees Celsius to complete the manufacture. 

Perrin & Rowe brass taps and fixtures

To best convey water, efficiently and beautifully, from exterior source to expertly formed ceramic vessel, brass – cool and smooth to the touch – is the ideal material. At the Perrin & Rowe factory in the English Midlands, workshops are bound by a passion for traditional manufacturing craft that defines the brand. 

Every product must be treated individually to ensure quality. Mass production has no business amongst its craftspeople who hand-forge brassware taps and sanitaryware from the highest quality brass. Perrin & Rowe’s manufacturing processes marry the latest technologies with hand-moulding and hand-polishing while surfaces are plated to a thickness that exceeds industry standards, ensuring a deep, protective coating that is resistant to wear and pleasing to the eye.

‘Brassware is also assembled by hand and each piece is individually water-tested,’ say the company founders.  ‘Our casting plant in Wolverhampton is one of the last of its kind, carrying on a tradition that’s over a hundred years old. But what distinguishes us most is our high standard for performance and beauty. Because precision isn’t our method. It’s our mission.’ 

House of Rohl

Across its portfolio of brands, House of Rohl is unstinting in its pursuit of the best materials and outstanding artisanship and engineering. It sees the potential in stone and clay, brass and steel, poured and casted, glazed and fired, and transformed into the finest of products, bringing brilliance and beauty to kitchens and bathrooms. 

INFORMATION

houseofrohl.com

Kitchens become versatile in the hands of Possi, a new start-up that this week launches its kitchen gallery in Copenhagen’s meatpacking district. The brand is rethinking the traditionally static kitchen design and its limitations with a range of flexible, modular kitchen furniture that can fit any space or requirements, making for an innovative kitchen design idea.

Possi modular kitchen designs

For her customer-friendly creations, designer and founder Tanita Klein was inspired by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, the first female architect to design a kitchen. The Austrian architect’s Frankfurt Kitchen, created for a large social housing project in the mid-1920s, came into being after she studied the movements of modern housewives, resulting in a kitchen design that put the user at the centre, reflecting the changing nature of women’s roles and consequently the developing nature of the kitchen itself. Her design served as the model for the built-in kitchen as we know it today.

A simple premise ensures the longevity of Klein’s units, with cleanly designed solid joints allowing the kitchen to easily transform over time. The simplicity of the core framework means the kitchen can be taken apart, moved or extended in an effortless and fuss-free process. This durable nature is key for Klein: ‘I want you to see the Possi kitchen as a tool for care – for yourself as well as for the planet. I want you to hold on to it forever,’ she says.

Klein works with manufacturers and suppliers from Denmark, Germany and Austria on the materials and design, with a sustainability-minded approach. Standard production methods and materials negate the need for specialists and ensure kitchens can be repaired locally as needed. Klein is keen to discourage waste with the kitchen design, which lets the individual decide on the configurations, stripping back the unnecessary. Space, too, isn’t an issue – the multi-sided nature of the kitchen means it doesn’t require walls, and can take centre stage in the middle of a space.

‘As a designer, I approach material culture as something highly influential on human behaviour and wellbeing,’ says Klein. ‘I approach design as a tool for improvement. My tools are radical but realistic – democratic luxuries. My argument is filed under sustainability as well as wellbeing. Possi is like a kid’s bean bag. Malleable, made to fit your curves and your needs. Please play.’

INFORMATION

possi.kitchen

ADDRESS

Flæsketorvet 38
1711 Copenhagen

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Ghetto Gastro are more than just chefs. The Bronx-based culinary collective operates at the intersection of food, art, culture, experimentation and community to spark conversations about race, class, diversity and inclusion, and the team have worked with the likes of Marvel Studios, Michele Lamy, Cartier, and Apple. So when groundbreaking New York kitchenware brand Crux, which also likes to work at the intersection of culture and innovation, approached them about a collaboration, it felt like a perfect match. The first CruxGG kitchenware collection, which launched in 2020 in sleek matte black, proved an instant hit, with the double-rotating waffle maker selling out in just 48 hours. 

Kitchenware by Ghetto Gastro for Crux

This month sees the launch of Crux’s updated and expanded CruxGG kitchen collection, which showcases eight products in two new colourways, Smoke (matte grey) and Snow (matte white), each with signature red accents. 

The updated countertop collection includes two air fryers (air fryers were the most requested products from consumers after CruxGG’s debut launch last year), a smokeless grill, a digital toaster oven, a single-rotating waffle maker and a programmable 14-cup coffee maker. 

‘Kitchens are the heart of the home, and are increasingly becoming an extension of an individual’s personal style,’ says Crux founder and CEO Shae Hong. ‘Our design studio worked closely with Ghetto Gastro to create products that are design-driven and function-focused, while serving a purpose beyond the kitchen.’ 

Crux shares a vision with Ghetto Gastro to inspire the future generation of cooking enthusiasts and to empower communities and advance social justice through food. To this end, five per cent of proceeds go directly to a collective of non-profit organisations, including Sky High Farm, Project Eats, Summaeverythang, Culture Aid NOLA ,and Isuroon, that are working to end food insecurity in underserved communities. 

Says Ghetto Gastro co-founder Jon Gray: ‘From the moment we linked up with Shae, the vibe was there and we quickly realised that we shared similar philosophies on culture and communities, as well as our continued drive to create what we want – which, ultimately, is what the game is missing.’

INFORMATION

The Crux x Ghetto Gastro kitchen appliances collection is available exclusively through Target

ghettogastro.com
target.com

The history of kitchen tools is explored in a new book, Tools for Food: The stories behind objects that influence how and what we eat, from Nashville-born, east London-based writer, curator and producer Corinne Mynatt.

A global history of food utensils

The book explores the history of 250 food tools, ranging from the familiar to the obscure, the useful to the useless. Mynatt takes a closer look at items as diverse as a 4th century Korean fermenting crock and a chic 20th-century Italian lemon juicer, exploring the habits and customs of the societies that used them.

Intertwining history with anecdotes, Mynatt darts back and forth between interesting tidbits and fascinating facts as she addresses each kitchen tool. On graters, she begins with Asia’s intricate bamboo pieces, and explores graters made of tin in 18th-century France – the metal was used as it was tough enough to get through old cheese, thus preventing food waste.

In America, she looks at chemist Earl Tupper’s airtight seal system in the 1940s, which set the scene for today’s Tupperware; and examines Irwin Gershen’s shrimp cleaner, created in 1954 and now part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.

The clean graphic design of the book – by A Practice for Everyday Life, which has worked on projects for clients including the Barbican, Design Museum and Gagosian – makes it a desirable object in its own right. The tome featured in London’s recent Design Festival in collaboration with functional design store Labour and Wait, where it is now available to buy.

‘We have always been fascinated by the panoply of implements involved in the preparation of food, from the everyday to the highly specific, and this is evident in the tools we stock at Labour and Wait,’ says director Simon Watkins. ‘This book sheds light on the history and evolution of myriad wonderful tools from around the world.’

INFORMATION

Tools for Food: The stories behind objects that influence how and what we eat, by Corinne Mynatt, £20

labourandwait.co.uk

Copenhagen-based brand Reform has collaborated with Paris-based architect Jean Nouvel on a light-filled new kitchen design. The new Reform kitchen weaves minimalist Danish design references with Nouvel’s characteristically bold design ticks for a bright and welcoming space, adding an art deco-inspired edge to Reform’s sleek and sculptural minimalism. Units crafted from steel – kitchen fronts are available in black or untreated metal – play on Nouvel’s ability to capture light, through a series of understated vertical ridges.

‘Jean Nouvel is known for his minimalistic, yet playful and artistic expression,’ says Jeppe Christensen, founder and CEO of Reform. ‘The form and materiality he creates play with light and create different colours and reflections – and I think his kitchen design encapsulates this in a sublime way.’ With the grooves in the gleaming metal brilliantly catching the light, the stainless steel and grey and black Fenix laminate countertops become elegant and illuminated expanses.

Reform kitchen: ‘minimalistic yet expressionistic’

The architectural sensibility Nouvel brings to the project is central to the design, which is minimalist and functional, while capturing the imagination. The space is brought to life by intricate details that were finalised in a lengthy creative process, hampered in part by the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘It was really difficult to travel to Paris and meet up in real life, which is something that is super important in the design phase and prototyping phase – you always need to work with the details together,’ says Christensen. ‘You need to see and discuss things in real life. Also, it’s quite a complex kitchen design to manufacture – there are a lot of small details that need to be perfect, so there were many fittings and adjustments to hit the right expression, and most importantly the high quality that we always strive for.’

The result translates a modern minimalism into a welcoming and workable space. ‘The kitchen is minimalistic, but yet super expressionistic – I think that’s what Jean Nouvel does so well,’ adds Christensen. ‘It inspires us to live a life of expression, without drowning out everything else – which I think is quite sympathetic and beautiful.’

INFORMATION

reformcph.com

Every year, Wallpaper* searches for the coolest kitchens design ideas from the world's best specialist manufacturers. Here, we select the best kitchen trends for 2022, from subtle pops of colour to the most sought-after materials for kitchen cabinets, and including the latest multifunctional technology to make your kitchen ultra-smart. 

Kitchen trends 2022: the Wallpaper* edit

Wooden kitchens

German specialist Eggersmann is known for its beautifully crafted, minimalist kitchen designs, now including the new ‘Lausanne’ kitchen. Featuring fronts with vertical wooden slats in silver oiled oak, they are individually adjusted – with millimetre precision – to fit perfectly around each built-in appliance. The striking design can be combined with solid wood countertops as well as gleaming stainless steel surfaces.

eggersmann.com

In contrast with the Danish company’s first foray into kitchen design, which was an all-steel affair, Vipp’s ‘V2’ model comes with a brand new material palette centred around dark oak cabinets and including Jura limestone counters and reeded glass doors. Also featured is the brand’s trademark extruded aluminium, which appears in rounded aluminium profiles with reeded details that serve as discreet, integrated drawer and cabinet grips.

vipp.com

An expressive use of wooden surfaces is one of the defining elements of Vincent Van Duysen's latest kitchen design for Dada. The ‘Intersection’ kitchen is a testament to the brand's excellence in crafting and combining materials, and the architecture-like design was inspired by the work of Piet Mondrian and Carlo Scarpa. ‘A project that plays with proportions, thicknesses and a mix of refined materials,’ says Van Duysen, who played with geometric compositions and materials, resulting in a design that is infinitely adaptable with options including linear, corner and island compositions. 

dada-kitchens.com

First launched 25 years ago, the British designer John Pawson’s kitchen for Obumex was a worldwide success thanks to its signature minimalist lines and freestanding elements. A milestone in kitchen design, Pawson’s model was created to be long-lasting – the Porsche 911 of the kitchen world – and so it has proved to be. But now, to celebrate Obumex’s 60th anniversary, the Belgian company has decided to reissue Pawson’s kitchen. Updating what was designed to last forever requires only a light touch, and the new edition features the same refined, pared-back architectural language as its predecessor – only the material combination has changed. For this special edition, Pawson has selected an island in solid American walnut, white lacquered fronts and a limestone backsplash. Simple, but as ever, effective.

obumex.be

Expressive stone for kitchen surfaces

Having presented its first model at New York’s MoMA in 1972, the Italian brand Rossana knows a thing or two about kitchen islands. Its latest cutting-edge design, the ‘Isøla’ kitchen by architect Carlo Colombo, is a sculptural creation available in a range of stones, including Melbourne and Aria marble, and Zebrato granite. The kitchen is divided by vertical steel profiles that cut through the stone fronts to create a bold, graphic surface.

rossana.com

Sleek and functional kitchen cabinets

Sometimes with kitchens, simple is better. Flexible and functional, Arclinea’s new ‘Thea‘ handle-free kitchen is designed to work as a double offering, with a wall of contrasting cabinets separating a black marble-clad island from an all-white, functional space. It’s a design trend popular in Southeast Asia, where many new homes comprise a ‘dry’ kitchen in the living space, designed for socialising and cocktail making, and a ‘wet’ kitchen hidden at the back, where the real cooking is done.

arclinea.com

A new take on the ‘Alea’ model, the newly launched ‘Alea Pro’ focuses on details, in particular the opening grooves, which are underlined by a profile to highlight the vertical and horizontal lines. Doors come with a chamfered upper edge, while spaced side panels give a lighter look to the base units. It is available in a wide range of materials, including Super White laminate fronts, Inalco counters and panels, and anodised champagne spacers.

poliform.it

Dark minimalism

Bringing together Modulnova’s ‘Twenty’ minimalist kitchen system and monolithic ‘Frame’ cabinets, this new model (aptly named ‘Twenty Frame’) is all about large proportions and linear design. The vast horizontal central island in dark limewash comes with elongated drawers and an eye-catching cantilevered kitchen table, while tall units in Milano walnut, inspired by 1950s cupboards, add warmth and ample storage to the space.

modulnova.it

Austrian designer Martin Steininger’s award-winning ‘Fold’ kitchen, an origami-inspired creation first launched in 2019 in a shimmering gold brass alloy, is now available in a new black steel edition. It’s the perfect material to highlight the sharp angles of the sculptural design, which is made-to-measure in Steininger’s workshops using a computer-based production technique, and then finished by hand. Such precision makes the monolithic design appear to float, allows for a custom sink to be perfectly integrated, and conceals plenty of clever storage in the slanted cabinets. The minimalist look is complemented by high-tech connectivity, with an M.Pod element providing both a work surface and a smart control panel, so shopping can be ordered and recipes summoned in an instant. 

steiningerdesigners.com

Embedded handle design

Among the most discreet but functional kitchen trends for 2022 is the use of concealed handles for a smooth, streamlined design. Piero Lissoni has updated his 2010 ‘Aprile’ design with the new recessed ‘Sloane’ door handle, a rectangular cut-out carved out of the cabinet doors by Boffi’s skilled craftspeople in Brianza, northern Italy. It is available in a series of different finishes, including gunmetal or natural-stained wood, that can be designed to either complement or contrast with the fronts, and match the edges or worktop to create pleasingly subtle details.

boffi.com

Colourful kitchens

Colour returns to the kitchen for 2022 with a subtle palette of pastels and sober shades that well complement the materials of contemporary kitchen design. German manufacturer SieMatic is known for its ultra-efficient, perfectly engineered luxury kitchens, usually presented in a choice of stark whites, black and greys. But now the Löhne-based company is splashing out with a kaleidoscopic array of new colourways. Its Individual ColorSystem features 1,950 colours, from pastels such as sage green and powder pinks, to metallic hues including gold bronze and nickel, and subtles tones such as pebble grey and plum velvet. Available in both matt and glossy finishes, the dizzying choice of colours allows customers to completely customise their SieMatic kitchens to create unique designs. The company’s show kitchens still follow the monochrome look, with whole kitchens decked out in one single, sophisticated shade, but nothing’s stopping you to go for a rainbow look, if you dare.

siematic.com

Danish kitchen specialist Reform has collaborated with Aspekt Office on ‘Unit’, a new kitchen imagined as the centre a multifunctional space that can double as an office. The kitchen's dark oak fronts are contrasted with colourful cabinets available in a wide contrasting palette that includes anthracite, sand-gray, white, green, and yellow.

reformcph.com

Modernist modularity

Smallbone is known for its high-quality bespoke kitchens and cabinetry work, and it’s fair to say its ‘Iconic’ hand-painted kitchen, a bestseller since its launch 30 years ago, truly deserves its name. But now the Devizes-based brand is branching out from the heritage look with a new ‘Modernist’ line, defined by clean lines and refined materials. A modular concept inspired by the famous ‘form follows function’ dictum, it features oak veneers, Belgian stone counters and a mellow grey finish, as well as tinted glass panels and shelves in custom metal frames. We’re particularly fond of the undercut top edges which replace traditional handles and create a series of shadow lines across the cabinet fronts. If the exterior is a departure from Smallbone’s earlier offering, the interior is still fitted with the company’s infinitely customisable signature walnut drawer boxes.

smallbone.co.uk

Contemporary kitchen tools: smart extractors

One of the most technological kitchen trends for 2022, extractors have become smart. Take Gaggenau’s new ‘Vario’ unobtrusive downdraft ventilator. Installed flush between your induction and gas hobs, it draws steam, odour and vapour down directly at the source, before they’ve even had time to escape into the kitchen. Known for its professional-grade home appliances, Gaggenau is a pioneer of downdraft ventilation: the German manufacturer’s first model dates from 1976, so it has had ample time to perfect its offering. Hidden away in the counter and allowing for uninterrupted sightlines, the ‘Vario’ is ideally suited to kitchen islands, and is particularly useful when installed next to a gas wok or teppanyaki grill. It also comes with reassuringly traditional control knobs, so there’s no chance you will switch it off by mistake while trying to put the music on.

gaggenau.com

Italian company Elica has specialised in the fabrication of high-tech extractor hoods for over 50 years, and its newest model is the latest in a long series of cutting-edge creations. The ultra-thin ‘Super Plat’ is a modern, flush design that can be installed either between kitchen cabinets or as a standalone unit. It comes in two versions, either black or grey glass, both enriched with die-cast aluminium front grilles and a cast iron finish. Operating silently even at the highest speeds, the extractor hood allows you to talk and cook at the same time (if your culinary skills allow it of course). It also features Elica’s Multi-d Capture technology, which means cooking smells are removed in a jiffy, and comes with the obligatory matching app and even voice control – handy if you have tomato sauce all over your hands and the chopped garlic is burning. 

elica.com

Next generation taps

Kohler's ‘Sensate’ faucet is equipped with Kohler Konnect, resulting in a smart, voice- and app-controlled kitchen assistant. Via simple voice commands, users can turn the water on and off and dispense measured amounts of water, while the Konnect app monitors water usage and sends an alert if unusual usage is detected. Cutting-edge sensor technology allows for touchless on/off commands, and the two-function pull-down sprayhead with touch-control allows you to smoothly switch from stream to spray for superior surface cleaning. The tap can connect to any voice-controlled device, and switches off automatically after four mintues, to ensure the faucet doesn't run continuously.

Vipp unveils the V2 kitchen. The Danish company’s second kitchen design is defined by a modular composition and organic materials, including Jura marble from Bavaria for the top and dark oak sourced from European forests for the cabinets.

‘While our first kitchen made in steel presented a raw and refined industrial design, the V2 kitchen’s material symphony is a carefully composed interplay in wood, stone, glass and metal, adding a new organic tactility and materiality to kitchen architecture,’ says Vipp chief designer Morten Bo Jensen.

The V2: a new Vipp Kitchen with an updated material palette

The newest Vipp Kitchen bears the distinctive characteristics of the Danish brands’ design philosophy: Scandinavian minimalism, timeless design and built to last. What started with a now iconic pedal bin in 1939 (designed by company founder Holger Nielsen) has now developed into a full suite of home accessories and furniture by Vipp, including office chairs, lighting designs, sofas and dining tables defined by the same minimalist design.

The Vipp V2 Kitchen features a strong Scandinavian identity infused with a Japanese aesthetic, and follows the same modular, building-block approach of its predecessor, where kitchen units were used as tall, wall or island modules. The fossil-rich stone of the tops adds a visual richness to the minimal kitchen. The kitchen island is finished with extruded aluminium profiles, with reeded details used to punctuate the discreet, integrated drawer and cabinet grips. Vipp’s functional approach can be found inside the drawers, accessorized with practical moulded silicone cutlery dividers, and on the effortless push-click opening mechanisms on the cabinet doors.

Kasper Egelund, CEO of Vipp concludes: ‘as the second kitchen design by Vipp, the V2 kitchen offers Vipp’s modular kitchen system and appliances known from V1 but in a brand new material palette.’

INFORMATION

vipp.com

Samsung’s global home appliance arm spent the best of last year trying to gauge how lockdown living has changed our relationship with our homes. A well-established supplier of high-end appliances, the Korean multinational has launched a bid to become the go-to brand for those looking for a more personal approach. Samsung has a long history of pushing products like the humble refridgerator into new directions, instigating the concept of a smart fridge, for example. The new range is focused on aesthetics, rather than electronics. It’s a straightforward approach, doing away with the concept of ‘white goods’ in favour of a modular design system that allows owners to change colour to match their interior.

We spoke to Harry Choi – Samsung’s senior vice president of design – to find out more.

Wallpaper*: We seem to be entering an era when ‘white goods’ is a bit of an oxymoron. When did Samsung first become aware of the desire for more customisation from consumers?

Harry Choi: We’ve seen custom designs throughout history, but often only among the privileged classes as tailored products that match individual tastes have been expensive. In addition, customers usually find it more challenging to remove built-in appliances and take to a new home, so for people living in certain regions such as Korea where moving home is a common occurrence, people are often reluctant to buy appliances they think will be difficult to take with them. To meet the demand for customisable, easy-to-move appliances that are accessible to everyone Samsung developed Bespoke. It combines the practicality of freestanding designs with being easy to alter and expand to suit users’ tastes and needs like built-in designs.

W*: Does customisation simply mean more choice, or can it go further?

HC: Customisation is as much about personalisation as it is about having more choice. People don’t simply want a wide selection—they want options that are meaningful and add value to them and their lives. That’s why Bespoke allows customers to pick product types, colours and materials that match their unique tastes and needs. This heightened interest in personalisation — especially in design — is a trend that really took off as a result of the pandemic and our Bespoke line caters to this trend with changeable panels and flexible, modular configurations that blend seamlessly into any kitchen.  The days of a one-size-fits-all mentality for kitchen appliances are gone. Consumers, especially Millennials, want to personalise their kitchens to reflect their personal aesthetics. In the future we expect consumers to consider home appliances the way they do stylish sofas or refined coffee tables.

W*: Would Samsung ever consider working with designers, architects or even kitchen specialists like Bulthaup, for example, to coordinate with interior schemes, etc?

HC: With Bespoke we want to create a platform that gives consumers the freedom to create the kitchen of their dreams, providing products and designs that best-reflect our customers’ lifestyles. At Samsung we keep at the cutting edge – this includes exploring possible collaborations with other innovative brands. The opportunity to work with independent designers, architects and kitchen specialists is exciting to consider as they would bring new perspectives and creative approaches. We look forward to developing the Bespoke ecosystem in the future.

W*: Can Bespoke be used to emphasise or even enhance important design considerations like efficiency and environmental performance?

HC: We’ve developed Bespoke to deliver on design and performance while always reflecting our commitment to offering highly efficient, eco-friendly appliances that support a circular economy. It’s a modular design that empowers users to separate and combine products and replace door panels, effectively extending the lifecycle of the appliance. Multiple Bespoke fridges can also be “stacked” together, meaning users can add a new Bespoke module rather than replace the one they already own as their family grows, or if they decide to remodel their kitchens.

W*: Will there be material choices as well as colour choices?

HC: When we’re designing products, we’re constantly study the composition and style of living spaces along with deep analysis of the latest design trends. With that in mind, at CES this year we unveiled a new Bespoke 4-Door Flex where each door panel can be swapped to a different colour and material. Customers can mix and match panels such as White, Grey, Rose Pink, Sky Blue or Navy Glass, and Champagne, Navy, or Matte Black Steel to create the look of their choice. Colours and modules may vary by region, but we will make more options available as tastes continue to evolve.

W*: How does Samsung see home goods evolving? Are size, efficiency, form factor, etc., all due for a reassessment in everything from fridges to TVs?

HC: Across the world as people are spending an increasing amount of time at home, they’re becoming more attuned to how objects look and fit into their homes. For many, this has created a desire to redesign their living spaces with an eye towards how their appliances complement their furniture and living spaces. If we look back 100 years ago, the first commercially available refrigerators were designed like furniture, like closets. Now, Bespoke is the first to take home appliances back to this starting point, transforming them into aesthetic objects like furniture again. Bespoke’s success to date demonstrates the appetite and opportunity for more customisation in home goods. That’s why we’re working to expand the Bespoke line up to bring the unique design and leading innovation to more appliances around the home.

samsung.com

WINNER

Carácter antibacterial tiles, by Marazzi

A particularly timely product, Marazzi’s new Puro antibacterial technology for ceramic surfaces eliminates up to 99.9 per cent of bacteria and other harmful microorganisms. ‘Carácter’ is the first of three collections by the Italian tile manufacturer created using the innovative technology, a permanent treatment that provides continuous antibacterial protection throughout the life of the product surface, without the need for external activation agents such as UV radiation. Ideal for use in residential as well as commercial and public spaces, the stone-effect ‘Carácter’ tiles are suitable for indoor and outdoor floors and walls. In appealing natural tones, with a minimal or more pebbled appearance, the tiles are made from 40 per cent recycled materials, and come in a range of sizes. They also feature anti-slip technology called StepWise. Sophisticated design meets truly useful innovation in a product that will enhance any home.

marazzitile.co.uk; @marazziceramiche

SHORTLIST

As we are spending more time than ever at home, we seek comfort in the shape of pure sound (that also looks good to the eye), technological innovation to keep us safe and a bit of beauty to accompany our everyday habits – be them hand-washing or pouring the perfect cocktail

Beogram 4000c turntable, by Bang & Olufsen

Pioneering Danish electronics brand Bang & Olufsen has revived its iconic 1970s Beogram 4000c turntable. The first of a new initiative to reimagine classic products, the turntable is a testament to Bang & Olufsen’s capabilities in sound, design and craftsmanship as well as its commitment to product longevity. Having sourced 95 original turntables, the Bang & Olufsen engineers worked their magic in the same facility where the models were first created nearly five decades ago. They disassembled and cleaned the vintage designs, then upgraded some of the components, adding a touch-sensitive control panel and RIAA phono pre-amplifiers so that the turntables could be connected to modern speakers. The appearance too has been refreshed while maintaining the essence of the original model: the aluminium element has been polished in a warmer champagne tone, and the turntable now sports a hand-crafted wooden frame and a new cover.

bang-olufsen.com; @bangolufsen

JS50 and JS30 speakers, by Georg Jensen and Philips

For their second creative collaboration, classic Danish brand Georg Jensen and Dutch electronics powerhouse Philips have released a new collection of beautifully crafted audio products. The range includes a pair of pebble-shaped portable Bluetooth speakers, featuring Georg Jensen’s signature highly polished ‘slate blue’ steel and a luxurious, acoustically transparent blue-grey Kvadrat fabric, as well as wireless Bluetooth headphones and a wireless power bank in dark leather. ‘Collaborating with Philips on this new collection has been an exciting challenge for us - it has guided us to design for technology in new ways, but it also has taught us how many of our iconic expressions can rise to the occasion of new frontiers,’ says Georg Jensen chief creative officer Nicholas Manville. 

georgjensen.com; @georgjensen

‘Midnight' cocktail cabinet, by Armani/Dada 

Produced in collaboration by fashion supremo Giorgio Armani and leading Italian furniture brand Molteni&C, the ‘Midnight’ cocktail cabinet goes well beyond the simple drinks trolley: the good-sized bar comes with a sink, practical sliding trays and plenty of storage – including space for an integrated wine cellar. The perfectly functional offering is partially hidden behind a pair of fully retractable Japanese-inspired gilded doors, with vertical walnut rod inserts and champagne satin aluminium details. The unit also features a Rosa Portogallo marble countertop that includes accessories for cocktail making, such as ice-holder and cutting board. An optional LED lighting structure creates a frame for the marble back, which features a wooden shelf with built-in LED lights and golden metal wine glass holders.

armanidada.com

‘Aura’ and ‘Astro’ bathroom sinks, by Marco Piva, for Antonio Lupi 

Resembling slowly melting ice-cubes, Marco Piva’s free-standing bathroom sinks are made of a smooth eco-sustainable resin, Cristalmood, that is manually poured into moulds. Once the resin has solidified, they are sanded and polished to remove imperfections and add brightness. The Milanese designer has equipped both sinks with LED lighting, available in 13 Cristalmood colours, making them rich in light and reflections. The drain and siphon are hidden from view, giving the designs a sculptural presence. ‘Resistant like stone, transparent like crystal, this resin has allowed Antonio Lupi to develop shapes that would have been unthinkable with any other material,’ explains the company’s art director, Andrea Lupi.

antoniolupi.it; @antoniolupidesign

LARQ Pitcher

Purify your kitchen with LARQ’s Pitcher – bringing together proprietary technology into a first-of-its-kind, sleekly designed water jug. Using UV-C LED lighting and plant-based filter, the jug uses a two-stage filtration and purification process that removes 90% of chemicals from your water.

Vipp Electric Kettle

Family-owned Danish design company Vipp has perfected a kitchen essential – the kettle. With a simple yet refined design, the kettle uses latest technology such as a double surface to provide optimal insulation – making the kettle heat-proof to keep water hotter for longer. 

‘Forma’ Cheese Grater

A cheese grater turned sculptural centrepiece, Alessi pairs the humble utensil with a Zaha Hadid designed stand – who was inspired by the natural formation of pebbles eroded over time. The result is an ergonomic design that fits comfortably in the palm of the hand, ensuring a sturdy grip and full control.

Bodum’s Mocca Siphon 

Peter Bodum’s first ever product, introduced in 1956 was his iconic Mocca Siphon coffee maker – now it has returned. With a sleek new update and its very own gas burner, the Mocca Siphon can be taken on the go for all your coffee cravings.

Cutting Boards, Cold Tones

Led by a design infatuation with the feel and durability of polyethylene, Belgian design duo behind Muller Van Severen have created this set of overlaying geometric cutting boards. Comprising of four colourful pieces, the set design was born with sculpture in mind – with each board created to enhance the set’s impact when hung together.

‘Wrongwoods’ Tray

Make a statement with a Richard Wood designed tray. Renowned for his work with bold and repetitious motifs, Woods is often inspired by domestic pattern and a nostalgia for mid-century domestic interiors. The British artist teamed up with designer Sebastian Wrong to create this playful plywood tray – reminiscent of 1950s homeware.

INFORMATION

LARQ Pitcher: www.livelarq.com/larq-pitcher
Vipp Electric Kettle: vipp.com
’Forma’ Cheese Grater: store.wallpaper.com
Bodum’s Mocca Siphon: www.selfridges.com
Cutting Boards, Cold Tones: store.wallpaper.com
‘Wrongwoods’ Tray: store.wallpaper.com

A few years ago, British artist Ryan Gander was looking to install a new kitchen at his home in Suffolk when he realised how uninspiring the kitchen sinks on offer were. ‘Why doesn’t someone make one that’s really good?’ he wondered – and that’s exactly what he’s set to do now, with the help of creative director and former Wallpaper* editor-in-chief Tony Chambers.

The result is the OTOMOTO kitchen sink system, which embodies key principles that appeal to both collaborators: utility, luxury, ergonomics and sustainability. It’s a passion project for Gander, who has established an international reputation for his creative output, which includes sculpture, graphic design, performance and film-making.

Wallpaper* Handmade X

The design of the kitchen sink system is informed by ideas and philosophies Gander encountered during his regular visits to Japan, where he exhibits with Tokyo gallery Taro Nasu. The name OTOMOTO is derived from a Japanese word that roughly translates as ‘close at hand’, and its creators sought to develop a product that ‘moves around the chef rather than the chef needing to move around the kitchen’. As Chambers explains, ‘the current trend for kitchens that are the size of a ballroom is ridiculous. Cooking should be a pleasure, it should be very functional and ergonomic, and if things are close at hand, it becomes a much easier task.’

The OTOMOTO system condenses several functions into a single multipurpose unit. The full-length sink has an upper lip that holds up to six chopping boards, while a lower inset lip supports a series of modular Gastronorm containers, a staple of industrial kitchens. According to Gander, who uses an early stainless-steel prototype, it encourages the user to behave more efficiently. ‘The idea that the kitchen is the kitchen sink means that washing up just becomes part of the process of preparing food,’ he says. ‘You no longer notice you are doing it.’

The version shown here was developed in collaboration with London architecture office Matheson Whiteley, using Cosentino’s quartz-based Silestone. The sink’s dimensions are informed by the standardised Gastronorm containers, which are easy to purchase and replace. There are also plans to develop an even more premium version in collaboration with a renowned Danish cabinetmaker.

OTOMOTO’s founders are preparing for the system’s official launch next year. The date they have chosen, 02.02.2020, is the only day in the 21st century that will work as a palindrome in both English and American date formats. The brand’s name is also a palindrome, which appealed to Chambers’ aesthetic sensibilities as a graphic designer.

The system, which was several years in development, is the starting point for a larger project: there are plans for the OTOMOTO concept to include other objects, as well as events, books, films and anything else that follows ‘the same “close at hand” principles of utility, ergonomics, luxury, sustainability and making mundane tasks more pleasurable’, says Chambers. What started out as a simple quest to create a better kitchen looks set to evolve into a world of creative opportunity that Chambers and Gander already refer to as ‘everything and the kitchen sink’.

As originally featured in the August 2019 issue of Wallpaper* (W*245)

INFORMATION

otomoto-life.com; cosentino.com; mathesonwhiteley.com

We were greatly enamoured of Gitta Gschwendtner’s Animal Wall, a public art project in Cardiff Bay, where she placed 1,000 bird and bat boxes made out of wood crete and differing levels and projections at the top of a wall. The Animal Wall’s form playfully referenced Brutalism, but for birdies.

Gschwendtner was ideal to partner with design-led, family-run kitchen maker Schiffini to produce a concept kitchen/art piece for us. The finished design references the work of sculptor Donald Judd, in the use of ply and the way the drawers are placed at differing levels and depths.

INFORMATION

gittagschwendtner.com

A design heavyweight arrives on London’s Brompton Road in the form of Molteni&C | Dada’s latest flagship shop. Spanning five windows stretching over a prime corner spot across from the V&A, this latest locale offers up a refined backdrop to showcase the Italian brand’s sophisticated designs. Dreamed up by creative director Vincent Van Duysen, the new flagship pulls from Molteni&C | Dada’s long history as a stalwart of Milanese style. Following long-standing locations in Fitzrovia and Covent Garden, Brompton Road clocks in as their third destination in the city.

‘The Molteni&C | Dada stores have to follow the same principle as my architecture,’ explains Van Duysen of his process in arriving at the shop’s design, ‘pure, getting to the core, while achieving an authenticity. The store is in synergy with the architecture, the location surrounding it and the brand interacting with it.’

Made up of 700 sq m spread over two storeys, the shop’s upper level is articulated by a series of imposing arches left in situ from the original architecture, a typical Knightsbridge-area home. Van Duysen then washed the plaster walls with a sober palette of roughly stuccoed grey, diffusing the space with a staid Milanese elegance that brings to mind the city’s stone-lined streets. Laid out like a lush apartment covering kitchen, living room and bedroom concepts, projects including the ‘VDD’ kitchen, the ‘Gliss Master’ wardrobe system and collections by Jean Nouvel and Patricia Urquiola, all sit pride-of-place in the shop’s vast picture windows.

‘We use noble materials,’ explains Van Duysen of the sublime interiors, ‘[they] refer to the earth tones and colour palettes that are reflected in the frescoes of northern Italy.’ This reference carries seamlessly through from Molteni&C | Dada’s New York flagship, newly opened in May. Both locations speak largely with the same vocabulary, drawing on opulent materials like marble-travertine and richly hued walnut sourced from the brand’s northern Italian home base.

A grand walnut wood staircase leads to the shop’s lower floor, an intimate space that makes excellent use of a series of small, structural alcoves and striking spotlighting to create a series of mise-en-scènes showing off some of the brand’s most celebrated collections. Here, Gio Ponti’s covetable ‘D.156.3’ armchairs, part of Molteni&C | Dada’s heritage collection, sit alongside a ‘Turner’ sofa in grey and Foster + Partners sleek ‘AVA’ bookcase.

Adding an ounce of colour amongst all the tranquillity, Milanese art curator Caroline Corbetta devised a selection of contemporary paintings for the flagship, part of The Collector’s House project that launched last year at Salone del Mobile. Six budding painters from Rome’s Galleria Operativa were chosen to line the walls, lending an experimental flourish to the well-polished space.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Molteni&C Group website

ADDRESS

245-249 Brompton Road
London
SW3 2EP

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As they say in London, ‘What a carve up.’ Mayfair-based jewellery designer and creative director Stephen Webster has collaborated with a ‘loud and fiery’, South London blacksmith to forge a collection of fearsomely luxurious kitchen knives.

Inspired by a commission of a modern, gothic interpretation of the classic sgian-dubh dagger (traditionally worn in the sock) by a Scottish client, Webster’s Beasts knives are made from Damascus steel, a process that requires enormous skill, patience and searing temperatures. During the Damascus method, steel has to be heated, hammered, folded, then re-heated, re-hammered and re folded up to 50 times. The result of the process is an elegantly primitive, metallurgical marbling on the blade faces which makes each one unique. The finest Japanese sword makers employ the same long and laborious blacksmithing techniques.

To ensure bonafide kitchen credibility, Webster consulted his friend Mark Hix, a London chef and restaurateur. ‘I worked with Mark and several of his chefs in order to better understand the variety of blades a professional chef might use. Armed with Mark’s input, we made six blades for our five beasts – including a meat cleaver – and for the vegetarians a bronze, courgette-handled paring knife.’ Each knife in the block of six has a handle, sculpted in bronze depicting the beast it is intended to carve.

Unveiled at this year’s Design Miami, the knives can also be made to order with custom blades forged for sushi chefs or home butchers, and the beasts can be replicated in sterling silver instead of bronze. Webster, also the creative director and of London jeweller Garrard & Co, warrant holder to the Prince of Wales, calls the knives ‘tools for the home’ and regards the collection as a logical extension to his portfolio of rings and bracelets. ‘Jewellery houses like Cartier and Fabergé always did things for the table,‘ he says. ‘And these days, everybody is a chef, right?’

INFORMATION

For more information visit the Stephen Webster website

At Interieur Kortrijk, a trio hailing from the eastern Belgian province presented their very first collaboration: a kitchen that, despite the grandeur of its conceptual origins, is reassuringly utilitarian. Interior builder Koen Roux, designer Michaël Verheyden and architect Bart America looked to the highly functional yet rudimentary service kitchen of Neuschwanstein Castle in order to create a model that’s simply built to last – and function.

Neuschwanstein Castle, now a popular Bavarian tourist destination, was completed in the late 19th century. The brainchild of the extravagant recluse King Ludwig II, it’s Romanesque and ornate, but its kitchen, meant only for the use of his servants, was not designed to please aesthetically.

It was exactly this contrast in aesthetics which attracted the creators: Roux, Verheyden and America. ‘Most luxury kitchens are too sophisticated and sleek’, Verheyden explains. ‘We wanted to react against that.’

The trio’s kitchen is luxurious as well, though not in the sense to which we have become accustomed. ‘I realise that times have changed’, admits Verheyden, ‘and that a lot of people no longer cook at home all that much. But some people still enjoy it. Those are the people we created this robust kitchen for.’

Roux, a fourth-generation furniture-making company that Verheyden collaborates with frequently for his wooden furniture and stone objects, lent its craftsmanship and expertise to this unique project, without reverting to a design that’s overly romantic, traditional or old-fashioned. Just like the King Ludwig II’s service kitchen, the design is a poignant example of the ‘form follows function’ principle, where logic and convenience rule.

The kitchen’s materials were chosen based on functionality, and local availability – as was the case with the castle kitchens, which helps to retain a simplicity of manufacture. Elm wood cabinets are topped with hygienic stainless steel; gris des’Ardennes, a hard natural stone is used for the sink. The Neuschwanstein kitchen paved the way, says America. ‘Proven methods do not always need to be reinterpreted, and patina and quality can go hand in hand perfectly.’

INFORMATION

Biennale Interieur is open until 22 November. For more information, visit the Biennale Interieur website, the Roux website, Michaël Verheyden’s website and Bart America’s website

Fashion giant Fendi has made its first foray into kitchen design, joining forces with Italian specialist Scic to launch a new brand, Fendi Cucine. Its debut offering comprises two kitchen islands, intended for domestic or professional use. ‘Ginger’, combining marble and copper finishes, and ‘Kurkum’, a stainless steel monolith (pictured), are both designed by Italian architect Marco Costanzi, who also worked with Fendi on its new Milan offices and the renovation of its iconic HQ at Rome’s Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, and has created products for Fendi Casa. Hand-finishing is courtesy of Parma-based Scic’s artisans.

‘Kurkum’ is characterised by its specially treated stainless steel surfaces that combine the material’s signature resilience with a darker, more textured aesthetic. Countertops feature Peltrox, with a pewter-hued satin finish, while doors are made of durable Titaniox. Appliances are from Grand Cuisine, ensuring professional functionality.

The kitchen’s details nod to Fendi’s fashion calling, from ribbon-like handles and knobs to the house’s signature ‘Pequin’ stripes, the only expressive marks on an otherwise essential, minimalist design.

As originally featured in the July 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*232)

INFORMATION

‘Kurkum’ kitchen island, price on request, by Marco Constazi, for Fendi Cucine in collaboration with Scic. For more information, visit the Fendi website 

The renaissance of California’s Heath Ceramics has become the model reboot of a faltering craft-based design brand. Founded in 1948 by self-taught ceramicist Edith Heath and her husband Brian, the company went into decline when the founders stepped back in 1993. In 2003, designers Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic chanced upon its dilapidated but still-functioning factory in Sausalito.

The couple bought the company and began its revival. From streamlining its offering and creating new products that built on the Heath design legacy, to opening new showrooms, a new tile factory and keeping production in California, Bailey and Petravic have worked steadily to bring Heath’s founding values and craftsmanship back into the spotlight.

Just in time for its 70th anniversary this year, Heath Ceramics has unveiled its first flatware collection, made together with samples from the production process at the Sherrill factory in New York show the evolution of a spoon; in the first stages of the process, rolled sheet metal blanks are carefully measured to ensure the perfect thickness along each section of flatware; shelves of master tooling for different flatware handles Sherrill Manufacturing, the last remaining flatware maker in the United States and a company with a similar trajectory. Based in Sherrill, New York, the brand was established in 2005 by Gregory Owens and Matthew Roberts, who bought the factory from their former employer, Oneida Limited, after it shuttered following over a century in business.

‘Creating our own cutlery has probably been on our wish list for 12 years,’ laughs Petravic. ‘We’ve always been interested in expanding around the dinner plate. We’ve looked for products that express the same ethos of the craftsman-manufacturer-designer and have kept our eyes open for an American manufacturer that we can work with. They are surprisingly hard to find.’

When Petravic and Bailey came across Sherrill and heard its backstory, they saw an obvious fit. In 2014, Heath started to carry a simple cutlery range made by Sherrill in its showrooms. That has now developed into a collection proper, called Muir. ‘We knew they were good people to collaborate with because they were excited to work with us; their other partners weren’t as design driven,’ says Bailey. ‘We wanted the feel of the new flatware to go with our dinnerware, and be both classic and original. They appreciated and respected what we were bringing to the table.’

Designed to complement Edith Heath’s 1948 Coupe ceramics, the Muir cutlery range is an elegant, everyday design that echoes the minimalism of the midcentury and the familiarity of plastic cutlery. It is also the first new flatware collection designed and made in America in almost a decade. With a robust weight to mirror the feel of Heath’s dinnerware, the five pieces – a dinner knife, dinner fork, soup spoon, teaspoon and salad fork – have been individually made from American stainless steel.

‘The Muir profile looks a little top-heavy, there is a child-like playfulness to the proportion,’ explains Tung Chiang, Heath Ceramics’ creative lead and studio director. ‘I was actually inspired by a plastic ice cream spoon. Heath is about designing something that can be used every day. I wanted it to feel casual. There is a slow, gradual transition towards the utensil’s flat handle, which creates an arc so that you can easily grab it. There is also a kick at the back of the handle so that the pieces lift off the table.’

Despite producing quality pieces in big volumes, Sherrill still uses methods dating back to the 1950s. Instead of digital files and three-dimensional CAD drawings, the company works with hand-drawn sketches. Similarly, there are no automated, computer-controlled machines; instead, tooling is worked by hand. It often takes around 15 to 20 different processes of moulding, stamping and die-cutting to create each utensil. From rolling each spoon out to ensure a perfect balance between bowl and handle, to refining the spacing between the forks’ tines and forging each knife out of a rod of steel, producing each utensil required a continual dialogue between designer and manufacturer.

‘Current technology allows us designers to entertain the notion that our vision will be executed in a certain way,’ explains Chiang. ‘To trust a manufacturer like Sherrill, learn from them and respect their past was really exciting. You feel like you are preserving their history and an old technology that still works.’

The collection’s final flourishes come in the form of a handwritten logo carved onto the back of each piece, and packaging designed by House Industries. With two more collections to come (riffs on the traditional Colonial and Teardrop flatware patterns), Heath Ceramics continues to celebrate hard-earned utilitarian minimalism. ‘We want to create objects that just disappear around you and become part of your life and environment,’ Chiang insists.§

As originally featured in the July 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*232)

INFORMATION

Muir range, $72 for set of five, available from 17 July, by Heath Ceramics. For more information, visit the Heath Ceramics website

Kitchen design always begins with putting people’s domestic habits under the microscope. What, when, how and where are we eating? How and where do we socialise? Where do we read, watch, work in the home? What rubbish do we jettison, and where? The evolution has been gradual, but today’s kitchen bears little resemblance to the room in the 1950s that was used to knock up quick family dinners.

The desire to live healthily and our growing knowledge of how daily habits affect wellbeing are perhaps the biggest influences on kitchen design today. It’s a direction that is being reinforced year by year, so much so that last year’s Global Wellness Summit identified the evolution of the ‘wellness kitchen’.

It is an evolutionary leap jumpstarted by the move towards farm-to-table eating and the desire for local, seasonal, fresh, organic produce, which changes storage needs, increases preparation area requirements and has encouraged the indoor kitchen garden. Changing attitudes towards waste also need to be accommodated. There’s interest in air quality and the reduction of visual and audio noise as a means to soothe busy minds. Meanwhile, the evident wellbeing benefits of a social space in which to cook and eat have led to the kitchen being increasingly integrated within the home.

‘There has never been so little kitchen – or as much: the entire floor plan is being rethought,’ proposes German manufacturer Leicht. ‘There is an evolution going on: from the open-plan kitchen to a complete integration of the kitchen into the living area.’ This year, Leicht’s answer is an in-room concept where the working parts of the kitchen are concealed, and the social bits are merged structurally and material-wise into the home. As other examples explored below show, the kitchen is becoming a holistic hub, a place to nourish both mind and body. 

The Social Kitchen, by Cesar

Kitchen modules
‘Williamsburg’, ‘The 50s’ and ‘Intarsio’

The big idea
Designed by Garcia Cumini, this kitchen’s features answer the call for social cooking and eating. The ‘Williamsburg’ island is a solid station for prepping and cooking but also serves as a table to sit around and participate, to eat and make merry. Bridge-building mechanics keep the underside clear for leg space, while the two end pieces bear the load. ‘The 50s’ shelving system can house ovens, glass storage and bottle racks, and can extend from the kitchen into living areas, with desk and bookshelf options. And the ‘Intarsio’ cabinetry features a trompe l’oeil play with woodgrain that further pushes the kitchen into the heart of the home.

The Fresh-Food Solution, by Gaggenau

Modular refrigerator
'Vario Cooling 400 Series'

The big idea
The methods of food storage that many of us employ were established post-Second World War, when women increasingly left the kitchen for the workplace and processed foods and microwave meals became the answer to reduced preparation time. With fresh produce (and a desire to reduce packaging) now top of the agenda, appliances such as Gaggenau’s new ‘Vario Cooling 400 Series’ offer variable temperature and humidity to preserve produce at its prime for the longest time. Thanks to its partly transparent doors, the system also helps with another health issue: obesity. If you can see fresh produce, you are more likely to eat it.

The Garden Kitchen, by Giorgetti

Kitchen
‘GK03’

The big idea
They felt like something of a gimmick at first, but indoor vegetable and herb gardens aren’t going away. They are the ultimate expression of farm-to-table eating, where the time, packaging and mileage is reduced between food source and plate, and the nutritional punch is maximised. Kitchen design now often facilitates a bit of home horticulture, as seen here in Giorgetti’s new ‘GK03’ kitchen, which is designed like fine furniture to blend seamlessly into the home. It features shelving with an integrated system for hydroponic cultivation. The electricity is supplied without cables, so shelving can be moved around easily.

The Sanctuary, by Poliform

Kitchen
‘Phoenix’

The big idea
Paring back is not just a matter of aesthetics. There is a health benefit to clearing up clutter in the kitchen. It not only helps integrate the space into the home, but is key to the peace of overworked minds. A need to clear out unnecessary gadgetry has been identified too. At the very least, put everything behind cupboard doors. Poliform’s latest edition of the ‘Phoenix’ kitchen does it with finesse. Its tall units with doors in black elm and vertical spacers in embossed lacquered carbon allow counter clutter to be minimised, while the concealed shelving keeps everything blissfully organised. §

As originally featured in the July 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*232)

Ovie – a Chicago-based tech start-up – has come up with a hassle-free and innovative solution to the pressing environmental issues surrounding food waste, with its new product range of tech-savvy Smarterware. Launching on Kickstarter, the smart kitchen system consists of connected tags that clip onto your ingredients, alongside smart containers, that tell you when your produce is at its freshest.

The Smaterware Smart Tags are a tech toy that kitchen gadget fans will eat up. The micro-devices have a slick light ring, making it easy for anyone to understand the freshness of their food better. When it shines green, you know that your produce is fresh; yellow means that it should be eaten soon, and red indicates that it should probably be thrown out. The simple and recognisable categorisation helps the consumer decide what to eat and when to eat it.

The idea is that the new food storage system will help to keep domestic waste under control while saving you money on groceries, and encouraging you to eat more freshly cooked food – smarter consumption means smarter conservation.

So far so simple. Another integrated level of Ovie’s connected functionality is that the system will send a reminder to your smartphone when the food is about to go-off, via Alexa butler bot compatibility. Extra incentive for budding tech chefs, the Smart Tags monitor what ingredients you have in the fridge and auto-scour the Internet for appropriate recipes. You’ll even have the option of ordering missing ingredients through the included groceries app.

Whether this is just another case of the ‘internet of things’ turning into the ‘internet of everything’ remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure – Ovie gives you all the elements of a smart fridge, but for a fraction of the price.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Ovie website

Whether you’re in the mood for a spot of alfresco dining, why not make the slicing and searing a social affair. We’ve found the means to fan the flames of tabletop cooking.

Vertical grill

An innovative design from the Danish designer Tue T Elskær, produced by Larner Design, the Silo is a vertical grill. It heats speedily, directs heat away from the table and brings some of the joys of rotisserie roasting to the table

Table barbecue

Solid enough to support fire, but compact enough to take its place at the tabletop, the Grill 71 table barbecue features a nifty suspension system that allows you to raise and lower the grill plate as needed. Grill 71 table barbecue, £200, by Morsø

Chocolate fondue set

Make this a savoury throwback to finger-defrosting fondues on the slopes, or a dessert dipping bowl for immersing anything from chillies to cherries in molten chocolate.

Lumi Choco fondue set, £19, by Cookut, from Forma House

Griddle

With a central plate made from heat-retaining soapstone, this griddle can sustain sizzling once heated without the presence of a hotplate. Cooks fishy morsels or strips of meat to order at the table. The Griddle, €130, by KnIndustrie.

As originally featured in the July 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*232)

When CEO Jeppe Christensen and CSO Michael Andersen founded Copenhagen kitchen brand Reform back in October 2014, it seems the duo had a clear vision in mind: to reform our cooking spaces with better design.

Since then, the pioneers have done what they set out to accomplish. By customising IKEA’s Metod kitchen cupboards, Reform brought the timeless appeal of furniture to the cooking areas of our homes, producing modern kitchens, which stand the test of time with the price tag to match.

The pair has now taken their well-oiled creative venture and transported it to Reform’s fourth global outpost in Aarhus. Their recent project sees the brand opening a sprawling new 250 sq m showroom and café, located in the city’s main trainstation and the home of a former bank dating back to the 1920s.

Joining a creative throng of brands reviving the very idea of how a showroom should serve customers in an increasingly online world, the concept focuses on providing a more personal client experience. This was achieved by allowing the physical spaces to function both as separate entities – showroom and café – and as one larger unity, as Reform aims to reign over digital and prove that tactility and social exchange matter.

Internally, the elegant design found inspiration in their own and newly launched collection called Degree of Copenhagen-based designer Cecilie Manz. Lighting fixtures by Belgian designer Muller van Severen put the kitchen designs in the spotlight, further accentuated by warm pine and grey tones. Many of the building’s original features are retained, while drops of terrazzo add texture, most notably Reform’s bespoke terrazzo tables, dotted throughout the café where local coffee roasters La Cabra serve up fresh beverages.

With more showrooms set to open from Tokyo to Oslo, Reform not only produces everyday classics intended to last a lifetime, but it reforms our kitchens and the showroom spaces as we’ve come to know them.

INFORMATION 

For more information, visit the Reform website

ADDRESS

Banegårdspladsen 1
8000 Aarhus

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Subversion is to be expected from Snarkitecture. The New York design studio has consistently based its multi-disciplinary works – which range from furniture and product designs to art installations, experiential environments and architectural interventions – around notions of the unexpected and the uncanny. Surfaces and objects are often ruptured and excavated to create a visual language based on natural topography, while a palette of white and grey coolly emphasises form, materiality and manmade artifice. A Snarkitecture piece is an easy spot.

‘We often look to existing materials, objects and architecture, finding ways to reimagine it or create new and unexpected uses from it,’ says designer Alex Mustonen, who co-founded Snarkitecture in 2008 with artist Daniel Arsham (they met while students at the Cooper Union in New York). Architect Benjamin Porto joined as a third partner in 2014.

It’s a distinctive approach that has made the Snarkitecture team a regular fixture at Salone del Mobile in recent years, producing collaborations with brands such as COS, Valextra, Gufram and Calico Wallpaper. This year it will present an immersive pop-up installation for quartz surface company Caesarstone, whose annual commission has brought serious cultural cachet and creative calibre to a rather static product line most readily associated with kitchen countertops. Previous collaborations – with the likes of Nendo, Raw-Edges, Philippe Malouin, Tom Dixon and Jaime Hayon – have resulted in a series of wildly inventive material explorations centring on the brand’s signature engineered-stone slabs.

Asked to interpret the kitchen space for this year’s edition – which coincides with the biennial EuroCucina show at Salone del Mobile – Snarkitecture explores the notion of a kitchen island as a social hub and a context within which to explore the changing states of water, the most elemental ‘ingredient’ used in cooking. In an early preview, titled Altered States and shared in January at the International Design Show (IDS) in Toronto, the designers presented a series of sculptural vignettes that formally reference glaciers, geysers and waterfalls: a range of ‘structures that connect altered states of water to the natural world’, says Mustonen. Each topographic study suggests a scale of geologic time in miniature, evoking natural rock formations and contours that have been eroded and sculpted by the passage of water in various states – ice, liquid, steam – and which are equally put to use in cooking techniques.

‘I knew Caesarstone, as I think most people do, as a kitchen countertop material, and we were interested in thinking of using it in ways that it wasn’t meant to be used,’ says Mustonen. ‘In this case, there was an opportunity for us to take this material that people understand in a very specific, narrow context, and open it up a little bit to create a somewhat abstract, experiential environment.’ Arsham adds, half-jokingly, ‘We also just wanted to build something that would involve a giant ball of ice.’

In Milan, these topographical and elemental explorations – made with layers of Caesarstone’s engineered-quartz slabs, precision-cut into sinuous contours and stacked in a terraced mass in a display of the material’s solidity – will combine to form a single ‘island’ with various stations showcasing ice, water and steam. Offering a physical metaphor of the kitchen island as an island landscape, it will form the centrepiece of an amphitheatre-style setting, which will be surrounded by more than 250 pedestals, made using three different Caesarstone colours from its new industrial collection Metropolitan: ‘Cloudburst Concrete’, ‘Airy Concrete’ and ‘Rugged Concrete’. The monochromatic pedestals gradually rise to emulate the appearance of a natural landscape.

The installation itself will take place at the long-shuttered Palazzo dell’Ufficio Elettorale di Porta Romana, a former university building that will open to the public for the first time in 20 years, for the duration of Salone. ‘It’s sort of a secret space in the city, a building that you might walk by all the time without noticing what’s inside it,’ says Porto. Altered States will give visitors a rare opportunity to take in the aged grandeur of the storied, timeworn space before it’s closed down and redesigned by Piero Lissoni for the forthcoming Milan Edition Hotel.

‘Whether it’s in the context of IDS in Toronto, or Salone, we’re interested in creating an experience for people who are seeing dozens of installations or hundreds of objects a day,’ says Mustonen. ‘We wanted to create something that will ideally stand a little bit apart from that setting – something a bit meditative and reflective on the one hand, but also sort of strange and theatrical on the other.’

As originally featured in the May 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*230)

Experience Altered States at Salone del Mobile 2018. Video: courtesy of Snarkitecture

INFROMATION

Altered States is on view at Palazzo dell’Ufficio Elettorale di Porta Romana from 17 – 21 April at Salone del Mobile. For more information, visit the Snarkitecture website

ADDRESS

Palazzo dell’Ufficio Elettorale di Porta Romana
Corso di Porta Romana 10
20122, Milan

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Prolific design studio du jour Nendo has added to its ever-plentiful yield at this year’s Salone del Mobile with a tapestry of table-top offerings. Last year, Nendo’s collective imagination ran wild with a futuristic clock installation. Now, at least for this project, the attention is firmly on the practical: kitchen container lids.

Made in collaboration with air conditioning manufacturer, and third-time fair-goer, Daikin, the lids are made from fluoroelastomer – a raw material used in its air conditioning systems. This high-performance rubber, also commonly used in the automotive industry, has outstanding heat, oil and acid resistance and excels in preventing changes in colour and shape over a long period of time – ideal for storing your sauces, condiments and cereals.

Each lid is designed to showcase different possibilities, whether they’re space saving, or mess-preventing. The Pinch lid, for example, conceals a small spoon which appears when pinching its edge, and the Press lid opens like a mouth when pressing down its top, for easy pouring. ‘These lid designs aim to symbolise something between human and an object,’ says the brand, ‘conveying the abstract feeling of air – which in reality we cannot really sense – in a tangible way.’

Alongside its air conditioner-inspired kitchen hacks, the Japanese design stalwart has also turned its hand to tiles for this year’s fair. Ceramic tiles are ordinarily produced using molds, in order to create a smooth uniform shape and finish on the clay. But – no strangers to material provocation – Nendo’s patchwork of spherical and cubed tiles were made using shaped clusters of clay pressed under a solid surface.

Due to the proccess’s unregulated nature, each tile is slightly different, aiming to give a softer, more bespoke feel to your tile tesselation. ‘The clay mixing balance, the moisture level, the pace of pressure and the right shapes and angles were all tested to enable the best possible outcome,’ says Nendo. ‘In the end, it almost felt as if the material itself was the one determining the process and designing the tile shapes for us.’

Ground-breaking, headline-grabbing installation this is not – don’t worry, Milan has these by the beautifully-designed bucket. But we can see these quiet designs (which make up for bells-and-whistles with clarity of vision) becoming household favourites.

INFORMATION

‘Nendo: forms of movement’ showcases 10 new projects (including the two listed here) at Salone del Mobile, 17-21 April 2018. For more information, visit the Nendo website

ADDRESS

Superstudio Più
ART POINT
Via Tortona, 27 Milan
Italy

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It’s that time of year again when quartz specialist Caesarstone pushes the boundaries of their dynamic wares by collaborating with a design big-hitter. Recall last year’s folkloric playground by Jaime Hayon, or 2016’s elemental kitchens by Tom Dixon, each project is first unveiled at Interior Design Show in Toronto, and then evolves throughout the year.

This year’s offering is the brainchild of multi-disciplinary design renegade Snarkitecture. It centres on any self-respecting domestic dreamer’s contemporary kitchen must-have – the island – a space which has become ‘the social hub of the house,’ says Alex Mustonen, Snarkitecture’s partner and co-founder. It’s an idea that aligns with his goal of ‘creating environments and experiences that are designed to be inclusive.’

Using Caesarstone’s surfaces as a jumping off point, Snarkitecture have created four, highly conceptual takes on kitchen islands. Each have their own identities, yet communicate with the same design language, categorised by sinuous, stratified layers that emulate natural topography.

Titled ‘Ice Island’, ‘Water Island’, ‘Steam Island’ and ‘Play Island’, the four-fold installation reflects the kitchen island’s multi-function; a place of preparation, performance, and occasional kitchen-sink drama. Take ‘Steam Island’, for instance, which comprises 28, finely rendered layers of Caesarstone White Attica quartz. Through the layers, an atmospheric emission of water vapour emits from the surface – evoking both earth-shattering volcanic eruptions, and (a little closer to home) the gentle over-boiling of a pan.

More objet d'art than à la carte, the islands are intended to convey the brilliance of Caesarstone surfaces. ‘As architects, we tend to be very material-oriented,’ says Ben Porto, partner at Snarkitecture. ‘This collaboration gives us the opportunity to engage and interact with the Caesarstone material, something we would like to pass on to visitors of the installation, demonstrating its versatility and quality.’

The IDS instalment is just the appetiser for this ongoing island project – look out for the large scale installation during Salone del Mobile in April.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Caesarstone website and the Snarkitecture website

Whether it’s eating or drinking, baking or brewing, chopping or churning, food has been fertile ground for this year’s crop of design graduates. We’ve whipped up a kitchen’s worth of products created by the next generation of designers.

Luis de Sousa, Glasgow School of Art

Described as a ‘small kitchen with a big heart’, ‘Kitchen O’ is designed to bring home comforts and the joys of cooking to those with limited space, particularly in refugee camps. The design is easy to assemble and built with affordable materials.

Paul Louda, eCal

This innovative cooking device allows for easy 360° access and visibility alongside space efficiency on the worktop. The monochrome design has all the components in the base and operates by cooking food vertically.

Simen J Heinbuch, Oslo and Akershus University College

This minimal knife, crafted from carbon steel, buffalo horn and oak, places emphasis on everyday functionality and traditional design. It comes with a kit that highlights the importance of after-care for the blade, maintaining sharpness and longevity.

Camille Coquelle, eCal

This set of interchangeable steel filters and glass jugs features various components that allow for the adaptation of the jugs to cater for different drinks, such as a loose-leaf tea infuser, orange squeezer and ice holder.

Marged Owain, Manchester School of Art

This collection of wood and glass objects, which includes a butter stamp, hand churner and butter dish, celebrates traditional welsh craftsmanship – in particular, butter making – drawing inspiration from the country’s rich cultural heritage.

Hulda Järeslätt, Lund University

This kitchen set demonstrates how two opposites can function together effectively and includes a pestle and mortar of opposing weights, a cutting board with a smooth and rough side, and a citrus press combining the shapes of a sphere and a diamond.

Maria Chifflet, Beckmans College of Design

Following the form of a traditional lantern, ‘Storm’ is an elegant yet understated design consisting of a large glass bowl with a flat base, framed by a statement brass handle. The versatility of the design means it can be placed on the floor or hung from a tree.

As originally featured in the January 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*226)

Ask a well-seasoned chef to list his kitchen essentials, and you’re apt to learn about a few new tools; ask Danish brand Hay, and you’re bound to get a dose of eye-pleasing colour, play, and texture. You can expect that very combination of elements from the newly launched Hay Kitchen Market – an extensive collection of more than 200 wares produced in collaboration with Danish chef Frederik Bille Brahe.

The rising culinary talent behind the celebrated Copenhagen restaurant Atelier September (and younger brother to the fine jeweller Sophie Bille Brahe), Brahe first collaborated with Hay co-founder and accessories director Mette Hay on a pop-up café at last year’s Salone del Mobile, a project that inspired them to consider design items for the kitchen more deeply.

Launched exclusively with the MoMA Design Store this week and available throughout this year, the resulting products speak equally to a well-travelled, workaday gourmand as they do to a chic, no-fuss sensibility.

Curated with an eye for utility and visual intrigue, the everyday items include steel picnic containers inspired by Indian tiffins, hand-blown Moroccan glasses, an Italian hamburger press, and Japanese scourer sponges in metallic patterns and playful shapes, alongside selected items by designers George Sowden, Clara Von Zweigbergk, and others.

Designed (and priced) to be mixed and matched, the eclectic tabletop pieces feature enamelware in marbleised patterns and Hay’s signature for subdued, Memphis-inflected palette of bold and pastel hues; scallop-edged vases and tumblers; and cutlery in gold and silver tones.

Befitting the occasion, celebrants toasted the launch with a dinner fashioned by Brahe at the Nolita restaurant De Maria. The dishes, naturally, were served on the newly launched designs – surely a feast for the eyes as well as mouth.

INFORMATION

Select pieces are available from the MoMa Design Store website

ADDRESS

MoMa Design Store
81 Spring Street
New York 10012

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The traditional Japanese tea ceremony is perhaps the ultimate expression of slow living, where the process of preparation becomes a meditative part of the experience. It may not be religious per se, but it is ritualistic, pivoting on the quality and detail of the objects employed and the performance of making and consumption.

With this year’s Handmade theme exploring the sacred and ceremonial, we couldn’t ignore the tea ceremony and its Japanese roots. Taking inspiration from the tools of a typical ceremony, in particular the furo, a portable iron or clay brazier used to heat water, and combining it with the conveniences of the western hostess trolley (an entertaining essential of the 1970s), we imagined a new piece of kit that could store and deliver the tea-making tools, as well as heat the water.

While lacquered woods, clay and iron might be more commonly used materials in the traditional ceremony, we decided to turn to the metal of the moment, copper, and enlist the help of Mauviel, a French manufacturer with a long history of designing kitchen apparatus. Since 1830, Mauviel has created cookware beloved of both domestic cooks and world-renowned chefs. Starting its life in a Norman village known as ‘the city of copper’, the company uses knowledge garnered from generations of coppersmiths to create products of unrivalled quality and elegant design.

The now dying arts practised by some 80 workers are something Mauviel is committed to preserving. ‘Some jobs are very technical and need more than a year’s training,’ says Valérie Le Guern-Gilbert, the company’s president and member of the founding family. ‘Mauviel is the last ever “tinsmith”. It is the tinsmith of the Élysée [the presidential residence in Paris] – no one elsewhere can do what we do, so if we lose those skills, the know-how will die also.’ Le Guern-Gilbert is planning to open a dedicated school later this year, with the aim of safeguarding this heritage. ‘A tinsmith needs to be trained for 12 months, the same for martelage [a hammering technique]. Utensil crafting needs 12 months’ to two years’ training,’ she explains.

In recent years Mauviel has started to look forward, and combine tradition with contemporary design. It has teamed up with ECAL’s Masters of Advanced Studies in Design last year; has an ongoing partnership with Paris’ REV Architecture that involves product creation (see the Transformer kitchen design) and the renovation of the factory site in Normandy; and works with avant-garde chefs such as Jean-François Piège on new tools for contemporary cooking methods. ‘Our aim today is to challenge ourselves creatively. We are now creating many tailormade pieces for chefs and architects,’ says Le Guern-Gilbert, who didn’t hesitate to accept our proposal.

To realise our tea cart we chose to pair Mauviel with the Paris-based interior architect Isabelle Stanislas. Stanislas launched her agency So-An, Japanese for ‘design and composition’, in 2003. With So-An, Stanislas uses her eye for minimal compositions, a palette of natural colours, and a careful consideration of light to create refined spaces that unite past styles with contemporary tastes. ‘I found the proposal really interesting,’ she says. ‘I am fascinated by Japan, its traditions, its elegance.’ Researching the subject, she focused her attention on proportions, since the ceremony is something that takes place at floor level. ‘It was a challenge in that a tea cart is not really a piece of furniture. It is an object of contemplation that we use for a very precise moment. I loved this idea.’ Her design became a blend between a functioning cart and an object. ‘Importantly, it had to have a strong aesthetic quality, and represent my architectural style, which is to say, have elements of geometry that are both rigorous and soft at the same time.’

With limited time to complete the project, there was daily communication over three weeks between Stanislas and her team and Mauviel and the designated artisan, and as is the way with all such projects, a degree of adaptation had to be expected, to take technical constraints into account. ‘Every material has a degree of resistance,’ says Stanislas. In the original drawings one panel was perforated, which gave it a more transparent presence, but presented a challenge to the makers. So the solution was to change the material to a mirrored steel surface, which preserved the element of transparency. The furo element was adapted from existing pieces in the Mauviel collection, but should the demand be there, a custom heater might be made to fit the cart. A true collaborative effort, the cart is a unique piece, in design, execution and function, with the possibility of adapting to diverse situations. It’s ticking all our Handmade boxes.

As originally featured in the August 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*221)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Isabella Stanislas website and Mauviel website

Founded in 1953 in Bergamo, Italy, Rossana has collaborated with a host of Italian designers including Rodolfo Dordoni, Michele De Lucchi and Christophe Pillet on its striking kitchen concepts. So team Wallpaper* were more than happy to oblige when the luxury kitchen brand called on us to help launch its interchangeable ‘K-In K-Out’ unit at a special event hosted at the Saatchi Gallery in London.

We commissioned creative studio Bonsoir Paris to realise an installation that celebrates the kitchen’s unique indoor/outdoor aesthetic. The firm, helmed by creative directors Rémy Clémente and Morgan Maccari, responded with a series of helical wooden mobiles that formed a delicate counterpoint to Rossana’s monolithic kitchen.

Designed by Massimo Castagna, ‘K-In K-Out’ comprises a freestanding island unit that appears to float, thanks to the high, burnished-steel supporting plinth. This striking illusion is only further enhanced when the island’s cover tops are slid open, playing with form and proportion, while appliances and work surfaces are revealed beneath.

Installation view of the ‘K-In K-Out’ at Saatchi Gallery

Identical on the outside, the kitchen’s smart design trickery lies beneath the surface: the indoor version comprises a steel framework with internal workings made from wood and patinated metals, while the framework of the outdoor iteration is made entirely from steel. The kitchen comes in a range of finishes, including a natural grey stone, heat-treated elm, chestnut, eucalyptus and dark olive veneer.

The launch event didn't end there, of course. Guests were able to experience the kitchen in a virtual reality installation that digitally transported ‘K-In K-Out’ to developer Manhattan Loft Corporation’s upcoming sky tower, Manhattan Loft Gardens.

Elsewhere, Saatchi Gallery hosted an exhibition of works by artist Philipp Rudolf Humm, including an oil painting depicting ‘K-In K-Out’ as an altar. The painting was displayed along other works from Humm's Urban Portraits series, recently shown at both Riflemaker and CNB Gallery in London.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Rossana website

Japanese craftsmanship is cutting edge when it comes to kitchen knives. Chef Douglas Chang’s new Vancouver store Ai & Om Knives supplies the city with quality sharp-edged tools for the food and woodworking communities.

Chang, a native Canadian, has worked in kitchens all around North America, but it was in New York where he first began to value the art of tools and hand-crafted knives, learning from a Japanese sharpening master. He spent time in Japan with knife companies and blacksmiths and developed relationships with craftsmen, who inherited their skills through generations of forefathers.

The knives still retain evidence of the natural forging process used, for example, hammer marks on more rustic knives, where they have not been ground to a smooth finish, to others that retain a kurouchi or ‘blacksmiths’ finish that protects the carbon steel blades from rusting and being exposed. The interior architecture, designed by Scott & Scott Architects, functions as a clean, simple and natural space that both exhibits and stores the selected products. It unites both the knives’ Japanese heritage and celebrates locally sourced materials.

The primary use of yellow cedar, sourced in Vancouver Island, deliberately refers to hinoki wood, a material that in Japan has a history of use in temples and shrines. It is through clean-cut architecture and a superb inventory that Ai & Om Knives claims its place as Vancouver’s Blade Runner.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Ai & Om Knives website and the Scott & Scott Architects website

Despite its constant presence at avant-garde Parisian design fairs, the 186-year-old French copper kitchenware brand Mauviel has always appeared rooted in the past. But Valérie Le Guern-Gilbert, a seventh generation of the Mauviel family, is now leading the brand into a new era, instigating collaborations with the likes of ECAL and, now, the dynamic young Parisian REV Architecture. Their first collaboration to see the light of day is the Transformer kitchen, launched this autumn and ‘designed to amplify the experience of Mauviel products though the extension of cooking culture and gestures’, according to REV co-founder Cristiano Benzoni. The mobile kitchen transforms from a copper box (‘like a Kubrick monolith’) to a galley fully kitted out with Mauviel kitchenware, with integrated preparation surfaces in oak and steel and a hob by Alpes Inox. All kitchens are made to order.

As originally featured in the December 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*213)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Mauviel website or the Rev Architecture website

Vancouver’s Interior Design Show (IDS) is the perfect setting for the big North American reveal of Tom Dixon’s 'Fire Kitchen'. One of a set of interiors created in collaboration with Caesarstone called 'the Restaurant' – inspired by the four elements – that debuted at Milan's Salone del Mobile this summer, it takes centre stage in the sprawling Vancouver Convention Center. Across the way sits its sister display of the 'Ice Kitchen' that debuted at the IDS Toronto in January.

As a beleaguered but still buoyant Dixon, just arrived from Tel Aviv, shouts design details over an enthusiastic cover band rehearsing their version of Psycho Killer, he pauses briefly to sing along. The former musician does not miss a beat, noting that the singer is a little flat.

But his pitch-perfect design here does not fall short. The 'Fire Kitchen' is pure theatre. In fact, it’s culinary theatre in the round. 'It’s about the cook and the eater,' says Dixon. 'Everyone wants to be invited into the experience – so there is no front or back.'

Indeed, the ensemble of quartz tables and cooking stations reveals its American BBQ inspiration as design writers descend, devouring tandoori chicken skewers and quaffing Cava under warm, lava-lamp inspired lighting. This is more than merely a kitchen – it is both installation and gathering space.

Working with Caesarstone quartz, says Dixon, 'became interesting when I stopped thinking of it as marble. Unlike stone it has different qualities.' Advantages included a more seamless bonding process as well as 'laying panel vertically and cutting into it – which you couldn’t do with natural marble'.

In this kitchen, Dixon exploits both the sculptural quality and sophisticated finish of the quartz, as well as revealing its materiality and structural gravitas, while luminous red-tinged lighting brings out its inner fire.

INFORMATION
IDS West ran from 22–25 September. For more information, visit the IDS West website

Photography courtesy Caesarstone

The refined corners of food and design merge once again, this time courtesy of students from the coveted ECAL school. For the occasion of Maison et Objet, cookware brand Mauviel 1830 has collaborated with upcoming talents from the Master in Advanced Studies in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship programme on an inventive new range.

In a project called ‘Cooking The Future’, the team of students, under the design guidance of Tomas Kral, immersed themselves in the 800-year history of copper-ware that Mauviel espouses. For this, they travelled to Normandy's Villedieu-les-Poêles (also known as ‘the city of copper’) for a lesson in luxury cookware.

To ensure the students got the full experience, they also worked alongside French chef Yannick Alléno so their pieces are functional as well as experimental. The assortment is imbued with Mauviel's trademark elegance and quality, with some clever kitchen solutions in-between – like two level pans, meat curing machines and a scallop cooker.

Not everything was made in copper though. Martin Bolo’s ‘Dame de Nage’ is a nifty device realised in silicone, with a pocket-sized pivot that fixes onto a pan in order to hold the spoon above when not stirring. Pauline Masson’s imaginative sleek white asparagus set is equally useful. In addition to cooking the vegetable to perfection, tip to stalk, the set also includes tongs that ensure the shape isn't altered when served.

The pioneering use of copper in Takahiro Yamamoto’s Japanese-inspired geometric tiffin-style box is impressive, with its warm contrast of wood and burnished metal; while there is a certain eloquence in Jenna Kaes’s oval ladle, that can act like a colander, separating solids and liquids.

Imagined only as prototypes for the moment, the collaboration continues to celebrate ECAL’s breadth of experimentation. ‘Creativity knows no boundaries’ says ECAL’s director Alexis Georgacopoulos, ‘and certainly not those of kitchens!’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the ECAL website

Wabi-sabi is sometimes described as the 'Zen of things.' The beauty of things modest and humble, the beauty of things impermanent, unconventional and incomplete, according to Leonard Koren, the design critic who wrote the seminal 1994 book, Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers.

Such an elusive concept might seem an unlikely touchstone for a range of German kitchens, but in fact the connection with Bulthaup’s new 2016 'b1', 'b3' and 'b+' systems is fairly straightforward. Wabi-sabi has its roots in the precise aesthetics and philosophy of the Japanese tea ceremony. Much of wabi-sabi is expressed in the objects we use to feed ourselves. 

Kakuzō Okakura’s classic essay, The Book of Tea (1906), was probably the first explanation of wabi-sabi targeted at a non-Japanese audience. He wrote: 'Great as has been the influence of the tea-masters in the field of art, it is as nothing compared to that which they have exerted on the conduct of life. Many of our delicate dishes, as well as our way of serving food, are their inventions. They have given emphasis to our natural love of simplicity.'

Bulthaup’s approach is to design systems that allow the user to determine the play of light and the shifting volumes in their kitchens. 'The view of the beholder determines everything,' said Stefen Bauer, Bulthaup’s projects manager of products, during this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan. 

The Bavarian company, founded in 1949, creates kitchen systems of pure simplicity that demand the interaction and the perspective of the user, and in so doing, the addition of the personal and the soulful. 

The 'b3' kitchen system is based around a multifunctional wall that is hung with sliding panels. Some panels are protective, in deceptively light stone and glass, while others are exquisitely functional systems for the storage of knives, pots and spices. All offer a subdued utility – sliding into place pulled by small, tactile leather tabs. The multifunctional wall hides the services and holds the cabinets, so that they appear as if they are floating. 

The flexibility of the 'b3' system allows for the combining of multiple materials and colours. Stainless steel, laminate, solid wood, aluminium and lacquer meet 1cm-thick worktops in synthetic stone and granite. The front finishes are in bronze or grey aluminium or a lacquered finish in colours from across the spectrum. The flexibility is part of the unfinished element, the wabi-sabi lightness of touch that is driven by the multiple, changing needs of the modern kitchen user. Every time a wall panel slides out, a new perspective appears.

For the 'b1' system, your viewpoint changes, the focus moving down from the wall panel to a spare kitchen island-workbench. Eschewing the superfluous, the 'b1' island is a few simple building blocks – a sink, sliding worktops, sliding food-prep blocks and a cooker. Under the sliding sections are inserts and storage areas – even a lockable box – meaning you don’t step away and stoop to access what you need. 

The 'b+' system, meanwhile, focuses on a range of freestanding elements called 'solitaires'. Built on a simple matte-black aluminium frame, the tables, storage units, butcher’s blocks and cooking tables deliberately blur the distinction between living room and kitchen. You put them where you want and you use them however you need to. Flexibility and multiple configurations give the user the power to shape the whole range to their needs, but whatever the accent, the language remains one of overwhelming simplicity. If Edmund de Waal made kitchens, this is how they might look.

Bulthaup creates beauty through simplicity: the essence of wabi-sabi. Okakura encapsulated it best in 1906: 'Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.'

As originally featured in the July 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*208)

INFORMATION

For more information visit Bulthaup's website

Photography: Filippo Piantanida. Interiors: Maria Sobrino

It became clear at Wallpaper* Handmade last year that Belgian architect Glenn Sestig has a real way with stone. Crafted from Iranian titanium travertine, his ‘Pleasure Dome’ stood out with its uniquely sculptural form – a mastery derived from a pointed precision, paired with a fascination for the beautiful quality of the stone itself.

Sestig has sparked up magic with titanium travertine yet again for this year's Maison et Objet. This time, he's  transformed it into a kitchen model: the ‘Signature Kitchen’, made for Kortrijk-based interiors brand Obumex.

It should come as no surprise that many were bemused by Sestig's new venture; the raw boisterous structure boasts a particularly minimalist appeal. 'Signature Kitchen' exists as a single shapely piece, with its attachments, functions and storage stealthily hidden. The only displayed features appear to be the tap, and the leather, wooden veneer and bronze stool.

Arriving as a kitchen but also described as a ‘big aesthetical bar table’ and ‘room divider’, the design’s strong geometric frame means it alters the space it is placed in. ‘Most contemporary kitchen designs are dominated by horizontal lines,’ explains Sestig. 'We break through this cliché with a vertical volume, a strong architectural statement.’ The two floor-to-ceiling columns divide the space, while simultaneously concealing a hidden cupboard and the back of the sink.

Among the natural flaws, pigments and veins that exist in the titanium travertine are protruding edges and gaps between the material sheets; all small, yet artistic, attributes that are endlessly intriguing.

'This is a kitchen that does not look like a cooking place,' the studio concludes, 'but rather like a contemporary sculpture.’

INFORMATION

For more information on the ’Signature Kitchen’, visit Obumex’s website

Photography: Jean-Pierre Gabriel