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Kitchen Special: Practically Perfect

Posted 8 April 2020

The modern kitchen needs to look as perfect as possible but, says Kate Hamilton, it also needs to fulfill its practical requirements.

The modern kitchen needs to look as perfect as possible but, says Kate Hamilton, it also needs to fulfill its practical requirements.

Prospective homebuyers are becoming increasingly attuned to the nuances of kitchen design. The accessibility of interior and design inspiration on social media has meant buyers are more aware of the latest trends in tones, prints and layout – so manufacturers need to ensure they are delivering designs that are detail oriented and reflect even the smallest shift in consumer taste.

Moores kitchenMoores' research and design team works very closely with its housebuilder customers

“Prospective purchasers are becoming increasingly design savvy thanks to readily accessible apps such as Instagram and Pinterest and this is reflected in the brands that they choose to work with when specifying home projects,” explains Neil McDonald, design manager for Moores. “They want to be able to take a beautiful kitchen design and inject it with their own creativity, whether this be creating a personalised dual colourway or offsetting a contemporary design with vintage-style fixtures.”

The majority of homeowners in the UK aspire to have a new kitchen. In a new-build home this obviously comes as standard; but a basic new kitchen simply won’t cut the mustard – it needs to be aspirational.

Stolz kitchenStolz says the brand stands for service, quality, innovation and value

“Kitchens have always been the centre of our home and will continue to be so, and, at a basic level, when you buy a new home you are looking at empty rooms with the exception of the kitchen and the bathroom,” says Damian Sheridan, sales director of Stolz. “Therefore, the biggest element that is part of the home you buy is the kitchen. The rest of the home is just emulsion; the kitchen is full of emotion. As most developers want to set themselves apart, the kitchen design is the perfect place to do that. Buyers can then buy into the development as a concept rather than a blank canvas. With clever design, understanding the demographic of the buyer and being on trend, the end purchaser is potentially buying into a lifestyle choice – not just the building.”

But buyers are savvy enough to know that while they want the kitchen to look good, they also want it to perform perfectly.

Symphony kitchenSymphony has a large team of designers to deliver both practical and exciting kitchen designs

“The kitchen remains one of the main influences for deciding to purchase a new build home. However, it is not just the aesthetics of what they see, but how the kitchens will function around their own lifestyle which will often be the crucial factor,” says Robert Newton, head of marketing at Symphony Group. “Kitchens are the centre of family life and they need to integrate cooking, dining, working and living areas.

This, in turn, does lend the actual layout and look of the kitchen to a more contemporary design with clean simple lines, island workstations, hideaway storage and integrated appliances.”

And storage is key. It is in fact the deciding factor between a traditional country kitchen and a contemporary one – the former having everything out on show.

Siematic kitchenSieMatic has just celebrated its 90th anniversary

“It’s surprising how many new-build homes do not have adequate storage in the kitchen,” comments Kerry Furber, UK sales and marketing manager of SieMatic. “SieMatic furniture caters to this necessity by utilising the storage in all units, through our Multimatic tracking in the doors and carcass sides, along with the accessory system. It can be customised to suit clients’ needs over the decades of use and it utilises 30% more storage space than a standard unit.”

So a big tick in the practical box. But there is more to storage than, well, storage. The latest trend is to take open-plan living to the next level – one where practical spaces and living areas seamlessly combine.

Whiteleaf kitchenWhiteleaf Furniture believes that the more individual a kitchen, the better

“I think now the aim is to make the kitchen less kitchen, if that makes sense,” explains Ben Algate, managing director of Whiteleaf Furniture. “We have historically seen a standard design footprint that was very much one-size-fits-all approach, what we are seeing now is a definite move away from the norm and more interesting features being introduced: open metal units, contrasting modern and traditional looks, non-standard units breaking up runs of standard wall units. Developers have always been risk adverse; now we are seeing a change with people wanting to stand out from their competitors.”

And one of the ways to stand out is to ensure that the kitchen remains as practical as possible while still looking the part.

BKNC kitchenBKNC likes to use the latest materials including furniture from leading European manufacturers

“Regularly we find ourselves making changes to the specified layouts given to us by clients,” comments Harry Ruler, deputy managing director, BKNC. “Our main aim is to improve the working triangles and usability of the kitchen area, always keeping the end user in mind. Creating beautiful kitchens is one thing; creating a beautiful, useable and sustainable living space is what we at BKNC offer as standard.”

BKNC likes to use the latest materials, including furniture from leading European manufacturers Nolte and Keller, which gives it virtually endless design capabilities, be it colour, size or style. The company prides itself on being “the kitchen specialists” – it works from white line drawings, DWG or basic floor plans, and its in-house design team not only designs a kitchen, but aims to create a luxury living space.

“Through our experiences of over 25 years within the contract kitchen industry, we believe developers and clients who step outside of the norm of specifications reap the reward in reputation and sales,” continues Ruler. “Every now and again we have a client who is willing to let our designers put their own flair and personality into a concept and the results speak for themselves.”

Omega kitchenOmega likes to get involved as early as possible, as this can make the difference between an ordinary kitchen and a well-balanced ergonomic design

Omega is another company that likes to get as involved in the design as possible. “It’s about trust,” explains Hannah Blenkin, brand manager of Omega. “Once a housebuilder is prepared to give us a blank canvas with an indicative budget, we are able to demonstrate that we have a level of expertise in this specific area that they would not be expected to have. As a result, we encourage our involvement at as early a stage as possible, as this can make the difference between an ordinary kitchen and a well-balanced, ergonomic design that looks good to the house purchaser.”

Lanzet kitchenLanzet's Oxford range: this anthracite door with a complementary aluminium trim works perfectly in a modern apartment

Lanzet has found that housebuilders are open to suggestions in order to make the very best of their biggest selling point. “Very often they [the housebuilder] will accept recommendations concerning kitchen layout, traffic flow, pace and working triangle,” says marketing director Gemma Casement. “The above elements are vital in creating great kitchen experience which is closely linked with great functionality and ease of use. Taking time to consider what’s important to a homeowner leads to a successful and appealing design.”

Lanzet is currently overhauling its product range, renaming existing products with British names and introducing a number of new choices. Its kitchens range from an affordable collection, all the way to a bespoke hand-painted range.

Ultimately, though, any new kitchen needs to cater to the particular family using it – which is why housebuilders need to keep an eye on the trends that appeal directly to their target demographic. And the latest trends are all about creating a functional space with plenty of storage. Super practical kitchens that still look picture perfect.

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