d39 CONTRACT KITCHENS
Light Elm & White S1 handleless kitchen with square edged door design from Xey
want to know they are investing in a quality product to allow them to take a ‘fit and forget’ approach and engage with untapped consumers at the higher-end of the market. Multipurpose furniture is therefore dominating the contract kitchen arena and demonstrating its worth by maximising storage capacity, capitalising on budgets and amplifying the wants of the end user to deliver a more bespoke design brief.
In terms of design, flexible spaces are key. “Hidden interior design has continued to go from strength to strength, using furniture to conceal utilities and maximise storage in more commercially-led properties,” said Bodsworth. “I believe this is a direct result of the new design and processes being seen across handleless kitchen concepts where streamline cabinetry, flush fitting worktops and drawers are now almost expected. Consequently, furniture that is luxurious and non- specific to a certain room has been
evident across contract kitchen specification and I believe its ability to blur room boundaries and deliver bespoke requirements so customary these days, is the reason.”
Research from The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows that homes today have shrunk ‘dramatically’ over the last 90 years, from 1,647 sq ft to 925 sq ft. Bodsworth added: “I find that statistic a true representation of the contract kitchen market, where maximising space and providing ample storage solutions have become as equally important as overall design and aesthetics.”
Although a slowdown in housebuilding did have a knock- on effect for the contract kitchen sector, some levels of the business
saw a less dramatic impact than others. Dieter Berends, Senior Designer at kitchen design studio Urban Interior, said: “We supply high-end kitchens to the contract market and it's noticeable that, despite the economic instability over the last eight years or so, the upper segment of the market has been less affected than the ’more affordable’ end.
“I think that there are other growth factors to consider too; including economic, as those with money are usually less affected by financial pressures; emotional, where customers have an allegiance to a brand; lifestyle, where there is a desire to stay in fashion (the rise in popularity of open plan for instance); but perhaps most importantly, is the improved marketing by housing developers who have greatly improved the desirability of their dwellings in the press and with direct mail. They now recognise that consumers want branded products and branded kitchens sell houses.”
designer kitchen & bathroom
designerkbmag.co.uk
APR 2017
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
