PRODUCTS | Ensuites & Cloakrooms Food preparation
Hidden kitchens
Sinead Trainor, kitchen category manager, LochAnna Kitchens, on how open-plan has created the need to hide certain things away
The trend for concealed kitchens is based on the fashion for minimalism and the practicalities of extending the living space in small homes. Open-plan living is growing in popularity and so homeowners want to ‘hide away’ the clutter in their kitchens when they can be seen from the lounge or dining room.
The fashion for minimalism is achieved in a concealed kitchen by only displaying showpieces, such as small appliances – like a food processor. As brands look to create differentiation and consumers are hunting for innovative features for their new social kitchens, concealed kitchens can only get more popular.
It may be that fully concealed and stark kitchens are not the most desired, but more people will include individual and practical features that help declutter surfaces and organise storage.
1.
Another crucial element of the prep area is practical storage for all the things that need to be kept at hand, such as chopping boards, utensils, herbs and spices and recycling and food waste bins. Blum’s Legrabox, for example, features drawers that can be specifi ed in a range of different heights to suit the function, with any combination of drawer inserts, such as the Legrabox with Ambialine spice rack.
1. Zip fi ve-in-one HydroTap All-in-One Celsius Arc 2. Maxtop Quartz in black mirror fi nish 3. Hotpoint Class 9 built-in combination microwave oven (MP 996 IX H) 4. Insinkerator M Series 66 food waste disposer 5. Whirlpool SmartCook induction hob (SMP 778/C/NE/IXL)
Blum UK marketing manager Lisa Robinson recommends that designers approach cabinetry and storage in a similar way to appliances – by function, so that everything has its most logical place. “When planned in this way, you will fi nd that a logical layout for the kitchen is much easier to achieve,” she says. Colin Patterson, marketing manager at Hettich UK, adds that the increase in zoning in the kitchen has seen wide, deep drawers brought into play for food preparation and ingredients, as well as pans. Hettich has also responded by offering considerably more choice aesthetically. “After all,” he points out, “these drawers are now on show.”
4.
Another nice touch for the kitchen preparation area, which is both highly aesthetically pleasing, practical and sustainable, is a herb box. As Rotpunkt head of UK operations Matt Phillips notes, “farm-to- table remains a key trend among the eco-conscious and this has created new opportunities for bringing outside resources into the kitchen space”. Finally, waste-bin systems provide an aesthetically attractive and extremely effective solution to an essential kitchen function – the effi cient handling of waste and recycling.
Get cooking
When it comes to appliances, multifunctionality, ease of use, and space-saving are all key. Built-in ovens with microwave functionality are a useful addition because they free up counter space. Warming drawers are a great place for keeping crockery out of the way as well as keeping it warm ready for serving. Given that homeowners are increasingly staying in and entertaining, smart technology and features that make it easy to create restaurant-quality food at home are also highly desirable. We have seen a signifi cant uptick in sales of sous-vide, warming drawers – which can also be used to prove bread, as anyone who watches The Great British Bake Off will know – and smart-assisted cooking.
The Whirlpool assisted cooking function, for example, claims to reduce stress while cooking with its preset function that promises to cook a range of food types perfectly. Users simply select the food type, then choose the cooking method – grilling, pan-frying or boiling. The Whirlpool SmartCook induction hob then displays step-by-step instructions for each different stage of cooking, such as when to add seasoning. Similarly, the Turn and Cook app, available for a number of Indesit appliances, including its Aria built-in oven, features a selection of recipe ideas. Indesit brand manager Sara Bazeley says that with just one turn of the control knob, the oven automatically sets the cooking time and oven temperature to cook more than 80 recipes, to perfection. Wes Butler, product manager for Montpellier at DAD-Online, adds that warming drawers are the perfect, multifunctional product. “They warm plates, slow-cook, defrost food a lot quicker and are perfect for entertaining. We offer four in our range, with a choice of colours, analogue and touch control. Ease of use and saving time seem to be the main drivers behind these current trends.”
Summary 2. 5.
In open plan, zoned kitchens made for entertaining, the food prep area can be the star of the kitchen, whether the layout takes centre stage integrated within the island or sitting along a run of wall cabinets. Although striking metallic fi nishes are popular, it’s important to ensure that the fi nish won’t date within the scheme and that your customer is going to be happy with it long-term. And if you want to go really bold, it might be worth doing so with a tap, which is easier to replace than a sink if the client wants to change it in the future.
When it comes to worktops, it’s evident that 3. 46
everyone, no matter their budget, can have something that will be durable enough to stand the test of time. It’s also important to get a fi rm understanding of how your clients cook and use their appliances, as while some might fi nd features like assisted cooking incredibly useful, others might not use it, and might even fi nd it slightly annoying. Keen cooks might well use a warming drawer or sous-vide machine, but everyone, arguably, could benefi t from space-saving, time-saving appliances such as the built-in microwave, boiling water tap or waste disposal unit.
kbbr kbbreview · December 2019
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