PRODUCTS | Market and design trends
Pronorm’s Galvano Portland and Nero Chalet Oak kitchen with standalone glass display unit
textured wood, brass and metallic finishes with statement stone for the wow factor, ‘Refined Country’ is inspired by the timeless beauty of painted Shaker-inspired furniture, and ‘Natural Renewal’, where recycled materials and tactile surface treatments and finishes take precedence. Rotpunkt, meanwhile, has created a new concept it is calling ‘Calm Industrial’ – “a reinvention of the indus- trial design style, with a softer colour palette helping to place new emphasis on timber finishes and iconic features. “Calm industrial kitchen schemes will also be space-sensitive, providing a wealth of open and closed furniture solutions in 2022 with canopy-style storage and wall panelling systems creating lifestyle-friendly kitchen spaces that support individual needs and living habits,” Rotpunkt says. Popular colours and patterns should reflect these trends, with greens, blues, florals and botanicals, wood finishes and taupes all likely to be seen. The search term ‘green kitchens’ rose by 48% in 2021 on the popular Houzz platform. However, there is also an appetite for bolder colours, but that doesn’t have to mean bright, as dark colours are also seeing a rise in popularity. ‘Black
kitchen worktop’, ‘black
pendant lights’ and ‘dark grey kitchen’ all more than doubled in searches and all look great as a grounding accent alongside softer shades.
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Where bathroom design is concerned, Acquabella’s design manager Juan Luna believes eclectic spaces will continue to trend. “We can combine styles from different eras. Mixing heritage with contemporary styling and blending minimalist textures with retro patterns are going to be a strong trend for 2022.”
So, the Covid-19 pandemic and its fallout is driving us towards styles that evoke a sense of renewal, and making our homes feel even more homely and personalised, but it has also been driving trends in more practical and tangible ways. The home office is now a thing considered by most of us at some point in the past two years and it’s now a mainstream idea rather than a luxury add-on.
Johnston at Informa comments:
“Working from home, like the internet itself, has now become more of an essential part of working life. The pandemic merely accelerated this. It’s also played a steer on retail, purchase and consumer needs. However, where products are being sold online, larger
lifestyle, furniture and home
sales have all relied more on face-to- face and in-store sales.”
Rather than having a separate room for a home office, we’ll likely see spaces designed into niches in kitchens and underused spaces such as under the stairs. Last year, Hepplewhite expanded its home office range to better integrate with living spaces.
more people searched ‘green kitchens’ in 2022 than the year before
48%
Powder Pink design by Keller Kitchens
Mick Sumner, trade sales support manager, commented at the time: “We are seeing an increase in homeowners wanting to use their domestic spaces more flexibly. Most people don’t have the space for a standalone home office so instead are creating multifunctional spaces that can serve many different functions.” Flexibility is the key. Nolte’s area retail sales manager Sarah Goelbel adds: “Working from home has become increasingly popular due to the experience of the benefits that come with it. “This is met with flexible furniture that allows designers to seamlessly integrate a workspace in the kitchen and beyond. Desks are now as
important as gardens and kitchen islands. The trend is here to stay.” This new way of
living is also
impacting on the layout of kitchens with open-plan not necessarily the optimal arrangement. Broken-plan, adaptable and modular might well be preferable, with an emphasis on multifunctionality. The Living Kitchen really does have to serve all the functions of everyday life, so a flexible approach is crucial. Tom Howley, design director at Tom
Howley, comments: “We recommend planning the kitchen before building work starts, giving you flexibility with the design. With a little innovation and imagination, you can create an adaptable layout that includes the
· January 2022
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