Kitchen and bathroom design post-Covid | FOCUS
Experts say zoning will be prevalent in future kitchens. Shown here is the Innsbruck range from Störmer
better and create a physical division between home life and work. Increased working from home is here to stay.” Tom McCarthy, commercial director at Crown Imperial picks up on the idea of ‘zoned living’: “Many consumers have had more time to re-evaluate their home and consider new interior projects. We envisage further growth of defined kitchen and living zones, achieving a multifunctional and future- proof space for all the family. “We also predict that with the recent
shift to working at home, retailers will increasingly look to incorporate flexible modular furniture to seamlessly blend the living scheme”. But Cosentino UK’s marketing manager Laura Davie sees a future for open-plan too: “Over the past few months especially, the kitchen has really thrived as a multifunctional and social space. “With the kitchen now a key place working,
for studying and family
activities, we anticipate the trend for open-plan living to continue as customers seek out more functionality for their kitchen workspaces. “Connected spaces that allow for
the flow between the inside and the outdoors will also be prevalent, maximising space and light in the home while promoting well-being.”
Appliances
On the appliances side, manufacturers acknowledge that with people having got used to not going out and cooking at home, appliances that save the consumer time will be a key factor.
September 2020 · „ 57 A KITCHEN RETAILER’S VIEW
‘The urge to renovate became increasingly important’
Daniela Condo, senior designer at Life Kitchens in London, considers how lockdown kitchens morphed even more into multifunctional spaces
Whether your home became an office, school, children’s playground or bakery, in a matter of months we were given the chance to truly understand how we use our homes and what for. Space quickly became a luxury and unsurprisingly the kitchen was thrown into the spotlight. Historically, it has always been one of the most important rooms in the house, but this multifunctional area suddenly needed to double up as not just a space for cooking and dining, but a space to work, hold meetings, entertain the children or even simply having a date night with your loved one.
N And, as a society that loved to dine out, lockdown
gave homeowners a new appreciation of the smaller things in life, including time spent at home. Our wish lists changed to reflect the new normal and the urge to renovate and shift where our priorities lay became increasingly important. But also, the looming possibility of another lockdown means that people have been and will be planning more for the future, in case this happens again.
ow, more than ever, people are aware of just how important space is.
The looming possibility of
another lockdown means that people have been and will be planning more for the future
Larger, more social spaces have taken precedence, as well as the need for a preparation area to cook healthy meals for the whole family, and clear worktop space to differentiate between certain areas. An open-plan dining area or island to allow home- schooling while you cook became central for busy families and the addition of hidden storage, including pantries, became a must for acquiring extra space, whether that be for dry foods or office equipment and files. Quieter appliances also quickly shot to the top of people’s wish lists, so that in an open-plan setting they were not disturbed. At the height of lockdown, we offered virtual appointments to provide a safer environment, so our customers could feel at ease and adhere to government guidelines. Although these will never replace face-to-face interaction, creating a bond and building the trust cannot be as easily replicated over the phone, by e-mail or computer.
They have been a fantastic tool to enable us to continue trading throughout the pandemic. We have even introduced a virtual showroom, to try to replicate the physical appointment as much as we can, providing that first-class experience.
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