LivingKitchen at IMM Cologne: Top Products

Last week I shared the top trends I spotted at LivingKitchen, a kitchen trade show I attended last month in Cologne, Germany. This week, I'd like to share some of my favorite products from the show.


Game Changer Alert: Counter Intelligence

I've fallen in love again... With a new countertop material. Gold Notes readers know I love quartz tops or their durability, easy maintenance, versatile good looks and warranty protection. These new porcelain tops from TPB Barcelona in Spain offer the same virtues, with some great new styles.




There will be a Molten Gold feature on TPB coming soon, but I didn't want to delay in bringing you a fabulous new entry to the countertop market. They're not yet available in the US; I'm hoping that will change very soon! If you're a designer, ask your favorite fabricator to check these out. If you're a homeowner, ask your favorite designer to look into them for your kitchen. Let's get the North American ball rolling, folks!


Fridge Plus

Liebherr has added a wine cooler to a fridge-freezer combination. While I can't see this working in a family kitchen -- it lacks the freezer space most families require -- it could be an interesting choice for a rec room or vacation home.




Dishwasher Less

Bosch took a modular approach to appliances, allowing you to create kitchen symmetry with a group of small in-wall units. I particularly liked the mini dishwasher.




I can see this unit working very well as a home's second dishwasher - especially in a bar or game room setting.


Game Changer Alert: Hoodwinked

Traditionally, downdraft hoods are less efficient than their overhead components. It's just physics; smoke rises. Elica has changed the equation. Their new Seagull downdraft hood elevates to an overhead position, drawing smoke up into its vents with both style and efficiency.




While all the Elicas I've seen at past KBIS shows have focused on style, this one delivers innovation, too.


Sinkalicous

Every time I visit KBIS, I make it a point to visit the Blanco booth and see what new styles and colors they're offering in Silgranit, one of my favorite sink materials. As Blanco was the host for this Germany/LivingKitchen trip, I was one of the Design Council members given a tour of their large booth at the show. I really liked the Ronis Sink with its cutting board cover and accessories.




I would definitely spec this as a client's prep sink, but in an undermount configuration. I also liked the new Blanco Ceramic sinks.




They offer both fireclay durability and great accessories - i.e., Sensible Style!


Game Changer Alert: Now You're Cooking!

Gaggenau is a company that isn't afraid to innovate. At LivingKitchen, they introduced a fabulous new induction cooktop that works like no other smooth top I've ever seen - induction or radiant. Anywhere you place your pot or pan on its surface becomes a burner.




If you move the pot to a new place on the cooktop, it recalls your previous settings, making cooking more flexible and efficient. Wow.


Take a look at my LivingKitchen Top Trends Post, too! Some of these will be heading to a North American kitchen near you!


Also check out the blogs of my fellow LivingKitchen travelers. Each has their own great posts on this terrific tradeshow. The links below will take you to their home page. A search of "LivingKitchen," "Living Kitchen," "IMM," or "Cologne" should pull up their top-notch coverage.

Leslie Clagett's KB Culture
Paul Anater's Kitchen and Residential Design
Susan Serra's The Kitchen Designer
Cheryl Clendenon's Kitchen Details and Design

LivingKitchen at IMM Cologne: Top Trends

Last week in Germany, two firsts occurred: One, I attended a European trade show. Two, the popular IMM Cologne interior design expo created LivingKitchen, a show within their already popular show dedicated exclusively to my favorite room in the house!

LivingKitchen featured some of the top European brands, including Blanco, the sink and faucet company sponsoring our group, among others. I'm a member of the Blanco Design Council, which means I'm periodically asked for my input on products, advertisements and other company initiatives.

What it's important for my readers to know is that my BDC involvement doesn't mean that I'm paid to write or speak about their products; long before I became a member, I was praising their Silgranit sinks. In fact, don't be surprised if you see a Blanco product or two in my next IMM top products post, or if you see a Cafe Brown Silgranit II sink in my kitchen in the not-too-distant future either. Enough on that subject. Let's get to the good stuff -- the trends I spotted at IMM's LivingKitchen show last week.


Cool white was red hot at IMM. White appliances showed up everywhere, along with white cabinets and countertops. While I don't see white being a hot seller in the US, at least not in the near future, it did have a nice look at the show.


Sleeker ovens showed up strongly at IMM. When I toured KBIS with my architect contributor/ friend/go-to guy for luxury trends Dean Larkin, AIA in 2008, he was lamenting the chunky ovens that protruded awkwardly from their cabinets. Well, that problem appears to have been solved. So many of the ovens on display at this show were fully integrated into their boxes. If they came paneled, like dishwashers or refrigerators, you would never know they were there. This leads smoothly to my next trend...

Minimalist white appliances from Miele

"Un-kitchens" were handsomely on display last week. Don't want to see your appliances? Pull a door across them. Want an open floor plan that doesn't scream kitchen? This hide-away design strategy is for you!

One of the many handsome "Un-Kitchens" on display at LivingKitchen expo
Photo: Koelnmesse

Laminate continues to come on strong. It clads more European cabinets and countertops than any other material I spotted at the show. Their laminate, however, is much higher end than what we're used to seeing in American tract homes. (You know, the stuff we rip out in almost every remodel!) The dominant look is textured, but glossy laminates that look like glass caught my eye, too.

One of my favorites, white and textured laminate from Allmilmo

Black cladding on polished chrome was a sharp, formal yet modern look for faucets. I like this trend myself, but see it more in a powder room or master bath than a kitchen. They evoke a black-tie soiree at home!

What's black and chrome and stylish all over? A Blanco faucet!

Skinny tops ruled the show! Whereas in the US, we're used to the "bigger is better" approach in countertops, the Europeans have gone the opposite direction. Countertops were thin, (about three-eighths of an-inch), sleek and sometimes raised above the cabinets with LEDs or open space between the two.

One of the many ultra-thin countertops on display at LivingKitchen expo
Photo: Koelnmesse

Sinks rose to new heights. Since laminate tops are so popular in Europe, you don't see as many of the undermounts we associate with high-end design here. Some manufacturers, like Duravit, are showing just raised edges. Others are raising the whole countertop section around the sink, or creating "wading pool" sinks for the kitchen. While I like their style, I'm not sold yet on the sensibility of these.

I do, however, like the hideaway concept, where a clever cutting board slides across to hide the sink and add extra workspace. There were many hideaway options shown at Living Kitchen, and I can see them coming to the US market quickly, too.

Built-in drainboards are popular there, too. They work especially well with drop-in sinks, but can be extended from undermounts, too.

Blanco lets the sink drainboard Flow 0nto the countertop

Check out my second post on the show: LivingKitchen at IMM Cologne - Top Products. You'll spot what I consider to be The Next Great Countertop and other game changers. Promise!

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Also check out the brilliant blogs by my LivingKitchen traveling companions: Cheryl Nagle Kees Clendenon, Paul Anater, Susan Serra and Leslie Claggett - some of the most respected design bloggers in the industry and folks I'm happy to call friends. Search "IMM" or "Living Kitchen" or "LivingKitchen" from the above links and enjoy their individual takes on the trip of a lifetime!