Design 2000: Going Global
From ‘furniture-look’ cabinetry and textured surfaces to
‘floating’ countertops and soft color palettes, the latest kitchen
design trends have a global feel and appeal.
by Janice Anne Costa
It’s often said that the world just keeps getting smaller. Nowhere
is this truer than in kitchen design, where today’s hottest trends
seem to be global in nature, with variations on similar themes
showing up in kitchens from sea to shining sea, and across the
ocean, as well.
Whether its “furniture-look” cabinetry, textured surfaces and
laminates, softer color palettes, lineal design, “floating”
countertops or elegant combinations of stainless, granite and
glass, design for the new millennium seems to have a global feel
and global appeal that seamlessly combines aesthetics and
practicality.
Keep it simple
When it comes to designing “globally,” minimalism and simplicity
are two of the hottest trends right now, according to Michael de
Giulio, CKD, of the Chicago-based de Giulio Kitchen Design, who
spoke about global kitchen design trends at last month’s K/BIS in
Chicago.
Although seemingly simplistic in nature, “minimalism” is not
just about the absence of clutter, he explains. Rather, it’s a more
complex design concept that involves creating a room that is light
and airy in appearance, yet possessed of all the essential
functional elements with each visible element playing a key role in
the overall design.
“It’s quite difficult to design minimally because by eliminating
things, anything you don’t eliminate becomes that much more
important,” he explains. “You have to really think about what
you’re putting in there, and make sure each item really works for
you from a design standpoint.”
Minimalism, at its best, fuses light and space and elements of
design to create an efficient, inviting and clutter-free layout.
“Minimalism celebrates light as a material,” de Giulio says. This
includes not only using natural and general lighting, but also
using “light” colors and materials, open layouts and a strong
visual focal point.
Similarly, simplicity whether in traditional or contemporary
design is one of the hottest trends to come out of the kitchen
lately, according to renowned design speaker and Hearst Special
Publications editor-in-chief Charlotte Barnard, who spoke about
emerging trends in design at last month’s K/BIS.
Simplicity, she notes, is about “clean lines, pale or clear
colors, softer edges, curves, natural materials and an absence of
clutter.” The goal, she explains, “is good looks and good
organization.”
With simple lines garnering so much attention, perhaps it’s no
surprise that European-style kitchens seem to be making some
inroads in the U.S. of late, thanks to their clean lines and
streamlined appearance. As Traverse City, MI-based interior
designer Paula Kersten notes, “We’re seeing a lot of European
influence right now [in the kitchen]. Things are more built-in
looking.
Indeed, the built-in look was evident in a number of designers’
presentations at the recent K/BIS.
And the growing interest in global design means that products
are crossing over as well, with “imports” gaining greater attention
among U.S. designers as the industry expands its boundaries in the
quest for products, designs and applications that have universal
appeal. For example, at the Lewes, DE based New Kitchens, president
Al Dorman cites a quartz countertop product that comes from
Formtechnik out of Germany which he discovered at last year’s K/BIS
in Orlando. Since then, he notes, “It’s been the hottest one
selling item I’ve ever had. That product has taken over my
countertop market.”
Likewise, the recent K/BIS showcased a host of “international”
kitchen products including appliances, cabinetry, sinks and
faucets, cabinet hardware, countertop materials and other related
products to an enthusiastic response from attendees.
Design elements
According to de Giulio, to design effectively at the global level,
it’s important to understand not just the principles of design, but
the philosophical elements, as well. Some of these include
“transparency, texture, softness, suspension, ‘frame and stack,’
and lineal design,” de Giulio says.
However, even these elements can be somewhat complex. For
instance, while obscured glass and materials that “play” with light
can create a transparent effect, he explains that,
“Transparency isn’t necessarily about glass. Rather, it’s
[about] openness. The idea of transparency also goes into furniture
with open shelving, open islands, etc.”
Texture, too, he says, is showing up in kitchens of all styles,
and from all over the globe. Gloss finishes, dimpled surfaces,
textured laminates and the combining of several materials such as
stainless steel, granite and glass to create powerful visual appeal
these are trends that seem to have boundless appeal right
now.
“Texture was always present in traditional design, but now we’re
seeing it in contemporary design, as well,” he adds.
Barnard also sees a growing interest in the use of texture in
kitchen design, and points to a move from “ultra shiny to a more
matte effect on countertops, flooring and appliances.” This trend
is not only about appearances, but about practicality, as well,
since a matte finish does a better job of hiding fingerprints and
smudges, she adds.
De Giulio also notes a trend toward softness softer woods, softer
colors, softer textures that he sees as having global impact.
“Parchment was the color in both Cologne and Milan this year,” he
notes. Similarly, bisque and softer whites seem to be gaining
ground in the U.S.
In addition, “Color is finally making a comeback,” says Barnard,
who sees “blue in every shade from cornflower to cobalt” as the hot
thing to watch for in terms of color trends. She points to the
Color Marketing Group’s projections that, “Color will be clearer
and purer than in the past, bright and transparent, or translucent,
reflecting natural tones,” which underscores the global design
trends de Giulio cited. “Think iMac,” she adds, referencing the
colored yet see-through computer currently hot in today’s
market.
Suspension “was one of the biggest things at [the] Milan [show]
this past year,” de Giulio also notes, as evidenced by a plethora
of cabinets with feet or legs, shelves without brackets, “floating”
countertops, or even suspended pot racks “all things that counter
the ‘heavy’ feeling” that can make a kitchen look clunky and
unappealing.
“Frame-and-stack” furniture sections, grid designs for shelving
or the use of white framing cherry wood are trends that have yet to
gain major U.S. attention, though de Giulio does see a growing
interest in lineal design, “which can even be echoed in hoods,” he
notes.
Up and coming
When it comes to up-and-coming trends, it’s still about the basics,
industry experts agree. “The three biggest trends I expect to see
as the new millennium progresses are simplicity, comfort and
tradition,” notes Barnard.
Tradition ties into the trend toward retro design, she says,
however,”The key thing to remember about the retro trend is that
they still want all the efficiency, comfort and convenience of
today.” No matter how traditional a kitchen’s appearance, she
believes that consumers will still expect “high tech” features.
“Look for more ‘smart’ appliances in the next few years, more
liquid display panels, more ‘speed cooking,’ and more whole-house
control systems,” she says.
Other trends that Barnard expects to see grow in the next few
years include “unusual design features, modular cabinets that can
be moved around as the homeowners’ tastes change,” and the use of
softer visual lines throughout the kitchen to balance the high-tech
amenities.
“Curves provide a counterpoint to hard edges and provide a sense
of tranquility,” Barnard notes, adding that the next few years will
see “more curves of faucets, handles on appliances, even cabinets
and countertop edges.”
Additionally, she says, “Look for mixed ambient and task
lighting, hanging pendant lights.”
Universal design features, too, will be “in great demand” in the
next decade, Barnard believes, while water quality will continue to
be “a big issue in the future,” with point-of-use filters growing
stronger, Barnard says.
Along those lines, Barnard also expects to see a greater U.S.
interest in the global trend toward “green” or environmentally
friendly design, as a renewed interest in the environment sparks
growth in this niche.
Ultimately, though, de Giulio notes that good design either
local or global must come down to using the designer’s greatest
asset imagination. To that end, he sees “a willingness to
lean toward ‘risk and creativity,’ i.e. playing with different
colors, different shapes or unusual hardware as a trend that will
continue to grow as the new millennium shapes up. KBDN