Meeting up with the NKBA friends to search for design trends while in Milan at the Eurocucina show
Getting a little philosophical
about kitchen and bath design --
keys reason to keep
yourself educated on current tends in design.
While in Italy we checked out the latest kitchen and bath design trends at the Eurocucina show in Milan
Blogtour friends Leanne Newman and Pamela Copeman with NKBA CEO Bill Darcy
and NKBA President John Petrie
While in
Milan and visiting the Eurocucina (kitchen and bath show) I spent time with the NKBA folks (The National Kitchen & Bath Association). They were one of our very generous sponsors
for Blogtour Milan. This is my second time getting to know the NKBA people who run the educationally-focused
organization. We met when I was invited on Blogtour Nola at the KBIS exhibit in New Orleans last
spring. I was immediately impressed with the team. NKBA President,
John Petrie is an eloquent public speaker, spreading their mission to
promote professionalism in the kitchen and bath industry though educating the
public on the importance and value of working with qualified professionals. The organizations' CEO Bill Darcy has a clear vision for the organization, and the brand new President-elect for 2015, Maria Stapperfenne shows enthusiasm to be soon taking the helm in her new position. These folks don't waste opportunities to keep their finger on
the pulse of what is current, valuable and enduring. So, together we hit the design trail leading us through a variety of showrooms and booths at the Eurocucina (kitchen and bath show) and Salone Del Mobile (furniture show) and showrooms throughout Milan. This begs a question as to why is it important to note trends? Certainly not to create trendy kitchens and baths. Let's be honest, these rooms cost too much money to consider the trendy, which could possibly be out of style next season. But, a well designed kitchen and bathroom should be of help to us,
make our life more pleasant, easier to use. We want these products to keep on performing and hold up over time. Unlike
trendy design, we look at worldwide trends to understand the latest state of the art technologies, to help make
our day to day lives easier, and make our entertaining and cooking more effortless. It will be exciting to see if many of the distinct trends we spotted in
Milan trickle into our local kitchen designs here in the States. I'd love to see more sleek
design in kitchens with the appliances not as bright and shiny, and showcasing front and center. A kitchen that feels more like the other rooms in our homes, maybe with various cabinetry, and mixed
with natural woods and together with antiques and modern pieces as we noted at Eurocucina. It's important to remember the job of
design is in part artistic, therefore, we must look for inspirations in every
corner, and sometimes we need to push the envelope and see the possibilities of
design -- that is what Eurocucina did for me. The show opened my eyes about the
possibilities for a kitchen, and to think outside the predictable white cabinet and marble counter top we have all become accustomed to in recent years. The
next time I walk into one of these rooms to help with its design, I hope to channel the
splendid state of the art designs we spotted in Milan....a girl can dream! Thanks to Blogtour Milan for keeping my eyes wide open, and
thanks to NKBA for emphasizing what is important to the designers and the
consumers. check out the Blogtour Milan sponsors
and page with their posts about our travels.
Tamara's top 10 Kitchen/Bath trends
spotted in Milan,
and we hope to see more of here
in the United States:
1. ultra-modern oversized,
seemingly floating open shelves,
some with glass and wood.
2. greenery and potted plants and herbs in the kitchen. Plants wrapped in burlap, galvanized pails as planters, antique Japanese rice pots as planters.
showing many unusual finishes and shapes.
4. lots of pale colored wood for kitchen cabinetry, seemingly unadorned natural finish
showing grain and grooves.
5. free-standing cabinetry with
appliances hidden away.
6. unique overhead lighting -
in metal finishes, like copper
8. a mixture of old and new together -- antiques combined with sleek, industrial design.
9. an emphasis on the inner workings of the cabinetry offering many high-tech options -- one-touch, magic corners, lit back cabinets & more.
10. complete luxury spa-like features for the bathroom
combining light and color together
for state of the art customizable features.
even with all this busy design spotting, we still found time to take in some of the historic wonders of Milan.
from the top of the Duomo
follow more of our Blogtour musings on twitter at #BlogtourMilan
