German kitchens are so popular right now with Irish and UK homeowners, probably because Germany is seen as the trend setter when it comes to kitchen design, they turn to Kitchensmanchester.org – Fitters and Designers.  We love German kitchens here at Kitchenindex.ie, so we wanted to be able to tell our readers what styles, layouts and colours are popular in Germany right now.  If it’s a hot trend in Germany, you’ll see it on the market for kitchens in Ireland and the UK too.

We wanted to get it straight from the horses mouth, so we decided to interview one of the biggest kitchen retailers in Germany, Küche&Co to find out what trends are currently popular in the German kitchen market.

Kitchenindex.ie: What kitchen styles are most popular with German homeowners right now?

Küche&Co: Modern and contemporary kitchens are most popular although we still design and fit classic and country styles for certain customers.  High gloss kitchens are our biggest seller with handleless door styles growing in demand.

(Examples of German handleless kitchens.  Notice the use of soft colours)

Kitchenindex.ie: What colours would you say are the biggest seller for Küche&Co?

Küche&Co: We tend to get asked a lot for soft colours such as white, ivory, stone, grey, sand and cashmere.  But white is definitely the most popular colour for kitchens in Germany.  What a lot of homeowners are opting for is two tone or colour blocking.  This might be in the form of choosing a different colour for your tall cabinet or for a niche shelving area.  It could also be a different colour on the wall cabinets than that of the floor cabinets.  Colour blocking can give the WOW factor to a simple kitchen design, so we design a lot of this in to our kitchens, the design includes the latest appliances like ovens or a vacuum sealer land which are popular now a days.

(Some examples of soft tones, two tone kitchens and colour blocking)

Kitchenindex.ie: In terms of kitchen layouts, is it large open plan living areas that are popular or smaller kitchen spaces that are closed off from the rest of the house?

Küche&Co: Most definitely it is open plan living spaces that incorporate the kitchen, dining area and living room.  I think this is the same all over the world.  People want space around them and want the kitchen to be very much a social hub within the home.

(Open Plan German Kitchen –  Kitchen is finished in Sand Gloss Lacquer with Virginia Oak)

Kitchenindex.ie: You mentioned that classic and country style kitchens are still being requested by your customers.  What colours are popular among these style of kitchens?

Küche&Co: Even though you might think that classic and country style kitchens are traditional looking, they really aren’t so much anymore.  Our designs are quite simple in terms of door styles and colours.  Our two most popular styles from our classic and country style kitchens are the Oak Terra and the Oak Platinum.  The Oak Terra is beautiful dark coloured kitchen and the Oak Platinum is a lighter more subtle colour.

About Küche&Co:  Küche&Co are one of Germany’s largest kitchen retailers with about 100 kitchen showrooms and over 300 design consultants in Germany.  You can see their full range at http://www.exclusivkitchens.com.au/kitchen-designer-showrooms-brisbane

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Do you fancy new granite or quartz kitchen worktops fitted in time for Easter?  Maybe you’re having friends or family around for dinner and want to impress them with your new worktops not like you’re alone that you can just make an Easy one tray dinner for yourself.  Or maybe your looking to finish off your new kitchen with natural stone worktops.  Either way,  Stone Surfaces Ltd, serving the full 32 counties of Ireland, are offering deals which I think you will find hard to beat.

Both granite and quartz worktops are a fantastic way to finish off your kitchen and give that luxurious look and feel.  Both are extremely hard wearing and easy to keep clean in the modern home.  For years, granite and quartz were hard to afford for many homeowners but I think you’ll all agree that these offers by Stone Solutions Ltd change all that.

Sinkology copper sinks will make your home stand out and give you that look you have been dreaming about.

The first offer is a special rate on selected granite and quartz worktops when fitted before Easter 2013.  The second offer is for varying discounts on selected colours in the Silestone collection.

Stone Surfaces Ltd are located in Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford but serve the whole of Ireland.  To avail of these fantastic offers you can email them at info@stonesurfaces.ie or call them on 043-6671365.  These offers are available for worktops fitted before Easter 2013 so contact Stone Surfaces Ltd as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Check out the offers below and contact Stone Surfaces Ltd by phone or email as above.

Granite Countertop Special Offer

Quartz Countertop Special Offer

Please contact Stone Surfaces Ltd direct on 043-6671636 to avail of these special offers on granite and quartz countertops.  Alternatively you can email Stone Surfaces Ltd at info@stonesurfaces.ie

This first S-Box™ range is a practical and stylish way to increase the storage space in your Kitchen and with a carefully selected range of products and contents to suit every taste, enables your kitchen to look clean, clutter-free and well presented.

Maximising otherwise wasted space towards the rear of the cabinet or within the voids in a kitchen island, each S-Box™ can be easily installed and adds value and innovation to any kitchen design. Described as the most innovative development in the kitchen market since the soft-close drawer, the S-Box™ is set to become the next “must-have” accessory in every household. Another thing necessary is to hire cleaning service, and we recommend maids columbus oh.

Take a look at the options available:

For more details on the S-Box you can visit the website at http://the-sbox.com/

Then you simply must check out these fantastic special offers from Stone Surfaces Ltd.  Stone Surfaces Ltd serve all 32 counties of Ireland and provide a full templating, manufacturing and installation service for granite and quartz worktops.  You can find contact details for Stone Surfaces Ltd. at the bottom of the page.

Quartz Worktop Special Offer:

Granite Worktop Special Offer:

Stone Surfaces Ltd.,

Edgeworthstown,

Longford.

Tel: 043-6671365

Fax: 043-6671636

Email: info@stonesurfaces.ie

Website: www.stonesurfaces.ie

Stone Surfaces Ltd, serving customers in all 32 counties of Ireland, are offering two fantastic deals on Granite Worktops this January.

So if you are in the market for new granite worktops for your new or existing kitchen, then make sure you call Stone Surfaces Ltd for a free estimate (contact details at end of page).  Stone Surfaces Ltd offer a full service including templating, manufacturing and installation.  So here are the two exceptional offers:

Offer One:

Offer Two:

To contact Stone Surfaces Ltd about these special offers on granite worktops, you can call them on 043-6671365.  Alternatively, you can fax your worktop or kitchen plan to 043-6671636 or email them at info@stonesurfaces.ie.

Ease of cooking, energy efficiency and safety are all things that come to mind when choosing a hob for your kitchen.  That’s why more and more homeowners are choosing an induction hob over traditional gas and electric.

Gorenje, the Slovenian kitchen appliance manufacturer, see the importance of adding more choice to their portfolio of innovative induction hobs and so have introduced three new ranges to their collection, including a panoramic and a five zone model.

The latest additions to Gorenje’s induction hob range are a five zone model, a four zone panoramic hob and a four zone 60 cm wide model. They feature a chic black glass design, with easy to use touch control, residual heat indicators and safety hob locks for peace of mind. The new panoramic and five zone hobs also offer several innovative functions such as Boil Control to prevent pans boiling over, and StopGo to temporarily pause the cooking process.

Ruth Ferguson, Gorenje’s Marketing Manager, says: “Induction is rapidly becoming the most sought after hob type, and consumers are looking for a variety of sizes and configurations so they can pick the right one for their kitchen. Gorenje’s new induction hobs come in a selection of arrangements to ensure that the consumer can find the ideal one for their needs, whilst offering elegant, seamless design and thoughtful functionality.”

Key features and benefits of the IT1141AC Panoramic induction hob:

• Four zone induction hob with ergonomic panoramic design for easy access to pots and pans
• Stylish black glass finish with chamfered edge
• Two 21cm zones offer up to 3.7 kW each, and two 18cm zones offer up to 3kW each
• BoilControl helps prevent pans from boiling over
• PowerBoost function further enhances the performance of the hob, delivering additional time savings
• StopGo function allows the consumer to temporarily suspend the cooking process when unexpectedly interrupted. One touch of the StopGo key freezes all settings, temporarily switching off all active heating zones until reactivated by the StopGo key
• StayWarm function allows the consumer to keep their food warm at an optimum temperature
• Residual heat indicators illuminate to show which zones are still radiating heat, ensuring even greater safety
• Safety control lock for peace of mind, particularly around children
• Timer function for easy use
• Comes with Gorenje’s free five year parts and labour guarantee
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 43 x 1070 x 410 mm
• The IT1141AC retails for approximately £799

For more information about Gorenje’s new induction hobs call Gorenje on 020 8247 3980, or visit the website at www.gorenje.co.uk.

]]> http://www.kitchenindex.ie/blog/index.php/2011/10/panoramic-induction-hob-for-a-sleek-look/feed/ 0 http://www.kitchenindex.ie/blog/index.php/2011/06/german-kitchen-showcase-part-2-pronorm-kitchens/ http://www.kitchenindex.ie/blog/index.php/2011/06/german-kitchen-showcase-part-2-pronorm-kitchens/#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:20:52 +0000 Kitchen Index http://www.kitchenindex.ie/blog/?p=1365 In the next part of our feature on German Kitchens, we are taking a look at the range of kitchens from Pronorm.

Pronorm are well known for their contemporary kitchen designs with that typical German look.  Clean lines, functional design and high quality manufacturing have seen Pronorm grow to be one of the big players in the middle to high end kitchen market.  Pronorm have a rich history in furniture manufacturing, having begun production back in 1945.  The name Pronorm was introduced in 1972 and their kitchens can now be found all over the world.

So let’s take a look at some of the Pronorm range:

Pronorm Y-Line

The Y-line by Pronorm, shown here in white gloss, is a handle-less kitchen with sleek lines that fits beautifully with contemporary living.  What I love about this kitchen is the sense of tranquility you get from it and how it blends in rather than take over the room.  For anyone with a small or dark kitchen, consider a kitchen like the Y-line in white gloss.  It will give a more spacious feel to the room by blending in and allowing light (whether natural or artificial) to bounce off it.  The Y-line also comes with thick end panels which frame the doors and streamline the look.  This range from Pronorm is also available in vanilla, cubanit, anthracite and black.

Also in the Y-line range:

Proline 128

The Proline range, as you can see from the photo, can be fitted with handles or without.  If planning without handles, a touch opening system would be used instead of a finger rail.  Again, the main part of this kitchen is white, but the island shown is in black gloss.  The reason for showing this particular photograph of the Proline range is to highlight the open shelving design on the main kitchen run.  The beauty of this design is that it takes away that heavy kitchen look and lends itself perfectly towards an open plan living area.

Also in the Proline 128 range:

Classicline

The Classicline range from Pronorm is an extremely flexible range.  The idea is that homeowners can choose a modern or classic look for their kitchen depending on their preferred look.  The kitchen above left, is a mix of both titanium and teak, with the teak warming up what might otherwise be a cold looking kitchen.  As we have said before, mixing and matching is a key trend at the moment.  The kitchen to the right is a more classic or traditional kitchen.  The doors centre panel is v-grooved to give a country look with the vanilla colour being warm and inviting.

Also in the Classicline range:

To find out more about Pronorm kitchens, visit their website at www.pronorm.de.

To find a dealer of Pronorm kitchens on Kitchenindex.ie go to http://www.kitchenindex.ie/retail/category-1/Fitted-Kitchens-and-Bedrooms.aspx/page-1/perpage-10/county-no/brand-Pronorm

The Irish Kitchen and Bedroom Association (IKBA), will be holding an open evening of information and inspiration for homeowners considering a new kitchen for their home.

The event will be held in the Hayfield Manor Hotel on College Road in Cork City on Thursday May 26th 2011 from 7 to 9pm.  The IKBA plan to have three presentations on the night to discuss different aspects of kitchen design, and this will be followed by a question and answer session to a panel of experts.

The cost of the event to homeowners is €20 on the night.  However, if you book a spot at the event before Wednesday the 18th of May attendance is free of charge.  It is advised that you pre-book your place at the event as it tends to fill up quite quickly, and of course you can save yourself €20.

So why not pop along to the Hayfield Manor Hotel in Cork on the night and bring a copy of your architects plans to discuss your kitchen plans with the experts on the night.

To pre-book the event you can email the IKBA at info@ikba.ie

The CX 480, a frameless full surface induction hob, consists of one 2,800 cm² zoneless cooking area that allows you to put pans or pots of all sizes and shapes anywhere on the surface.  It also comes with an extra-large TFT colour touch-control display will indicate the size, shape and position of your cookware. The induction cooktop can accommodate up to 4 pans simultaneously.

The CX 480 includes many features including a booster function, separate timer for each cooking position, information key with use indications and power management.  For safety, this induction hob also includes a main switch, individual pot detection, residual heat indicator and a child lock.  As with all induction hobs, the use of magnetic induction pots and pans is necessary.

For more information on this induction hob and other the rest of the Gaggenau range, visit their website at http://www.gaggenau.com/change-country.do