Skip to main content

American Werewolf in Europe

America is a world super power; it is at the forefront of technological advancement and is perceived to be a forward thinker when it comes to industry and social structure.  Why then do the citizens who make America a great nation settle for a standard of kitchen design that is perceived to be 10 to 15 years behind the rest of the World?

American kitchen design can be perceived as dated, tired and stagnant with lower and middle class families choosing a “Safe” kitchen design that will ensure that their home will appeal to the widest spectrum of possible buyers, should they decide to sell.  Many kitchens in America have an old homely feel with designers specifying solid timber doors with raised centre panels and ornate trimmings and fittings to match.  This is a throw back to the late 70’s and early Eighties when Mark Wilkinson was still finding his feet as a designer and launching kitchen lines that were decorative and fussy.  These early Mark Wilkinson ranges were fantastic and helped to cement Wilkinson’s name at the top of the design ladder but America has never moved on.

And it’s not the fault of the professional kitchen designers who work in the States; after all they have to give the customer what they want.  The Mogul appreciates that many kitchen architects working in America feel frustrated with the lack of diversity within their industry and that although the contemporary market is growing it may not be happening quickly enough.

Contemporary kitchen design is still seen as a niche market making up around 10% of the overall kitchen sales in America and is dominated by German and Italian brands.  Contemporary brands are seen as up-market and expensive but The Mogul believes it is time for change. Contemporary design must be made more attainable for the masses in America.

The images below are from Subzero’s Living kitchen Concept.  They speak for themselves!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Functional Thinking

Purity is a desirable attribute especially if used to disguise complexity!  This design manages to encourage a lingering desire to admire, the type of art gallery presence that demands quiet contemplation to fully appreciate.  By cleverly layering simple linear forms and combining a reserved colour palette this under stated design could be considered a masterpiece of functional thinking! Think about it!

Functional Fabric

The modern kitchen has become an iconic symbol of fashionable style.   It is therefore appropriate that kitchen designers should now keep their eye firmly fixed on the latest textiles and fabrics to grace the runways of Europe especially now that fabric doors can be specified in their next kitchen design! The Meccanica Kitchen by Valcucine evaporates the traditional rigidity of kitchen installation by using an innovative frame work system that can be transported easily, can be assembled by the end user and is 100% recyclable.   It even comes with an end of life cycle “take back guarantee” whereby your old kitchen will be collected, sand blasted and re-coated so that it can re-enter the production cycle!   Oh yea and did The Mogul mention that the doors are fabric!! The Mogul knows that this is going to be a huge hit with the more Eco conscious inhabitants of the planet as the concept dramatically reduces the  carbon footprint of a kitchen. ...

Functional Revolution Through Artistic Evolution

  Amongst the chaos there is order! And here we see a vibrant mix of functional art that inspires the onlooker to delve deeper into this design and realise the complex levels of thought that have inspired such a flagrant disregard for convention. Excitement can be conjured by the exotic, and this design by Gitta Gschwendtner for Schiffini floats the notion that functionality can become an artistic experiment.   To some this may just be a series of boxes but to others this could be seen as an attempt to deliver a functional revolution through artistic evolution. The Mogul approves!