Tuesday, February 12, 2008
New Europe
Contemporary Style Rules
Our reports for the next few months will be coming from France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. The Dream Spaces editorial department spares no expense to bring the latest in home and lifestyle trends to the Central Coast. Well, okay, the editor is in Europe, so let’s make hay while the sun shines.
The twice-yearly sales are on in France until the end of next week. And the French are shopping! Even big-ticket items like entire kitchens are on sale, with up to 70% off. Kitchen design in France, as in most of Europe, tends toward contemporary (with a few regional exceptions).
Yet even though the lush spreads in design magazines show unadulterated surfaces and kitchens where surgery could safely be performed, in people’s homes, kitchens are invariably warm and welcoming. Regional influences work their way in, from the olive green and yellow pots of Provence to the linen and red color scheme of Alsace. And of course, everything is designed to maximize space, with innovative drawer arrangements, pull-out pantries, under-cabinet utilization and built-in appliances. Cooktops are computer-controlled electric (I confess that while visiting a friend in Switzerland, it took me a minute to figure out how to work, i.e., program, the stove!) Unlike American cooktops, European models have for many years used a seamless heating system from low to high, so that it’s possible to simmer a sauce on a very low heat with superb control.
You’ll still see stainless steel, but less so on refrigerators and dishwashers, where facing material is used to blend these with cabinets. Muted marble countertops are common and again, everything is designed for ease of cleanup, with no joins or overlapping edges where debris can get trapped. Contemporary design is as prized for its functionality as its style.
More on kitchens in our next post.
Posted by editor at 01:21 AM under kitchens & baths
