S p e c i a l r e p o r t

Kitchens & Bathrooms

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While every room in the house has to work hard to deliver design outcomes conducive to the client’s lifestyle, the kitchen and bathroom need to work that bit harder, as anyone who’s ever lived with a dysfunctional bathroom (I can raise my hand here) or illogically planned kitchen will agree.

So where to look for inspiration? In researching this year’s kitchens and bathrooms supplement, it became obvious to me that inspiration comes from all over. Of course, major industry events like EuroCucina, Euro Bagno and Casa Decor set the tone. Yet, architects and designers are also looking to the visual arts for inspiration: from Mondrian’s paintings to Anish Kapoor’s sculptures, as well as other sources like traditional Japanese aesthetics, hotel design, nature and even a children’s literary classic.

Such scope hints at the diversity of projects in the coming pages, promising a broad mix of concepts and character. It was my pleasure to compile this supplement to bring you the very best in today’s kitchen and bathroom design from around the globe.

The task was a challenging one – only because there’s so much good work to choose from – but it’s ultimately rewarding for that same reason. As it stands, we’re proud to showcase designs from some of the industry’s finest, including Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico), Colombo and Serboli Architecture (Spain), Herbst Architects (New Zealand), Mops Studio (Russia), Anacapa Architecture (USA), Doherty Design Studio (Australia) and many more.

Identifying current trends was a definite highlight and, of the eight featured, some may come as a surprise, while others are staples we’ve come to rely upon. Indeed, the Minimalist and Sanctuary trends are timeless and, although both are prone to visual shifts, they’re here to stay. While the more flamboyant trends, such as Dramatic and Kaleidoscopic, will probably transform into something altogether different in a few years’ time. Either way, each is a reminder that attention to detail is a requirement, comfort is a priority and the most outstanding designs are always individualised.

We hope you enjoy. – Leanne Amodeo

Architects, designers and their clients can spend days or even weeks discussing solutions for the kitchen and bathroom – and with good reason. If those two spaces are right, everything else falls into place.

this page. Nulla Vale house, Victoria, Australia, by MRTN Architects, photographer Peter Bennetts.

cover, from left. IN 3, Montréal, by Jean Verville, photographer Maxime Brouillet; Ivanhoe Residence, Melbourne, by Doherty Design Studio, photographer Derek Swalwell.

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This trend is the design equivalent of falling down the rabbit hole in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and ending up somewhere unexpected. Visual interest is created through a kaleidoscope of colour in harlequin patterns, boldly patterned terrazzo or bright swatches. The effect is as engaging as it is immersive and that’s the idea; it’s about pushing the limits of experiential design within a residential context to transport the end-user to another place. And it’s also an opportunity for designers and architects to have some fun and create an aesthetic that’s visually surprising and playful.The emphasis is well and truly on decoration and, in this respect, colour is used as a tool to style the kitchen, without having to rely too heavily on other elements to achieve the desired outcome. Colour was used without restraint in kitchen

installations within Casa Decor 2018 in Madrid and the trend is evident in homes from Australia to Russia. The use of block colour is also popular and often riskier to pull off than is a multi-coloured palette, so choosing a shade or tone the client won’t tire of anytime soon is absolutely imperative. Then again, it’s a particular type of client who embraces colour in this way: one who is sure of what they want and relishes the idea of living with their colour-saturated kitchen for many years to come. There’s genuine joy and delight to be found in this trend, such is colour’s positive impact on the human psyche.

From left. Cocina Comedor at Casa Decor 2018, Madrid, by Patricia Bustos Studio, image courtesy Casa Décor and Patricia Bustos Studio; North Perth Apartment, Perth, by Simon Pendal Architect, photographer Robert Frith; Stripe Apartment, Moscow, by MOPS Studio, image courtesy MOPS Studio.

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Kaleidoscopic

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With open-plan living shifting attention towards the kitchen, designers and architects have put subtlety aside and are responding with statement spaces nothing short of striking. This trend was evident at EuroCucina 2018 in Milan where black dominated, followed closely by grey, blue, green and brown in the darkest of shades. Material palettes were also robust and characterised by blackened steel, dirty timbers and dark stone, alongside super-matte surfaces and brushed-metal details. It used to be that a judiciously positioned accent detail or hero finish was enough but, now, the emphasis is on combining all these elements within the one space for maximum visual impact.

This all-encompassing treatment, inclusive of walls, ceiling and joinery as well as of light fittings, splashbacks and appliances, also sets the tone for the dining

and lounge areas, ensuring they are not lost in the overall scheme. But it really is all about celebrating grand gestures, from hyper-moody colour palettes and heavily patterned marble to sublime structural elements created from recycled rustic materials. The only requirement is that there’s plenty of floor space to accommodate the drama. This works best in a generously proportioned kitchen, which is able, spatially, to carry off a combination of the boldest design motifs and expressions.

From left. Elwood Residence, Melbourne, by Doherty Design Studio, photographer Derek Swalwell; Armadale Residence, Melbourne, by Flack Studio, photographer Brooke Holm, styling Marsha Golemac.

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Dramatic

...it’s about celebrating grand gestures, from hyper-moody

colour palettes and heavily patterned marble to sublime

structural elements...

That's all for now!

Pick up a copy of the Oct/Nov 2018 issue of Urbis at any discerning

magazine retailer to get the complete, 24-page Kitchen + Bathroom Guide.

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