Life
Appliances and Applications
Flexibility, convenience and creativity are the order of the day as more appliance companies embrace the lifestyle ethos in their designs.
These days, when it comes fridges, ovens, stovetops, dishwashers, rangehoods and – of course – wine cabinets to keep your treasured bottles safe, the sky’s the limit. As technology has raced forward, the possibilities it has opened up in kitchen design are vast. The upside of this is that each appliance category has something perfectly suited for every situation, space and budget, granting ample opportunity to plan for exactly what you have in mind for your dream kitchen.
Above: Bertazzoni’s sleek appliances impart a modern sophistication
Know your need
Space and function have always played a role in deciding what we put into our homes, but as we continue to squeeze more functionality out of our kitchens, think about what you need.
For instance, when it comes to your refrigerator, think about how much food you like to keep. Do you like to do one big shop for the week, or are you happy to shop on the way home from work? A fridge is a must, of course, but the larger the fridge/freezer capacity, the less room you have to play with.
Cool Magic
What you can expect to see more of when it comes to choosing a fridge is versatility: think integrated and adjustable beverage units that can chill down your fizz in 10 minutes, variable temperature zones for entertaining, and bigger freezer spaces for people who want to buy in bulk or for those looking to make their food last longer.
Fridges will continue to look sleeker as designers move away from stainless steel (goodbye smudges), and designers are now going back to fridges integrated behind cabinets, or using them as feature accents in the colour palette of kitchen designs.
Cooking with Colour
Speaking of colour, ovens and ranges are also undergoing a design revolution that is seeing a return to classical oven size and functionality, but with colour creating a feature accent that goes beyond function. Both Falcon and Bertazzoni are Selector favourites, each with a new range of colours that will build the “wow” factor into your kitchen.
Left: Breville’s Luxe Collection in Damson Blue Right: Falcon’s new Earth Colour Collection brings the elements inside.
In stovetops and appliances, similarly, there is now greater flexibility at your fingertips than ever before. Whether it’s a countertop air-fryer or pizza oven that can be stashed away, built-in induction panels that can be programmed to have your kettle sit nicely at 90ºC, or gas burners built directly into a stone countertop, there are more choices available by the day.