We recently sent our Mint Kitchen Group designers to Milan to experience the sights and sounds of Milan Design Week, and take inspiration from Salone del Mobile. Milano – the world’s preeminent design show.

When it comes to design trends, Australia tends to set its own course but we take much of our inspiration from emerging trends in Europe. In the hands of an expert designer, these trends are then interpreted for Australian homes and the way we live, cook, eat and entertain.

Here’s what our designers discovered…

Colour

There was an explosion of colour to delight the senses and engage visually with the interior environment. We saw many colours we are already using here in Australia – deep greens, rich terracottas, and some lighter blues – sitting alongside wood grains and textured surfaces. We also spotted some experimentation with buttery yellows, burnt oranges and some bright purples but the overwhelming trend was towards softened versions that were “dulled” with grey undertones.

Materials

We saw lots of creativity in how materials were used in the kitchen and, in particular, how the use of materials can enhance the visual aspects of design. From natural timbers sitting alongside matte surfaces, to textured surfaces nestled next to gorgeous natural stone, we found plenty of inspiration in surprising combinations and clever mix-and-match effects.

Ribbed Surfaces

As with here in Australia, we saw an abundance of ribbing and beading used throughout the kitchen. Whether applied to the island bench, used for a bar back, on cabinetry doors, and everywhere else – this textured surface is definitely popular worldwide. The ability to balance light and shade by creating shadow lines, whether regular or at odd intervals, gives the kitchen an extra depth and dimension we haven’t seen in a surface before.

Curves

Almost every major European design house was featuring curves on their stands and in their showrooms. Whether used at the edge of an island bench, incorporated into a breakfast bar, applied to upper cabinetry or featured in the scullery, using curved surfaces to soften the “edges” of the kitchen is definitely an enduring trend.

Benchtops

We see a lot of natural stone used in Europe as it’s so easy to obtain and there is plenty of supply. When used in a kitchen, the stone easily becomes the central visual point of the design and is often a visual highlight of the space. Marble, in particular is very popular, but we also saw some granite and a lot of porcelain on display. At Mint Kitchen Group we often specify natural stone for our designs, and we have been using porcelain for many years, so it was great to see that reflected in the displays at the fair.

Island Bench

There was an emphasis on the island bench this year with plenty of consideration given to the use of the space. We saw the design industry playing with different approaches to the idea of an island bench with plenty of suggestions about how to use the space and how to incorporate storage solutions. As well we saw experimentation with the different applications for an island beyond what we normally consider – such as where to arrange or place seating areas or how to manage traffic flow.

Sliding Surfaces

In Europe, the homes (and, therefore, the kitchens) tend to be smaller than in Australia so there is always great emphasis on efficient use of space. Here’s where we see the application of a number of slide out/in or slide up/down solutions to have elements at the ready when needed but be able to tuck them away or out of sight when not in use. Ideas such as benchtops that slide out to create a breakfast bar, or functional areas such as within cabinets to have a slide out shelf were abundant, as were the usual lift up bars and storage areas.

Alfresco Living

New this year was a real emphasis and focus on the idea of alfresco living so possibly the European design community is taking some inspiration from our Australian lifestyle. We saw plenty of outdoor kitchens on display with interesting solutions for space organisation, colours and use of materials with stainless steel being prevalent.

Integrated Sinks

This is an extension of the stone benchtop trend and having a sink made from the same material allows the designer to create a lovely flow across the surface of the benchtop. An integrated sink produces a visual consistency which is very useful on a large area such as an island bench plus it means one surface throughout which is much more useful and efficient for cleaning and maintenance.

Wine Storage

Being great lovers of food and wine, it’s not unusual to see a focus on wine and wine storage design when in Europe. But, this year, it was ubiquitous with almost every major design house focussing on how to elevate wine storage to another level. From walk-in cellars to rooms behind the kitchen, to incorporated wine fridges within the kitchen – all solutions were on display.

Pivoting Solutions

Taking advantage of the new technology in hardware design, lots of the displays were playing with how to use pivot door systems. This was sometimes cleverly used to hide additional storage that was only revealed with the door was used, or to hide an entry way to another room behind the kitchen, or conceal a butler’s pantry space. We also saw the new Hettich FurnSpin used extensively throughout the show and it’s no surprise it has been so popular. This clever unit is so versatile and such a fantastic storage solution, we’re expecting to see it in plenty of Australian homes very soon.

Interior Design

Milan’s Design Districts are packed full of inspiration for interior spaces of all shapes and sizes. We particularly noticed the clever specification of furniture elements to enhance or underscore a theme. Lighting design is absolutely essential to ensure the interior scheme has the correct ambiance so we’re expecting to see a focus on lighting and lighting solutions as a major part of our interior design role.

A couple of question marks

We did notice a couple of extra elements that we’re not sure will become popular in Australia. Many of the kitchen displays featured benchtops with an extra “lip” around the perimeter which didn’t seem to have a practical application. It did create a nice design effect but we’re not sure how functionality might be impacted. Also, some of the more heavily textured doors did make us wonder how difficult they would be to clean and maintain throughout the lifespan of the product.

All in all, Milan Design Week didn’t disappoint with inspiration to be found around every corner. If you’d like some inspiration for your next interior project, drop into one of our Melbourne showrooms or contact us here.