Led by design
Facing a future that shows no sign of slowing, we introduce another kind of nourishment that’s about more than what goes in your mouth. Here’s how to put it on the menu.
Future kitchen comforts.
METHOD
“Even when rushed off our feet, we all have to stop to eat, so it makes ever-increasing sense to forecast for a kitchen that’s a space in which you can experience moments of self-care that nourish both body and mind,” says homestyle art director Juliette Wanty, the creative behind the first future-focused kitchen in our new ongoing series. Responding to the trend for tactile materials, her scheme has a soothing, grounding effect. Designing rather than styling with texture (as you might a living space), she’s layered materials, colours and objects that are pleasing and comforting to the eye, to the touch and to use, including state-of-the-art appliances by Fisher & Paykel to make life that much easier.
INGREDIENTS
Essential to your recipe for success is balancing your textural elements with others that provide visual rest. In a calming, neutral colour palette, this welcoming dream kitchen features earthy brick flooring that’s warm underfoot; clean matte cabinetry with curved edges that gently guide you into the adjacent thoroughfares while offsetting the solidity of the smooth marble island, which ‘floats’ on its legs to lighten the mood; and upholstered timber seating that invites you to stay awhile. At the rear of the room, a splashback made with 3D tiles creates a cocooning effect right up to the patterned-glass clerestory window; the latter retains privacy yet provides natural light that reflects off the gloss finish of the powdercoated rangehood.
LEADING TECH
Forward-thinking kitchens that support us to make the most of our downtime harness the power of technology. In this one, a selection of Fisher & Paykel Series 9 appliances — some on display and others seamlessly integrated — helps set you up for quality me- or we-time. The stacked ovens feature a pyrolytic cleaning function and touchscreen tech that offers guided cooking, recipes and helpful tips. The hybrid gas and induction cooktop gives you the best of both worlds — and brings liquid to the boil at lightning speed — while the rangehood has dimmable lights for practicality and ambience, and a nice quiet motor too. Concealed within the cabinetry, the DishDrawer is at bench height, meaning no more bending, and has a clever knock-to-pause function, so there’s no need to worry about missing a dish. The column fridge offers flexible shelving, ActiveSmart technology that helps keep food fresh for longer and an internal dispenser for convenient access to chilled water. The column freezer has a Variable Temperature Zone for optimal storage, and an ice-maker with a boost option — for when time is money but you’ve got a minute for a refreshment on the rocks.
“It makes ever-increasing sense to forecast for a kitchen that’s a space in which you can experience moments of self-care.”