INSIDER GUIDE

Alex Beaugeard, design director of luxury interiors brand Lanserring, forecasts the future of kitchen design

In response to the pandemic, we are finding clients are requesting homes that exude an air of serenity and calm. Kitchen spaces have become more intimate, as a shared place for family members to congregate in, and are having to work harder than ever before. Due to this, we are seeing people ask for muted palettes that are peaceful and easy to live with. Hidden pantries are popular for everyday food preparation, helping to retain order and serenity in the main kitchen area.

Many of us are using food as a kind of therapy and, therefore, an associated hobby. This has led to some very specific briefs, for example a ‘sourdough island’ designed purely for preparing the bread our client makes daily for her family. Interestingly, we are seeing the demand for a more analogue style of cooking over digital, which promotes the notion of cooking as a practised craft rather than a simplified necessity.

There’s also a heightened awareness around the cleanliness of natural materials and their beneficial properties. We have seen an increase in inquiries exploring materials that are naturally antibacterial, such as copper and bamboo. Purely from a visual perspective, the demand is to find a palette of materials that sit very softly and comfortably near each other, creating gentle, tonal colourways.

Sustainability has always been important to Lanserring and we are glad to see its rising prioritisation in the kitchen industry. We have a strong appetite to reduce our carbon footprint in furniture manufacturing wherever possible. One of the ways we have done this is by installing a solar farm on the roof of our Austrian workshops. All year round, more than 90 per cent of the energy used to power the workshops comes from renewable sources. We are also committed to social sustainability and invest in an apprenticeship scheme where we train students to become master craftsmen. lanserring.com