designerati kitchen guide 2023

Welcome

to the designerati kitchen guide 2023

Featuring a collection of the key brands from across the sector.

We’ve created this annual reference tool to help ensure that you have an easily accessible resource for discovering some of the industryleading manufacturers and suppliers. It features carefully-selected brands that you can trust to deliver, across a wide range of kitchen product categories.

There is also a fascinating insight into the experience of a new retailer, whose successful first year is due in no small part to a partnership with buying group MHK.

Kent-based Ornate Kitchens & Interiors share their story, and explain how collaboration gave them the clout to hit the ground running.

We also team up with Houzz to present a snapshot of some of the latest kitchen trends, discovering consumers’ top choices when it comes to styles, colours, gadgets, and materials.

I hope you enjoy our latest sector guide, created to help you tackle exciting projects over the coming months, with some of the very best kitchen partners by your side.

Martin Allen-Smith Editor, designerati

Martin Allen-Smith, Editorial Director

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Front cover image: Kitchen design by Studio Milne (photo - Alexandria Hall)

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Perfect Partners

Ornate Kitchens & Interiors is an inspirational story about how business partners Samuel Payne, Osman Hasan and Zygimantas Daugela turned their dream of starting a new kitchen design business into reality with the help and support of MHK.

Samuel Payne, one of three Directors of Kent-based Ornate Kitchens & Interiors, explains how launching their new business was not nearly as daunting with the support and expert advice of MHK, Europe’s leading buying group for independent kitchen, bathroom and bedroom retailers. The group’s assistance with key functions from cashflow to purchasing power, sales leads to digital marketing, as well as access to a huge range of suppliers, was a huge driver in transforming their dream into reality.

Please tell us a little about Ornate Kitchens & Interiors; the story so far, and the projects that you undertake. The dream to start our own business began when Osman Hasan, Zygimantas Daugela

and myself discussed our experiences and issues in the KBB industry and knew we could create a kitchen design studio that could excel in all areas, particularly in beautiful design and consistent quality control, by pairing excellent service with beautiful products. Combining my background in interior design and architecture with Osman and Zygimantas’ broad experience in building, installation, carpentry, and project management we felt would be a perfect recipe for creating an outstanding customer experience. All we needed was detailed and expert KBB industry business knowledge and contacts.

So, we joined MHK in 2022 and, following in depth and productive discussions with them, developed an ambitious and carefully curated strategic plan and finally launched our showroom in 2022. We chose Tunbridge Wells as our first design studio location – a town I am familiar with, and where I’ve previously undertaken some beautiful projects in the past and knew it would offer interesting opportunities in terms of scope of work.

You opened for business just last year –what were some of the main challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

There is never a right time to open a business and despite the challenges that Covid presented during our planning stages we knew from our own experiences that it was an indisputably good time for the building industry as an increased focus on home improvements led to remarkable sales figures and good profit margins. For this reason, we felt that opening in 2022 gave us an advantage in some ways.

In the context of an uncertain post-Covid world, we also found ourselves reluctant to commit to a large showroom with expensive overheads and instead opted for a small, impactful showroom that can work very hard for us as a space to meet clients and give them a taste of what we can offer. Paired with beautiful CAD designs and the vast amount of product available to us through MHK we’ve found that a smaller showroom is serving us well and we can still deliver customers their dream kitchen.

How has working with MHK helped your business and what are some of the specific benefits, particularly for a new business?

I was very aware after working in showrooms for years that buying in appliances is what

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hampers your cashflow. It was clear to me in the early planning days that we were going to need some help when it came to starting a new business. We also knew there would be so many other business aspects that we had no experience of so, after meeting MHK at KBB Birmingham, we knew we had to work with them.

We met with David Morris, one of MHKs experts, and we walked away excited to know that there’s a company out there that will help guide you from the start as you begin to get off the ground. David helped mentor us through the very beginning of the business and guided us as we developed our business plan, and his advice was invaluable to ensuring our success.

We knew that we had the design and installation experience but not necessarily the confidence on the accounting side. Accounts and invoices are one of the scariest things to me as a designer without a background in finance and MHK have provided support in this area to help me learn, grow, and take

control of this area of the business as I grew more confident.

The variety of product that MHK gives us access to also means that we’re in a good position of being able to offer more than just kitchens if needed and expand into more of the home where the project allows.

What has been your experience so far of the brands and products available through MHK? We’ve been really happy with all the brands that we’ve taken on board at the showroom. Every brand has delivered in a timely manner and the quality is on another level. We’ve opted to use KH System Möbel as our furniture manufacturer and we have been so impressed with the quality of the cabinetry, the way that they mitre the plinths as well as their range of panelling styles.

We’ve not seen the kind of finishes that they offer from anyone else on the market. The options that they offer mean that we’re able to work on projects with a wide range of budgets.

What advice would you have for anyone thinking of setting up a new business in the sector?

Designers who are looking to start their own kitchen retail business, whilst experienced in terms of design and specification, sometimes suffer from a lack of knowledge on the business and fitting side.

One thing I would recommend to anyone planning to set up any new business in this sector is to spend some time learning every area. MHK have been an incredible source of information and support to us helping launch and grow our business.

My advice would be, sign up as an MHK member and also get involved in fitting jobs and absorbing as much information as possible about how designs are brought to life on the practical side. We developed a kitchen fitting app which has dramatically reduced fitting issues, and saved money and time. Ultimately, if you have knowledge of how things come together practically and the right business advice, your projects will always transfer well from design to reality.

We also invest heavily in our social media marketing, primarily on Instagram, where we fully document every stage of a customer’s journey, including fitting, deliveries and final shots of the space. This helps us build trust with potential customers and creates a living CV for Ornate Kitchens & Interiors.

For further information please visit: ornatekitchens.co.uk or mhkgroup.co.uk

Serving up Europe’s largest range of high-performance, luxury wine coolers

Introducing Dunavox wine coolers, a brand of contemporary design and great selection. Originating in Hungary, the brand has built a name within the European luxury wine storage market. At the forefront of innovation and design development. Known for their: minimalistic exterior designs, practical internal layouts, state-of-the-art technology & energy efficiency.

Their core line is broken down into five key family groups: Glance, Soul, Flow, Sera & Grande. Each offering a different design aesthetic, constructed from high-quality components. Providing optimal storage conditions, built to meet the needs of your client’s collection.

With their Glance & Soul ranges featuring Europe’s first self-ventilation system. Developed for in-column installation, allowing easy installation -with no need for a plinth vent. Allowing the designer to have full

flexibility when designing.

Encased in either black glass or stainless steel with the potential for matt black and custom colours on the horizon. Complete with push2open technology within the Glance range, or a stainless steel or black handle for the Soul range. The Flow range boasts Europe’s largest collection of under counter units. Consisting of: 300mmW, 400mmW, 500mmW & 600mmW. Allowing them to fill in gaps that their competitors left behind. Furthering this, they have gone on to develop multiple 880mmH units. Designed to pair with contemporary German kitchen designs.

Developed for Champagne & Prosecco the Sera line features horizontal storage. Rather than the traditional vertical method, making it ideal for larger bottles. With its unique storage function, it has been nicknamed “Label Viewing”. Allowing the collector to view the labels of their diversified collection.

Constructed for large scale collections, the Grande range features Dunavox’s largest bottle capacity units. Holding anywhere between 94-194 bottles, these wine vaults are designed for the ultimate wine collector. Featuring dual temperature zones, allowing the collector to house a diverse collection of wine.

Designed to mimic a wine cellar, the features that occur naturally in a wine cellar are all managed & maintained within the wine cooler unit. There is a balance of light, humidity and temperature, where your clients wine collection can be housed peacefully. Assembled as a focal point to add to your clients kitchen design. To not only showcase their collection, but to complete the overall design aesthetic.

Dunavox has a large quantity of stock held across their UK warehousing. Enabling them to deliver stock within 2-5 working days.

Elica showcases brand-new appliances at the heart of Clerkenwell Design Week

Elica, the marketing-leading Italian designer of cooker hoods and extractor hobs, is bringing its show trailer with brand-new appliances onboard across Europe to the heart of the action at this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week.

The show trailer will be the first opportunity for UK kitchen studios and interior designers to see the unique LHOV, a revolutionary extractor oven with integrated extractor hob in a single appliance.

The elegant design of LHOV, created by Elica’s in-house studio, works perfectly with current trends in kitchen design and its unique ability to remove vapours and odours from the oven as well the hob is a huge benefit especially in open-plan living spaces.

Also on display for the first time is the manufacturer’s new range of VIRTUS ovens

and RATIO hobs which fuse high performance and Elica’s uniquely elegant design language as well as Veritas, its brand-new built-in wine coolers.

Other highlights on board the show trailer include:

NikolaTesla Unplugged the latest extractor hob which brings together the elegance of the hugely successful NikolaTesla Switch and the benefits of analogue control.

NikolaTesla Unplugged is controlled through beautifully machined knobs which provide smooth, instantaneous and intuitive access to all its features. In either all black glass or black glass and stainless steel design with a clean separation of the cooking zone from the control area.

NikolaTesla Unplugged has three automatic

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cooking features: - Melting, thanks to which it is no longer necessary to stir delicate ingredients so they don’t burn onto the bottom of the pot, Warming, that guarantees proper heat levels for slow cooking, like for sauces and creams, in addition to keeping dishes warm, and Simmering, that prevents pots boiling over.

The Elica show trailer also displays many more of the iconic NikolaTesla extractor hobs and of course a selection from Elica’s huge range of discrete ceiling, ultra slim wallmounted and minimalist built-in cooker hoods able to satisfy the requirements of every plan and style of home.

Whereas most manufacturers are content just to produce a couple of models forcing designers to compromise, Elica prides itself on offering an unequalled breadth of products. Take for example Rules which will be on display.

It comes in 60cm, 90cm and 120cm sizes, all in 3 finishes as well as the option to custom finish in your own material and its depth can be adjusted from 21cm to fit flush with the slimmest cabinets to 36cm for the deepest.

Also on display will be Illusion a ceiling hood that almost disappears and a selection from the vast range of built-in hoods in stainless steel, white glass and black lacquer finishes.

Breath of fresh air

Faber are one of the biggest manufacturers of cooker hoods in the world. As the inventor of the domestic cooker hood and with over 60 years of experience, Faber truly are specialists in this field.

From decorative island hoods to hidden integrated cooks, Faber has an option for every style of kitchen.

Faber are trusted by kitchen designers all over the world, covering 8 countries and 3 continents. In the UK, Faber have rapidly grown in popularity due to their powerful brushless motors, decorative styles, colours and finishes.

Each year, Faber launches new styles with brand new technologies. Over the last 3 years, Faber have developed their beautiful venting hob range.

Whether a customer has a small or open plan kitchen, Faber has a competitive offering. From space saving motors, compact widths (as little as 60cm) but more importantly price – Faber is a brand worth exploring.

Faber have continued to develop and offer the latest in extraction technology. Their 2023 mission is to try and recreate fresh air, but inside the home. New technologies are on the way to the UK, that will allow customers to do just this.

At the forefront of technology and cuttingedge design, you can be confident that when you choose a Faber cooker hood, your extraction is in safe hands.

For more information visit: www.faberhoods.co.uk call: 0114 399 8672 or email: office@kitchenex.co.uk

The cooking companion

ILVE (pronounced ILL-VAY) was founded in 1952 by two friends, Mr Eugenio Illotti and Mr Evelino Berno in Campodarsego, near Venice. Their mission was to create quality appliances with professional grade manufacturing –which are now built for the domestic home.

ILVE are committed to creating cooking appliances for any customer that wants to create delicious food with a simple, user friendly yet beautiful appliance. Today, all appliances come from the same one factory, still based in Campodarsego. Each appliance is hand built to order by talented Venetian craftsmen, which are designed to last.

Due to the plethora of customisation options & accessories, ILVE has a cooker for every kitchen style. Currently ILVE have the option of 5 range cooker style which offers both traditional and modern options, ranging from 60cm to 150cm with up to 8 standard colour options and up to 4 finishes. There is a multitude of hob configuration options including gas, electric and the mix of both. With ILVE, customers truly can build their very own dream cooker – which can be done from their very own home using ILVE online range cooker configurator.

ILVE are becoming a more well known and trusted range cooker brand in the UK. So far, ILVE have attracted a following of nearly 10,000 followers on Instagram and have recently claimed and verified a TrustPilot score which has a current rating of 4+ out of 5.

In 2023, ILVE will be launching a brand new website to make retailers and customers experience with ILVE easier than ever. Follow along with ILVEs journey and visit www. ilveappliances.co.uk.

For more information visit: www.ilveappliances.co.uk call: 0114 399 8672 or email: office@kitchenex.co.uk

The boiling water tap with sustainability at its heart

The Quooker offers instant 100°C boiling water on demand and when combined with a CUBE provides sparkling as well as chilled too. A revolution in the kitchen it can also help reduce energy costs, water use and plastic waste too.

The average person in the UK makes four hot drinks a day, each time boiling and then re-boiling far more water than they need at a cost of up to 56p a day. Over a year that can add up to over £200.

With a Quooker it costs as little as 3p a day on standby and delivers instant boiling water on demand with no re-boiling.

Every year, Britain’s tea drinkers boil double the amount of water needed to make a brew and waste the energy required to heat 70 million litres of water a day - enough to fill 28 Olympic swimming pools.

With a Quooker you only ever heat and use

the exact amount of water you need. As for bottled water, most of us buy at least 3 bottles a week or 180 to 240 bottles a year. In total as a nation, we collectively use then throw away over 7.7 billion annually.

With a Quooker you never need to buy a plastic bottle of water ever again.

Sustainability at its heart, the Quooker is also safer in the kitchen too.

Every year, thousands of small children get badly burnt by boiling water from a falling kettle. That’s nearly 10 children every day, many of them under five. Reaching up intrigued by a dangling cord, they accidentally pull the kettle on to themselves causing severe scalds in many cases.

A Quooker is fixed to the worktop so it can’t fall over and is out of reach of small hands and a special child-safe handle that helps prevent turning the boiling water on.

With so many benefits above and beyond supplying you with hot and cold water, no other appliance in your home will transform your life quite so much as much as the multitalented Quooker. The tap that does it all.

For further details call: 0161 768 5900 or visit: www.quooker.co.uk

The Prime range of built-in hoods from Westin

The Prime range of built-in hoods from Westin are the most versatile built-in hood range available on the market. The multitude of options make this range perfect for any built-in application and within the range, boast power to match even the most demanding of home cooks. The Prime range is made up of four hoods – The Prime, The Prime Slim, the Prime Pro and the Prime Edge. Whilst the Prime Pro, boasting powerful twin motors, is available in a width of 1100mm, the Prime and Prime Slim are available in a large range of widths as standard from 520mm up to 1100mm. The Prime Edge includes three widths of 800mm, 900mm and 1100mm.

The Westin Prime Slim built in hood is the baby of the Prime built in range, but still packs a suction punch! With a depth of 255mm this hood is perfect for use in over-hob cabinetry or chimney breasts where space is an issue. The Prime slim slots into the Prime range alongside its bigger brothers the Prime, at 292mm depth, the Prime Pro, and the Prime Edge which includes the innovative Westin Edge baseplate that collects fumes from a much larger area than conventional base types. All of the range includes temperature controlled and dimmable LED lighting, ensuring a perfect match to the kitchen lighting scheme.

The range includes the option to add a remote control, and the Prime built in hood also includes a choice of duct outlet positions ensuring perfect installation without any compromise.

Please visit: westin.co.uk or call: 01484 421585 or email: sales@westin.co.uk

Perfection that you can feel

Since 1913, V-ZUG has been developing and producing premium household appliances that balance efficiency with elegance effortlessly, reliably making life easier with state-of-the-art household appliances that don’t compromise on sustainability and environmental aspects. Innovative technologies, and intuitive operation combined with minimalist design are among the signature features of V-ZUG products. Since January 2023, V-ZUG UK now also offers a new, exclusive, and unique ten-year warranty on all products.

The Excellence Line of appliances integrates seamlessly into kitchens, providing a subtle presence with a discreet mirror glass finish that quietly respects and reflects the architectural language of any space, while also offering the flexibility of style to complete and complement any interior design aesthetic from contemporary to period settings.

Leaders in sustainability, and pioneers in innovation and design, V-ZUG produces appliances for a holistic space where user, furniture and appliances work in harmony.

Unique products from V-ZUG include the newly launched CombiSteamer V6000 45L Grand, which features a 90cm-wide cooking space and is integrated with innovative TwinHeat technology, for ultimate precision and high-quality culinary results. Alternatively, the CombiSteamer V6000 45M PowerSteam is a built-in steam oven and microwave oven all in one, a space-saving option that offers a wide range of preparation methods in one single appliance - a multifunctional and efficient choice in any kitchen.

Immerse yourself in the world of V-ZUG from the comfort of your home online or visit the V-ZUG Studio London to discover the intuitive Excellence line and more. Launched in March 2022, and located in the heart of London’s kitchen district, V-ZUG Studio London is the flagship for the brand in the UK, and is designed to inspire, educate and delight the design community and consumers alike.

For futher details visit: www.vzug.com or call: 020 3667 1860 or email: info.uk@vzug.com

Kitchen Trends: Consumers look to the future

Sustainability tops the list of priorities as homeowners commit increasingly higher budgets to the most important room in the house.

While sustainability has been on the agenda for decades, its rise up the priority list for consumers continues apace when it comes to kitchen purchase and renovation decisions, according to the findings of the latest study by online home renovation and design platform Houzz

The 2023 UK Houzz Kitchen Trends study compiled results from more than 1,000 respondents found that the vast majority of homeowners incorporate sustainable features during a kitchen renovation (94%). Popular choices include LED bulbs (76%), energyefficient appliances (60%) and energyefficient windows (39%).

Also, more than 2 in 5 homeowners opt for

Project by Pineapple Interiors (photo - Tony Murray Photography)

Project by Build Team

a timeless design as a sustainable choice during renovations (43%). While the most frequently cited reason for incorporating sustainable options is “long-run costeffectiveness” (80%), making choices that are environmentally friendly is also top of mind for more than half of renovating homeowners (58%).

“Homeowners are gravitating towards sustainable choices during kitchen renovations, and it is interesting to see the intersection of economic solutions and environmental concerns. The most frequent reason behind choosing sustainable options is long-run cost effectiveness, with environmental-friendliness as a secondary consideration,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist. “In addition, we see homeowners continue to invest more in their kitchens than in any other areas of their homes, as they make major changes to their spaces.”

KITCHEN STYLES

Contemporary 27% Modern 26% Traditional 11% Country 6% Scandinavian 5% Eclectic 4%

(Source: Houzz UK Kitchen Trends 2023. Percentages reflect proportion of homeowners who are updating, or have updated, the kitchen as part of a completed, current or planned kitchen renovation during 2022-23).

Project by BALMA Building Services

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The Knowledge: Homeowners stick with the professionals

Kitchen projects command the most significant investment in the home, with median spend on renovations increasing steadily since 2019 (£10,000) to £12,000 in 2021.

Hiring professionals for kitchen renovations also continues to be the strong preference for the vast majority with 92% of homeowners working with a pro for their project.

Tradespeople – including electricians, painters, plumbers, stonemasons – are in the highest demand for kitchen renovations (65%), while other go-to professionals include kitchen designers (51%), kitchen fitters (49%), home builders (31%) and architects (27%).

Three percent of homeowners hire dedicated professionals to advise on eco-friendly options.

Project by Studio Milne (photo - Alexandria Hall)

Project by JLV Design

Popular pantries

When it comes to built-in features, 41% of kitchen updaters are installing pantry cabinets and 15% make space for a walk-in pantry.

CONTEMPORARY LEADS THE WAY

Contemporary is the top style choice for renovated kitchens in 2023 (27%), followed closely by Modern (26%) and at some distance by Traditional, Country and Scandinavian (11, 6 and 5% respectively).

CLASSIC COLOURS

For walls, worktops and splashbacks, white is the most popular colour (51, 45 and 39% respectively). Grey is the most common alternative to white, with 13% of renovating homeowners painting the kitchen walls grey, 11% opting for grey splashbacks and 11% installing grey worktops. Blue, green and beige are popular for bringing visual interest to the space through contrasting kitchen cabinet colours (17, 13 and 7% respectively).

ELECTRONIC UPGRADES

Renovating homeowners updating their appliances as part of their kitchen renovation, incorporate technology into their kitchen appliances with Wi-Fi connectivity, smartphone/tablet controls, and colour touchscreen displays (18, 17 and 15% respectively).

MULTI-USE SPACES

While the majority of homeowners (98%) use the kitchen for cooking, they also eat (70%), bake (58%), entertain (52%) and socialise (46%) there. A quarter of homeowners (26%) also work from their kitchen. One in three homeowners report that their lifestyle is healthier post-renovation (35%).

Project by Nicky Percival Limited (photo - Matt Gamble Photography)

Project by LLI Design

Materials, design styles, and gadget choices continue to broaden

The 2023 UK Houzz Kitchen Trends Study is a report of homeowners who are in the midst of, are planning, or recently completed a kitchen renovation.

The online survey was fielded to Houzz UK users in November-December 2022.

The Houzz platform has more than 25m photos of professionally designed interiors and exteriors, including completed kitchen projects, and lists over 3m home renovation and design professionals, including kitchen and bath designers, kitchen and bath fitters, architects, and home builders.

Engineered Quartz 41% Laminate 15% Granite 15% Butcher block or wood slab 13% Solid surface (e.g. corian) 10% Marble 4%

(Source: Houzz UK Kitchen Trends 2023. Percentages reflect proportion of homeowners who are updating, or have updated, the worktop as part of a completed, current or planned kitchen renovation during 2022-23)

Project by atq Arquitectura

Project by A New Day (photo - Beth Davis)

(Photo - Mia Mortensen Photography)

designerati kitchen guide