Cooker hood design: Get Plastered… again

Remember the piece we did on plaster and it’s use in modern interiors “Get Plastered…”? Well in it we featured some rather special ceiling hoods and I did say watch this space…

 

Introducing Phobos from Best Cooker Hoods:

Finally they are here in the UK and are being distributed by Britannia. Also available is Enigma:

Honestly, this has too be about as sexy as an island extractor can get! Also worth a look are the new wall mounted additions Surf and Equinox:

But the plaster versions are on a different level. Hurry; get them specified!

Kitchen Design or Kitchen Art?

As the progression of kitchen scullery into open plan living continues, it is inevitable that the integration of the kitchen into the living space will evolve into something altogether more aesthetically pleasing. One particular aspect of this is the development of the kitchen as art in itself. No one performs this better than Valcucine kitchens, with their Vetro Arte range:

The artistic endeavour they add to kitchen design is the stuff of legend; even if some of the designs they offer may not be so much ‘the cream of the crop’ and more ‘Holy Cow!’:

The really astounding part is that these designs are inlaid into glass! The technique took 3 years to perfect, and though a very technical accomplishment, it has its roots firmly in the hand-crafted traditions. “It also presents a new way of conceiving furniture that frees the imagination, allowing you to personalize every kitchen with decors drawn or painted by young artists, by the designer, or by your own creative hand.” New standard designs available include ‘Archilogo a Ore 12′ by Archilogo Staff- Concorrezzo:

Also ‘Oh’ by Kano Tatsunori:

But to get your creative juices flowing; you can have any city landscape you wish, such as this below:

Now there are many supporters of Valcucine in the world, but none quite as vociferous as The Kitchen Mogul who now pens for KBB Magazine. His tweet pointing to his blog ‘Artistic Kitchen’ simply states “This is the kitchen- accept it!”. Quite right! But what is really interesting is not just the image shown:

The really interesting part is that Invitrium is totally recyclable. Beautiful, functional and ecological: what more could you ask for?! An amazing design is only a click away; if you or a client of yours may be interested in one of these fantastic kitchens, please drop us a line and we’ll point you in the right direction…

Get plastered…

It’s a long time after the dust has settled from the Milan Fair 2010, but there are a few trends still to make their way into our everyday design world. One trend that we at Morph are particularly keen on is getting plastered… literally. Plaster work is the area where a bit of lateral thinking can really add interest to otherwise bland expansive walls and monotonous colour schemes. We love simple modern lines, bordering on the bare minimalist, but a cheeky insertion of the missing ingredient of modern house building never goes amiss. We’re talking about ‘ornament’. In Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian properties ornamental detailing was rife: from dentil mouldings, twisted pillasters and reeded columns to simple plaster covings and ceiling roses all added texture and content. In today’s interior design, we’re shown the way to exciting plaster by companies such as Solomon & Wu, with their contemporary take on coving and ceiling rose designs, which they brought to LDF (click for link) in September. Art, as ever, leads the way in breaking conventions with luminary individuals such as Alexandre Farto-Vhils (below)

His inspiring work really translates well into interiors, with his simple use of type to make a ‘real statement’, if you’ll pardon the pun…

The introduction of texture into the vertical surfaces of rooms gives rise to endless possibilities, as explored by Caterina Tiazzoldi for ToolBox (below).

Obviously the cleaners would be kept really busy there, as with this apartment by Pascal Grasso Architectes.

Photograph by Nicolas Dorval Bory and full article at Dezeen.

I think that the best marriage of Farto-Vihls and practical interiors was in this Studio House by Studio Octopi (below), where walls are not only opened up to allow in more light and a feeling of space but also combine a practical element of shelving. Again, full article here at Dezeen.

Not only has the trend moved from art to interiors, but the baton has been taken up by product suppliers as well. One of our favourite stands at the Milan Fair had to be the new Soft Architecture by Flos. The echo of ornamental plasterwork is cleverly inverted, evolving into a new subtle way of looking at adding texture.

The insertion of what appears to be liquid plaster creating a lighting channel that projects into the space is a great way of playfully softening harsh geometric lines (below). The look is unashamedly minimal, yet soft and an almost comforting organic feel.

And it didn’t stop with our friends at Flos. We were highly impressed with these cooker hoods below. But as the Italians are quite slow at bringing show-pieces onto the UK market after Milan, these chaps shall remain nameless. This appliance would work beautifully alongside the Flos piece above…

And this hood (below) would work well with recessed lighting. As for anticipated availability on the UK market; drop us a line and we’ll start a petition!

 

After Xmas Wish List (part 3)

Now that Christmas is almost a distant memory, the need for a new kitchen may have lost some of it’s impetus. But the kitchen industry loves to close a sale, and there are many deals out there to still be had. With parts 1 & 2 you have the main elements of your appliance wish list in the bag. In this instalment, we will be looking at the smaller items in the kitchen arsenal, but with one of the most sought after leading the way.

7. Dishwashers

Believe it or not, there is actually some choice to be had here. We start with the basic difference, integrated and freestanding. The freestanding versions rarely excite, though there are stainless steel versions and our friends at Smeg have produced a counterpart to their Loewe inspired colourful range of fridges. There are also the odd worktop versions around (like the Gota below), if you are really tight on space…

Although the worktop standing dishwasher is cute, the emphasis on any good kitchen design is to unclutter the surfaces by providing adequate storage and properly positioned appliances. Undercounter is the more efficient position for the dishwasher, and if you are right handed, generally to the right side of the sink. The motto here is, ‘Take from the left, pass to the right’.

The standard sizes for freestanding undercounter dishwashers are 45 & 60cm width, but the larger size also comes as an XXL version for 14 place settings instead of the standard 12. When looking at dishwashers, the thing to bear in mind is really the choice of programmes; most importantly check the eco credentials and the drying cycle times. For further information on size choices, water consumption, energy consumption and noise levels read independent kitchen designer Marion John’s (@Majjie on Twitter) excellent blogs here and here for more details . Another consideration is for how much use the dishwasher will get; so if you’re mostly cooking for two, a 45cm version may suffice or if you eat little but often, the dish drawer concept by Fisher & Paykel may provide an even better solution.

Years ago, working in a beautiful showroom in Brompton Cross, we found that rotating the drawers was really useful at keeping the glasses etc clean for our clients use. The system of one drawer filling up and the other cleaning at any given time worked very well for us. In essence, planning your appliance wishlist is not all about brand names but all about how your kitchen will make what you do more efficiently and make the whole process of using the kitchen more enjoyable. Put this ergonomic principle together with the aesthetic quality of a well designed kitchen and the effect on well being is measurable!

Having a built under dishwasher has one major draw back, if it has a full height door; stooping to collect items from the bottom tray. This has been overcome, in part, with the advent of the 90cm wide fully integrated dishwashers (such as the Smeg version above). The aforementioned dish drawers (single version) also accommodate a shorter distance to bend, but these two types of reduced height dishwashers also enable the fitted kitchen a new flexibility: no plinth. As these machines do not stand on the floor, the whole sink run can now either be wall mounted (as with this beautiful Valcucine Artematica Vetro kitchen below), or on legs.

Obviously, there are the two standard 45 & 60cm fully integrated dishwashers, but there also some in-column dishwashers available that can integrate into tall units If you are tight on space, or if you simply want to maximise your storage, these can be valuable additions to the kitchen designer’s solution. Here, as with the wide variety of oven choice, you may be better advised to remain flexible and let your design consultant design in the best option for you. Or, this may become the immutable appliance where you put your foot down and say ‘XXL or nothing!’. Either way, developing an opinion on your wish list before arriving at the kitchen designer’s door is invaluable.

8. Mixer taps

As we have already covered sinks in Part 2, the obvious question is why are we looking at mixer taps now? Well, in your ergonomic kitchen everything is all about flow of movements within tasks. In this section I want us to think about clearing up, rather than preparation, as this is the main use of the kitchen mixer if you are not a ‘bowl-filler’. If you rinse off plates, rather than soak in a bowl of hot soapy water when washing up, then you are advised to really look at spray rinse taps as a priority. They needn’t be as bold as the ONO by KWC (with LED lights, as above), nor as brazen as the Blanco Master-S Baby (preferred by one of our own clients, below).

But there are several pull out spray mixers on the market that are very discreet, where the shower head slots back into the spout itself, such as the Blanco Linus S (below).

Before sprays however, the various considerations of taps are numerous. The first of which is whether to have a mixer tap or separate pillar taps and go all Victorian. I for one, cannot understand why on Earth anyone would want to have separate hot and cold water taps, on quarter turn ceramic discs (standard spindle handles). Talk about faffing around whilst in the middle of creating your culinary master piece or scalding your hands whilst adjusting the taps like a safe-cracker: life is too short. Opt for a mixer tap, that mixes the water into a single spout and you’ll be on solid foundations. Next step is whether it should have one, two or three handles. The single lever versions are great to use when filling pans/kettles in one swift movement and you can have just the right temperature to wash up whilst throwing in the washing up liquid with t’other hand, if you’re a bowl-filler. Two handles starts to get messy; put washing up-liquid down whilst you adjust handles ad infinitum. Pain.

Speaking of which, three handles (the third for filtered water on tap); if I’m going to push you towards one, I’ve not got much to say about three. The Franke Kubus Triflow (above) is an example of three; hot, cold & filtered water on tap. It’s not too harsh on the eyes, but it has been surpassed quite categorically by a mixer that doesn’t have much in the way of looks, but combines four functions in one tap: the catchily titled ‘Zip HydroTap 4in1′ (below). It’ll do everything except pick the kids up from school, but pretty it ain’t…

If, like me, you prefer to surround yourself with objects that please the eye and serve a function; you may already possess a beautiful kettle. If this is the case you can still choose an elegant mixer and still access filtered water through it no matter whether it was built with this function in mind or not. The clever fellows at Abode have come up with what they simply call the ‘Swich’. This will divert the usual cold water through a filter before it reaches the tap at the flick of the, erm, switch…

Yes, it’s another hole in the worktop, but kiss goodbye to the poor range of choice if you want to filter at the tap. They all last around the 6 month mark before you have to change a filter (much longer than a hand held worktop cluttering Britta or the like) and just twist off to swap old for new. And I can’t really navigate to the final section with mentioning the Quooker hot water tap, as it is aesthetically pleasing it its Design version and is available in brushed steel.

9. Waste management

Sorry, couldn’t resist the haughty title, when essentially we’re talking about rubbish. As you should be aware, one of the largest contributors to our global carbon footprint is how we deal with waste. Landfill sites releasing toxins into the soil, excess chemicals used to breakdown oils and other rubbish flushed down the sink waste and our lack of composting all lag a notch behind our attempts to recycle or put more correctly, downcycle. Now I’m not here to lecture on the current short comings in our ‘cradle to grave’ (produce, use, throw away) production cycles. However, I will highly recommend further reading of ‘Cradle to Cradle’ by William McDonough & Michael Braungart which clearly illustrates how we can overcome the current shortfalls.

Waste separation is one way we can help tackle the issue, by giving the local council a good start. Food waste travelling onto landfill sites generates methane which is 20 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. Installing a waste disposal unit such as an In Sink Erator (such as the Evolution 200 below), can grind down the food waste (of which 70% is water anyway) into manageable Biogas at the recycling point in the sewage system. I admit that I used to be against these noisy, smelly and dangerous machines. They are much misunderstood and deserve to be researched thoroughly before dismissing off hand.

Apart from the benefits to the environment, the larger the motor generally the quieter the operation. They will produce noise, like all extractors will for example, but only for the duration of usage which is short. The best way of dealing with smells is to throw your lemon skins down there or rinse through thoroughly each time you use it. There are two types: batch feed and continuous feed. Batch feed switches on and off by twisting the lid after you have filled the machine with a batch of waste and water. Continuous feed is where the lid remains open and water is fed in continuously through the operation until just after switching off the motor. With small children around, batch feed is a safer way to go, and the latest quieter machines have batch feed converters. The continuous feeds come with air switch extensions either as standard or accessories that can mount directly into the worktop in chrome or brushed effect to suit your choice of mixer tap.

Now the real bane in any kitchen design is the waste bins. Generally forgotten on the wishlist, often ridiculously small and always bemoaned; fear not, there is some hope. The standard tall tube shaped Brabantia bin is 20 or 30 litres; stick it anywhere you wish and job done. Not on my watch. This will not give you the opportunity to separate your recyclables. Wherever possible, I try and dedicate one cupboard for multiple waste bins so they are hidden from view. Ideally they would be located next to the sink, as the under sink versions are close to useless, as they are a generally a maximum of  9 litres for the largest. The Euro-Cargo 60 (above) has become standard in most decent kitchen suppliers range. Why? Well each one of the large bins is 35 litres, giving you a whopping 87 litres of storage space before you need to empty into your green recycling bins. There are however, some neat smaller capacity bins that insert into 90cm sink drawers, but I’ll leave that to the kitchen designer of your choice.

That should give you an idea of how an appliance wish list can help give the backbone to any new kitchen design. It can also allow for variation to the developing design by considering alternative types of appliances that can overcome certain design issues. The possible combinations are almost endless and should you require any further assistance, drop us a line. Happy designing!

After Xmas wish list (Part 2)…

The next sections on the appliance wish list are refrigeration, and sinks; subjects which will be burned in your recent memory from Xmas Xcess. Did you have enough room for the turkey mayonnaise, gammon dijonnaise and flaming turkey wings (or any other variant of left-overs)? Did you have enough ice for the odd Xmas tipple? Did your oven pans fit into your existing sink?! As with ovens, hoods and hobs, technology abounds to help simplify these tasks: “The appliance of science” to coin a phrase.  This said, beware brand recognition through advertising; just because you’ve seen it on telly ad infinitum, does not make it good. Necessarily. A smart idea with any appliances is to have a look how they rate in Which? magazine and ask advice from your friendly kitchen designer. They will have had the phone calls when they go awry, and will definitely have an opinion. As a general rule of thumb with appliances, thinking German won’t steer you far wrong…

5. Refrigeration

As with ovens, we can split these beasties into two distinct camps; the more traditional and the more modern. Traditionally we used to dry store goods in the pantry, but as technology developed, the free-standing fridge was born. These are generally not good-looking products, although a large American style unashamedly industrial stainless steel piece or a curvy fashionable thing may offer some resistance to this trend. These come in a variety of sizes, but if you wish to go for the American style side-by-side version, their footprint can be 92cm wide, (91.44cm or 36”) and up to 70cm in depth. This will stand forward of most worktop lines. Also of note is that they have both slim fridges & freezers, but the depth can make finding food an exercise in shelf shuffling to get to the back. Often these are left free-standing at the periphery of the kitchen, and generally are accepted as technology and immune from the rest of the country style design, if placed in a traditional setting. They can be better housed in a ‘goalpost’ design with technical tall storage units either side (as above: note worktop depth) but you need a lot of space. Especially with some garish technological additions like TV screens, touch screen monitors, external ice-makers and so on, I’m not 100% sold on their use in a traditional kitchen design. They generally tend to break up the form of furniture lines and only really work in ‘anti-design’, unfitted kitchen scenarios. But that’s an entirely new blog in itself…

The integrated fridge however, can sit in both a traditional and modern designed kitchen, as they hide behind cabinet doors; although they do have two main drawbacks. They are more costly, pound for pound, than their free-standing counterparts and they offer less storage space, on the whole. But as with the ovens, you can collect a variety of different widths, mostly 60 & 90cm, and thanks to some forward thinking, with a variety of different uses. I have to say that the Gaggenau range (above) is second to none here, as you can integrate some useful configurations accounting for the side-by-side depth issue by offering a full 90cm width fridge & freezer below. You can also have a separate freezer (with external ice maker) & fridge, a separate wine cooler (including humidor for your Cuban cigars) and mix & match combinations. A less expensive option for large capacity built-in is to use the Kuppersbusch version of the old Rex or Electrolux 90cm four-door fridge freezer, but sadly it comes without an ice-maker. Or just install standard 60cm integrated larder fridge and freezer side-by-side, although this eats up dry storage space. And if you are desperate for an ice-maker, these are available in fully integrated standard configurations, from Miele and Liebherr to name two.

6. Sinks

Sink configurations can be overwhelming, as the choice is huge. They come in these main configurations:

Onset- These are either complete in their own worktop, to be slotted directly onto the base units & replacing the worktop itself in the sink area, or Belfast style (as above)

Inset- The standard sink generally used that drops into the worktop, although the Uragano from Foster above is a tad oversized. There is a new breed of minimal profile insets as well, that are almost flush mount, but without the extra cost of recessing the worktop

Flush mounted- Basically the same as inset but with a clean edge to be dropped into a recessed worktop. Generally only for stone & composite worktops, although Lechner do a version in laminate tops and Spekva produce them in wooden worktops (limited choice of bowl though)

Undermount sinks- As the name suggests, these are fixed to the underside of the worktop.

Enclosed, concealed or hidden sinks- Again, a relative new comer into the market inspired by some innovative kitchen designers and kitchen suppliers. Now available from Blanco (as above) these are very cute additions to any sleek kitchen design short on preparation areas.

Essentially the starting point for sink choice is the worktop, as this may eliminate the undermounts and flush mounts straight away. As the most durable tops are stone or composites, the most popular choice is under or flush mount and will be complimented by choice of hob (as in Part 1). The finish that is opted for is generally stainless steel, as this will compliment the mixer tap & your kitchen appliances if you prefer the more industrial look and also give you a lot more choice in sizes. All materials will be subject to limescale damage, even the white composite or ceramic sinks. If you are worried about this, planning and installing a water softener will be appreciated by your sink (through hot water only), dishwasher, washing machine, boiler, hair and skin. In fact, if you are an eczema sufferer this is not a question of if you should install a water softener, but when. This cannot be recommended strongly enough, machines and skin last longer!

Hopefully you are now armed with a better idea of not only what is available out there, but how your appliance wish list is integral to your kitchen design. Should you have any queries or are after further details of any of the suppliers mentioned, feel free to drop us a comment or tweet myself @interiorporn or @morphinterior and we’ll be glad to help. Next week: mixer taps, hot water taps, waste disposal, waste sorters and dishwashers…

After Xmas wish list…

Kitchen sales always spike after Christmas, in January and the reason is two fold. Firstly, most companies subscribe to the January Sales model of closing orders: by reducing margins for volume sales. Secondly, and more importantly, if you’re going to reach the end of your rope with your current kitchen, it’ll be during the Christmas Campaign. After battling in the hot trenches of kitchen warfare, under-equiped, under-staffed, hit with psychological operations and carpet bomb advertising; inevitably a visit to the local kitchen showroom will follow. But will you get the best design for your money? Intrinsically, good kitchen design is about function first and form second. Your kitchen ‘wish list’ of appliances is all important and will form the backbone of any good design. Here’s an outline of items to help formulate your wish list:

1. Ovens

These are many and varied nowadays, but the first question is range or built in? Range cookers are all-in-one pieces of kit that have the hob integrated into the top and are floor standing. If your taste is more traditional, these are for you, but beware your back. Lifting large turkeys out will become difficult as the years progress! Not all ranges are traditional looking, but I would say that if you were looking for a slick design, integrating them into a seamless look is problematic. With their set depth and poor range of height adjustments, they can sit awkwardly next to slick cabinetry. Built-in ovens offer more design options in terms of look, layout and functionality. If someone were to specify a twin oven range, I would suggest a single oven with a combination oven over it in a tall unit, as an alternative. This would be a 60cm wide oven, and there are few better than Gaggenau above; considered to be the best built-in ovens money can buy. Single ovens can come in widths of 60cm, 70cm, 36″, 90cm or 48″ (depending on the manufacturer) and can be integrated into most decent kitchen suppliers cabinetry. Not Ikea and not Magnet Trade for the 90cm and inches versions. You get the picture.

2. Compact appliances

These are the reinforcements in the appliance manufacturers repertoire; the supporting act to the ovens. Combination ovens are the main addition, and as the name suggests, combine microwave functions within the same unit as conventional cooking and removes the need for a separate appliance. You can also get steam combination ovens or plain steam ovens instead of the traditional microwave. These combine reheat functions in them, and retain more nutrients in the cooking process. Personally, I’m not keen on the fact that the food is still ‘cooking’ up to a minute after it has been microwaved. Call me old fashioned.

The general rule of thumb with these compact appliances is that they all are 60cm wide and 45cm in height. In terms of planning, for best visual effect and ease of use, they are best situated side-by-side as shown in the Mimesis unit above from Valcucine. Apart from ‘combi’ and steam ovens you can also get compact dishwashers for tall units and even built-in coffee machines, should you wish to keep those surfaces clear. Some will froth the milk, grind your favourite Borough Market beans and pick the kids up from school. OK, maybe not the last option…

3. Hobs

Simple choice here, if you don’t have gas central heating, forget gas hobs! Well actually that’s not entirely true, you can get bottled gas hob options, but they come complete with a list of memory problems I wouldn’t want and why when you can have induction? Induction hobs are electric but not halogen nor conventional heating; as they work by inducing the heat in the pan rather than convection that heats the stove top itself. The favoured trick of demonstrators is to place a five pound note under a pan & boil some water. Not only does it boil quicker than a kettle (or anything else for that matter), but you also get your five pounds back in one piece. It is every bit as controllable as gas, with practice. The downside is still cost and you also need to go pan shopping with a magnet to see which will work on your new gadget. If you’re squeezing into your new London pad from your ten bedroom country house and still have the four by four and wellies; panic ye not, Le Creuset will work.

The main options for hobs once you have settled on gas or electric are inset, flush mounted and integrated. Inset is your standard hob where the cutout into the worktop is slightly smaller than the lip of the hob and the hob sits above the work surface. Usually siliconed into place, these still trap food around the edges, which is less true for the flush mounted versions which sit on a routed ledge and make the hob top flush with the worktop. This version is really only for granite, composite tops and Corian (or similar) as these can be worked to produce the requisite ledge. Lastly, we have integrated, where each burner is placed directly into the stone, composite or Corian top as with the iCooking range above in White Corian. This is very streamline design indeed and not the most cost effective option, but definitely the best looking!

4. Extractors

Conventional wisdom states that mechanical extraction in humid areas is a must. Kitchen extractors aren’t there to take the cooking smells away (which none of them are particularly adept at doing), but they are there to prevent moisture build up in the kitchen. This can lead to mold and erosion of plaster, mortar and even brick over time. On top of that, they prevent greasy residue building up on the walls which attracts dust and creates a sticky mess that you may be familiar with. Last, but by no means least, they help spirit away potential irritants and even CO2 that could present health problems.

With kitchen hoods, there are several guiding principles to their design. Firstly they must have a catchment area larger than the size of the hob or a more powerful motor if they don’t. Secondly, they must be able to change the cubic meterage of air in the room they are installed in, once every hour. Thirdly, their height above the cooking surface is determined by the manufacturer, usually 750mm above gas hobs.

With this in mind, there are two distinct methods of extraction that are available; ducted and recirculating. The best option is to duct out, although this may not be easy in listed buildings or conservation areas as you need to have an outlet on an external wall. Also, ducted extractors are more efficient, but that is eroded with every 90 degree bend you introduce and running extraction through ceiling voids requires careful planning. This is where your choice of extractor will be affected by the technical limitations offered by your property.

The different types of extractors are island, pendant, wall mounted, integrated, built-in and surface mounted or downdraft. Island extractors are, as the name suggests, for placing over cooking areas located on kitchen islands (as shown in the Arclinea image above), or peninsulas. In my opinion, these are great, as it enables you to be in command of the kitchen in the centre of the room. The problem is that they can, even the designer options, be a bit of an eyesore; which is why I prefer ceiling mounted extractors (like the Neerim in white at the start of the Extractors section). Yes you have to lower the ceiling to avoid cutting joists for the hood and ducting (unless you can plan into the build a true flush mounted installation), but this step can work very well as task lighting.

Pendant extractors are masquerading as light fittings and you may have seen the Star pendant above in the glossies. I call these the ‘Marmites’ of cooker hoods, because you’ll either love them or hate them! They are also recirculating only and are therefore less efficient. Personally, I’m fighting the urge to laugh at this parody of a fitting, so I’ll move on.

Integrated extractors are hoods that are installed into wall unit cabinetry and come in two mains varieties; lift-up flap and pull out pelmet. They look like normal wall units, but as you pull the flap or lighting pelmet out, they transform into working fans. These are quite neat solutions, but require the unit they are housed in to be set at that minimum height requirement from the hob manufacturer, which can lead to a break in the height of wall units. Miele have overcome this visually, in the image above, by setting all the wall units higher to maintain clean lines, but you will loose potentially valuable storage space in the process.

And finally, we have the downdraft extractors, as shown above with iCooking integrated induction hobs. They can only be used with electric hobs, as they could suck flames into the unit if used with gas. They also require ducting out below the surface, which means that will compromise storage exactly where it is the most useful. Added to that, you may have to run the ductwork below the floor to extract out, which adds a whole list of issues to overcome. Not that they are insurmountable, but you have been warned!

There are more areas to cover in your wish list; refrigeration, dishwashing, waste removal (bins & waste disposal units), sinks and taps. But in the interests of time; namely yours, I shall cover this in the next instalment!

Hobs are sexy; when you know how…

Kitchen: a term rapidly changing into the ‘hub’ of the home, an integral part of the family life. It is becoming a long way removed from the hidden sculleries of the past. More and more people are turning to the sleek, clean lines of the handleless kitchen, so that in its new open plan aesthetic, it works as sculptural furniture. In so far as some companies would have you believe, it is morphing into a piece of art. Well, I’m not going to jump into the Design Art debate here, but I will acknowledge that every dog has its day. Good design, people, is good design. If twisted pilasters and dental moulds float your boat, that’s all well and good. Just do it well, for heavens sake. For today’s exercise, I’m looking at clean lines and not a reeded column in sight…

Within this new uncompromising strict form of geometric lines, how do we cope with the practical needs of the modern kitchen? There are many issues that crossing over to the minimal side of kitchen design raise; issues that have annoyed and perplexed for years. Firstly, was the question of fridge/freezers and how you could integrate them into the handleless design? Next comes the still unanswered fully integrated washing machine and tumble dryer debacle (yes, Miele, you know what we want). And then the area I want to really focus on today, the hob area.

Increasingly I am designing rooms for the dinner party or kid’s-doing-homework-whilst-I’m-cooking scenarios. Next comes the discussion of where the focus of attention in the room will be? It doesn’t take a genius to work out that if you want to be in control of the room, you need to be looking into it. Enter the island unit stage right, take a bow, and enter the spotlight. Of course a large room is required here, hence the Kirstie Allsopp approach of knocking down walls, so you can interact with your guests or admonish the child for not concentrating on homework. All whilst juggling pans and pasta or dishes and Fairy liquid? Well, the last thing you want to see on your spantastic island unit, with ultra sharp lines, is a sink full of dirty pans and dishes, oh no. That you want to secrete away from prying eyes, out on the borders of the layout, possibly looking out a window onto a neighbours brick wall (Londoners, you know what I mean). What you want to have on your island unit is the most exquisite of hobs, and above your island unit? Well, the answer according to Building Regulations is some form of extraction. This is metered out by the usual suspects as some clunky steel monstrosity, that always, always needs cutting down. It seems that no manufacturer on Earth has worked out that ceiling heights are usually less than 260cm (no, can’t single out anyone here; they’re all bad). At this point, the illuminated will know the answer to this problem, and there are two solutions. Flush mounted ceiling extractors or surface mounted downdraft extractors.

Here’s where I roll up the sleeves and jump on the soap box. Everybody loves gas, whereas the Illuminati are shouting ‘induction’ at the screen right now! Fair point, induction hobs are the quickest way known to man to boil water. And it’s very easy to use once you learn the ropes. But you can’t have both solutions for cooking with both solutions for extraction. Now listen very carefully, as I’ll say this only once: gas hobs do not go with downdraft extractors. End of story. You want downdraft? Prepare yourself for the following tasks: you are in for an electric hob, best to grab a magnet and go pan shopping as induction is your best friend now, lose all viable storage space below your hob, kiss goodbye to pan drawers, hope that your installer knows how to run duct work under the floor, across the room, up and over the damp proof course and out the wall. If you are still interested, how do you keep the slick lines on your tops if you have to have a drop-in hob? There are a few companies that do flush mounted hobs that look very nice in a Nero Assoluto granite or some other jet black composite (say ‘Adios’ to Corian though; that won’t wear it). But what if you want to have five rings? Or even three rings? In a row? Curved? How’s that choice looking now? The answer is finally here: independent induction burners that are flush mounted into any surface. Even the knowledgeable are impressed now; this stuff is gorgeous and practical. Oh, and that downdraft extractor can take a top hat of whatever material you choose for the surface.

And for you gas lovers, the same is true, with two types of stunning burners. And yes, they go into any worktop of your choice.

My advice? Top it all off with a ceiling mounted extractor in white: let it really disappear from view:

Where can you get these, dare I say it, sexy burners and hoods from? Shame on you; of course it’s us!