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GENERAL NEWS KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n MAY 2019 n www.kitchenwarenews.com 10 Design Matters More in Modern Homes BY AMANDA HELT People are moving into the kitchen with their hearts on their sleeves and design on the brain, according to housewares industry experts. "People have completely changed what they expect out of the kitchen... The changes are coming f rom consumers and their current standing situation," says Janine Michalek, Vice President of Market Intelligence at Design Research. Three years ago, the setting that consumers wanted in their kitchens was a cozy and warm environment, but, according to Michalek, that 's kind of history. "So in terms of the kitchen, what we've seen for several years is we wanted a warm, inviting environment. If we look back to 2015, 2016, we' ll see that we wanted a kitchen that was welcoming, f riendly and full of comfort, but those things all plummeted this year. That's in the past. It is the most dramatic change we've ever seen in our reports..." she says. W hat surged to the top this year, Michalek says, was all things sleek and luxurious – an extremely different kitchen atmosphere f rom the vibes we gravitated towards in past years. Michalek says that in her 14 years at Design Research, three cultural trends have collided in people's homes and kitchens to usher in this new attitude towards kitchenware design: Firstly, people are looking at their kitchens without as many financial burdens and without being so af raid of the economy. " Years ago, consumers were cocooning," says Michalek. "Their home was their refuge, a place of shelter and protection and a place to get away f rom it all, but you know, we don't really hear much about cocooning anymore. Consumers are feeling better about the economy. They are feeling better about their current situation, and they seem to be wanting to show off a little bit more because they do feel more positive about their circumstances." Secondly, the decrease in household sizes is thought to have contributed to the recent change in style trends. Now two-thirds of all households are occupied just by either one or two persons. The average household consists of just 2.5 people in the United States; a distinct contrast f rom a generation ago, when households were almost double the size. This has created a demand for smaller kitchens, which offer less storage space, resulting in less demand for specialty kitchen tools and more purchase for storage-f riendly kitchenware items. Michalek says smaller households also mean that a greater proportion of these households have no children in them. "There are a lot fewer families and there are a lot fewer children. So the needs of the kitchen have changed," she said. Since families are a lot smaller than they once were, adults are creating homes that are more fit for cocktail parties than play dates and midnight feedings, which entails a demand for more drinkware, more modern vibes and a sleeker, cleaner feel. Thirdly, the kitchen, which used to be set off in a corner somewhere, as if it were a laundry room or bathroom, has been opened up and joined to the rest of the house. It became less secluded and moved to the center-stage of people's lives as a place not just for eating, but as the heart of the home, a place for entertaining, gathering and experiencing life. " When people remodel their home, a huge percentage is focused on the kitchen, and it 's always an open concept," Michalek says. "So people want to open up their kitchens to the rest of the home. So, you know, if you're in the living room, or you're in the dining room, you're in the family, you can see the kitchen now because it's one big space. So that has made kitchen decor and kitchen products so much more important because they have to work with the rest of the house." In a way, these culture shifts created the perfect storm that called for the high- demand of sleek and modern design. One- time homebodies obtained the funds to pursue more interests, have fewer children, and they've escaped to venture outside the home where they met f riends. They found Pinterest. They discovered Instagram. Companies like Alessi, which exhibited at the Las Vegas Winter Market this year, that have really embraced and prioritized design just as much as functionality for their products, have embraced this new normal and are bringing on more designers. Alberto Alessi, the eldest son of Carlo Alessi, belongs to the third generation of the Alessi family and now acts as the company's Head of Marketing Strategy, Communication and Design Management. He says that he too has noticed the rise in people's interest in design in the kitchen. "Through the years, people love more and more to surround themselves with beautiful things. I realize today a huge amount of people having to do in a way or another with design objects," he says. "We like to believe to create products that accompany people all their life, and with a little of joy. I do believe good design is a new form of art and poetr y, though created with industrial methods." Today, more than 300 architects and designers f rom around the world collaborate with Alessi to create objects that both stand as a piece of art and fulfill an important function in the kitchen. "I select designers in various ways: either they contact me to propose a project they think can be produced by Alessi, or they are introduced to me through other designers we have worked with and who think the new designer could be a good Alessi collaborator, and then I have the so-called 'antennas' around the world – people like journalists, f riends, designers, who call me now and again to suggest a name…" he says. Absolutely essential for the housewares industry, cutlery has played an important role in Alessi's histor y since the early 1920s. Now, Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa has been entrusted with making a contribution to this category. Conceived with profiles shaped to ensure a pleasant grip, Itsumo — f rom the Japanese word meaning "daily and forever" — is steel cutler y that highlights the designer's minimalist sensibility and can be considered the most accessible in the Alessi catalog. Barket, the round basket designed by Michel Boucquillon and Donia Maaoui, is a virtuous example of the technical ability Alessi has achieved in the processing of cold-pressed metals. Its perforated decoration is inspired by the Bark series, a family of home accessories and small furniture that has been widely acclaimed since the first piece was presented in 2015. Inspired by the forms of nature, Barket is presented in four versions: polished steel or colored steel in white, black or red. While Alessi's aesthetic is focused on sleek, modern shapes, color is becoming an ever important aspect of kitchenware products. Consumers are livening up their home with accent colors while keeping other larger surface areas neutral. Last summer, the Pantone Color Institute released the 2019 color the year and presented the brightly overstated Living Coral. The color is described by Pantone as, "An animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge." Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, says, "I think that there's much more appreciation not only for the big picture (household) items but of the whole housewares industry, but also in the design of even the simplest gadget; you know, it can look like a little work of art and people really appreciate that." Kitchen Aid used the new Pantone color in its Bird of Paradise product line, which includes a full suite of small appliances on KitchenAid.com. Included in the line is the classic the Artisan Mini Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, the smaller Mini Tilt-Head Stand Mixer and the Diamond Blender, along with the 3.5 Cup Food Chopper, 2 Speed Hand Blender and 5 Speed Hand Mixer. Paula Deen has a 15-Piece Cookware Set in speckled coral. The cookware has DuPont Teflon Select nonstick interiors and porcelain enamel exteriors for durability and easy cleanup. For added convenience, this cookware is also safe to use in the oven up to 350 degrees. Philips' Daily Collection has a rice cooker with coral-colored details. There's even a Google Home Mini in Pantone's Living coral. Says Eiseman, "People have been more and more engaged in that they're talking more about design; they're more interested in it, and they're looking at it almost like it's an art form in some cases. So that level of interest has grown." KN

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