The Villeroy & Boch tiles shown are licence products from V&B Fliesen GmbH
Trend kitchens
Open, elegant and minimalist-natural – The modern eat-in kitchen as the heart of the home
The open-plan, eat-in kitchen has been very popular for years and has now advanced to the real heart of the home. No wonder: today’s trend strongly favours healthy nutrition and cooking one’s own food. And it is no longer just the younger generation who enjoy cooking and eating in a sociable setting with family or friends – which simply does not work in a separate kitchen. So the demand is for large, open-plan kitchens that integrate perfectly into the living and dining area and offer ample space for lots of people and good conversation.
Muted colours and metallic effects
In terms of their interior design, in 2018 the trend-setting kitchens are simple and elegant. Gone are the days of the quaint country kitchen with its nostalgic rustic charm. Muted colours and smooth fronts with metallic effects are popular: a great design combination which works perfectly with the Villeroy & Boch METALLIC ILLUSION tile range. Its surface is reminiscent of concrete and works with gradients of rust colours, as if time had left its trace. And those who want to work with coloured highlights will find all they need in the CREATIVE SYSTEM 4.0 colour concept. The nuanced colours have been developed with a view to the colour philosophy of modern furnishing concepts.
Minimalist looks in wood and natural stone
Even if the typical country look is no longer Number 1 on the popularity scale for modern eat-in kitchens, natural colours, materials and finishes are naturally still in use in the kitchen – they’re just more minimalist and lighter now. Wood or natural stone, for instance. When it comes to robustness and cleaning, however, both materials pose real disadvantages: they are sensitive to scratching, bumps and stains, often not colour-fast and require painstaking care – all properties one would rather not have in the kitchen.
And yet floors in a warm, wood look are still an option. The TUXEDO and LODGE ranges by Villeroy & Boch Fliesen combine the advantages of ceramic tiles with the authentic appearance of selected woods: they are extremely resilient, easy to keep clean and retain their appearance for years to come. The TUXEDO porcelain stoneware concept in vilbostone is inspired by exquisite hard woods and exhibits the same kinds of fine, long grain patterns seen in carefully selected real wood, with few inclusions; LODGE, on the other hand, has the original wood look of a parquet floor with an assortment of grains, colour variations and knotholes.
Ceramic tiles have a great deal to offer when it comes to natural stone looks, too. Such as the CADIZ range, inspired by the special flair of the Andalusian city of Cádiz which lends kitchens and living spaces a warm atmosphere; or the MY EARTH range, which recreates the texture and wealth of detail of a structured natural stone with a relief surface.
Smooth fronts and harmonious décors
The urban chic of the trendy kitchen-diners can be seen in smooth kitchen fronts, optionally with a push-to-open mechanism or slender handles, and open shelves that add an air of lightness to interior design. But the kitchens of 2018 can also be individually invigorated with the kinds of décor for which ceramic tiles open up appealing design potentials – as a carpet of tiles on the floor, or on the wall, for instance behind the countertop or on the counter. Fine, geometric designs that go very nicely with bold colours, can be found, for instance in the BERNINA tile range by Villeroy & Boch Tiles. Those who prefer expressive colour patterns will delight at the décors of the CENTURY UNLIMITED tile range. Particularly ‘in’: the trend colour grey – stunning, whether bright or anthracite.
