The new products from SMEG, which were presented at the Salone in Milan, were fantastic. The company isn’t very well known in the States, but is famous in Europe for working with Italian designers and architects. Among them is Renzo Piano, who designed the products I’m sharing today.

The PV hob, below, is my absolute favorite. I saw a version of it at Valcucine that incorporated the glass counter with the cooktop so that the entire surface was glass (in this case green).

The PV line isn’t available in the US yet. But you’ve got something to look forward to. SMEG has plans to bring the line over in a couple of years. They’re also working on turkey-sized ovens for the US market.

I loved this hob as well. It’s so space-aged. The sink, below, is beautiful. It has an integrated colander and a cover. I guess that means you can hide your dirty dishes. :)

If you love a contemporary look, no one designs them better than the Italians.

Italian appliance firm, SMEG is famous for working with Italian designers and architects. Marc Newson is the first non-Italian designer to work with the appliance company.

The new hobs and ovens designed by Marc Newson in stainless steel, glass and in 7 chromatic enamel finishes, were inspired by the desire to create something absolutely new, a look never before seen in the market. Conceived as a true synthesis of the SMEG philosophy technology with style, Newson said he wanted to bring back curved elements, which remind me of sturdy appliance designs from the 1950’s.

After analyzing the present collection of domestic products, Newson decided to begin by designing hobs and ovens – best selling products - in order to leave the strongest and most distinctive imprint on the international market.

Newson’s line for SMEG US will be available in the US in a couple of years.

Going to the Salone del Mobile was a wonderful experience. As I said earlier in the week, the most inspiring aspect were the kitchens. Of everything I saw, kitchen design was the one things that’s taking the largest step forward. The rule of the kitchen triangle principle is a thing of the past. And once the rules have been broken, everything becomes open to change.

Here’s a peek at some of the innovative things I saw.

In-line cooktops are a huge trend. The improvement in ergonomics is obvious - no more reaching for pots behind pots.

Smeg (more about them later) has introduced a horizontal dishwasher that opens with a touch. It sits higher in the cabinet, making access easier.

Miele has a built-in pressure cooker. For busy families, it’s a great thing to have. I use mine (not built-in) all the time. It makes perfect risotto in 9 minutes.

You might think there isn’t a thing anyone could do to improve a simple sink, but I saw a lot that were integrated into stainless steel countertops. A slope drains the water into the sink. Colanders and cutting boards were also built-in design elements.

Archlinea offered up a couple of nice ideas. One is a greenhouse designed for growing herbs and such - this one suspended from the ceiling. The other is a countertop warming tray.

Elica had a large display of artistic vent hoods. They’re designed to resemble light fixtures. Some looked a bit strange to me, but it’s an interesting idea and one that kicks the idea of kitchen as living space up a notch.

Finally, I fell in love with these tempered glass counters and backsplashes. Loaded with color, which you know I love, they broaden the creative aspects of kitchen design. Above are examples from Valcucine and DADA.

Now some bad news. Not all of these products are currently available in the states. But fear not, the US is such an enormous market that many are coming our way. We just have to wait a couple of years.

Continuing with the idea of kitchens and family rooms living as one, here’s a photo essay of kitchens from Milan. (Did you know that Italy ranks number two in the world when it comes to kitchen sales?) Notice how the dining tables are creatively integrated into the workspace. I also love the new way cabinet doors are opening and their larger widths.

Archlinea used larch for their table.

One of Snaidero’s kitchens with a more furniture-like look to it. I like the way the upper cabinet doors open.

Not such a great photo, but this was an interesting way to incorporate a cooktop with a dining table.

Another Snaidero kitchen. I like the way the shelving runs across the wall - moving from kitchen utility to decorative space.

See more after the jump.

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It seems ironic that families have less and less time to sit down together for a meal, yet kitchens are rapidly becoming the heart of the home. Their reason for being is expanding from a room set aside solely for food preparation into one that incorporates the needs of everyday life.

Kitchens are becoming a social hub, fully integrated with a larger living space. In the United States (where houses are comparatively larger) that typically means kitchens are combined with family rooms.

The kitchen designs I saw at this year’s Salone del Mobile, in Milan, reflect this change. The trend is strong and is clearly moving toward designs that allow kitchen components to flow seamlessly from the food preparation area directly into the living space.

I spent my kitchen time in Milan checking out the contemporary designers. With 160 different vendors and more than 39,000 square meters devoted solely to kitchens, I just couldn’t get to every building. But the trend applies across the design board. Here’s just one example of how the new trend is being applied.

The exhibiter, in my opinion, that did the best job of visualizing the kitchen/living trend was Valcucine. Their unique glass-covered cabinets (2mm thick) can be printed with customized graphics, photographs, or simply a solid hue. The sink and hob were creatively integrated into the lower cabinets and fit beautifully into the open shelving.

Directly across from the workspace, a cabinet with LED-lit, glass shelving hangs on the wall. The cabinet not only looks like a work of art, the extra-large, sliding doors allow for greater visibility and access to tableware or pantry items.

Another wall holds the oven and refrigerator (behind the right-hand door). Again, the doors are wide and slide to open. When closed, the wall becomes a solid block of color – pink in this case.

Around the corner from the pink wall, Valcucine installed a family room. A red built-in cabinet sits below a wall cabinet. The same playful graphic is incorporated in the upper cabinet thereby unifying the overall space. A table for dining blended perfectly with the lounge seating.

Aside from the exposed sink and hob, one could barely tell this all about a kitchen. Whether or not you like the childlike graphic (personally, not for me), I think Valcucine did a nice job of demonstrating how kitchen and family space can live as one.

I’ll be busy this weekend, sitting outside, putting my thoughts together on the kitchen trends from Milan. I have to say, I was really excited about what I saw. The beautiful, innovative materials and new ways of thinking about  kitchen design were the most forward-thinking aspects of the Fair. 

Marc Newson showing off his new designs for SMEG. 

As I said earlier, I’m kind of swamped today. It’s Friday - official goof-off day. Alas, not for me. But if you’re looking for further reading on the trends from Milan in general, (and need a break from playing Peggle) I’d like to suggest you check out Architonic’s excellent write-up.

Italian company, Zazzeri, manufactures impeccable kitchen and bathroom faucets. This photo was taken at their Salone booth three years ago. Orange was the color of the day and we were just beginning to see Carrera marble. Both are now quite the thing over here in the US. I’m so excited to see the new trends.

See you in Milan!

My dream is to one day live in New York City. Misterarthur and I will probably have to settle for a small shoe box, but as long as the shoe box is in a cool neighborhood I’ll be happy. I was thinking about that when I came across this great kitchen concept for small spaces over at a new blog called Damned Good Design.

This interesting, and colorful, creation is the work of designer, Fevzi Karaman, who hails from Turkey. His concept kitchen won first prize at the Silverline Kitchen Design Competition in 2006.

Scoot on over the read about the other space-saving devices in Damned Cool’s article.

Yippee! I’ve got another Design Dilemma to tackle. This week it’s a kitchen and involves color - one of my favorite design subjects.

DH reader, Jack, writes that he’s updating his kitchen, which basically means changing out the countertop and the wallpaper. As you can see in the two photos, the cabinets are a beautiful, dark cherry. The appliances are black, and the floor is a green and white ceramic tile. These elements are staying.

Jack likes taupe for the walls and granite for the counters. Their issue is the granite color, He says, “Though we have lots of light from the sun room and large windows, one opinion is to go with black, while another is that there is already enough darkness.”

First, I wonder if Jack has considered surfaces other than granite? There are other natural and manufactured stone products that are also very nice. Take some time to check what’s out there. Soapstone and marble are nice options. Manufactured stone choices include Caesarstone and Silestone. The benefit of a manufactured stone is the even color and veining, as well as the ease of maintenance.

Having said all that, the most important advice I have to offer is to choose a honed finish. Trends are moving toward more natural textures. The best way to give your kitchen an update is to choose a honed, or matte, product. In the photo below, you can appreciate the natural beauty of the matte finish.

Now, to answer your question. Black or a lighter color? The only thing I would steer you away from is anything other than a neutral color. You’ll be spending a lot of money for your new counters. So stick with something no one will tire of - even new owners. As for the color, black is fine. It’s not wrong. You have plenty of sunlight, so you don’t need to worry about the case effect. But you’re right on the water, so why not consider something lighter? I’ve worked up a few ideas.

Here’s a dark gray, honed granite. I’ve teamed it up with a wallpaper in a neutral hue. This pattern is called Bumble Bee and it’s from Farrow & Ball. This is formal look. Yet the bees keep it light.

Here’s a lighter choice. This is Caesarstone in Lagos Blue. The paint is Satin Slipper from Farrow & Ball.

This is my favorite choice. It’s not too dark, not too light. And it will go really well with the green tile on the floor. I like the hint of color here, while still keeping with a neutral palette. This option is Raven, also from Caesarstone. If you like this choice, but prefer a natural stone, I suggest ordering a sample of the Raven and taking it to your stone shop for a match. Paint choices here are Blue Grey with White Tie from Farrow & Ball.

Finally, while you’re at it, might I suggest some new bar stools? They need an update as well. The stool shown above is the Eastward Stool from Thomas Moser.

That’s my two cents worth, Jack. I hope this helps you with your decision. My final suggestion is to be sure to choose your paint color last!

I welcome suggestions and opinions from all of you. What would you do? Is black too dark for a kitchen by the water? Is there a favorite stone you think would work? I welcome all ideas and I’m sure Jack will, too.

I got a note from Give Simple today. They’re hosting a recipe contest. Even though Kitchen Week (!) is over, I thought I’d write it up. The top 10 best simple recipes will be posted on their site. And the very best simple recipe contributor wins a Make Your Own Cookbook Kit. I’ll have to get Misterarthur working on his submission as soon as he stops traveling all over Kingdom Come.

I hope everyone enjoyed Kitchen Week (!) as much as I did. I covered so much material that I thought this would be as good a time as any to begin writing a weekly wrap-up. I hope this will help serve as a guide to quickly access the information covered during the week, and that it will help serve readers as a resource.

• I wrote a long post on kitchen cabinet options, including Gory (pictured above). They come in so many styles and price ranges it could make your head spin. The best place to start is to choose something that compliments the style of your home. Eco-friendly options include Lyptus, Neil Kelly and Crystal.

• Read design advice from kitchen design experts, Jim Morris and Susan Serra.
• Countertop materials include many choices other than the standard granite. They include: Silestone, options from 3-Form, and glass, concrete, soapstone, stainless, and Ice Stone.

• Sink and faucet options from Kohler.
• All about dishwashers.
• Appliances! What’s new in cooking and refrigeration. Plus, the latest on retro fridges.

• New options on flooring, including creative vinyl tiles, and Marmoleum.
• Ceramic Tiles from Margaret Licha, Pewabic Pottery, Woven Wood, and Marlborough.

• A funny nightmare construction story from builder Steve Hulse.
• Practical advice (and some cookbook recommendations) on knives and setting up a proper cook’s kitchen from Renaissance Man, Misterarthur.

• And lighting styles from Tom Dixon, UNIK, and, José Esteves.

Of course, there are always my daily Chair of the Day posts. I’ll leave you to discover those on your own. My hand are tired from typing!

Ice Stone is a recycled glass material with a conscience. The manufacturer diverts millions of pounds of recycled glass to create this countertop material. It’s totally green and beautiful, too. Each thick, cement matrix slab is porous, like stone, and is heat and scratch resistant. Best of all (to me at least) it comes in 27 colors.