The last few weeks have been taken up seeing lots of new ideas and products; firstly at the Mereway launch of their new range and secondly, of course, the KBB 2018 show in Birmingham.

Signature, from the English Revival Kitchens collection by Mereway

A good time was had by all at this launch, despite the appalling blizzard conditions and transport problems! It was fantastic to see the new designs exhibited in a real-life country house kitchen (more of that in a few weeks’ time!) and to enjoy lots of fabulous food presented by chef and Kitchen Aid ambassador Lisa Marley. Have a look at ideas and recipes here. The Kitchen Aid appliances are astonishing, see the range here. A visit to their London Experience Store should be added to your ‘list of things to do in London’.  But … back to the Signature design; it’s a new look at a traditional in-frame Shaker door in new and contemporary colours which include Tyrolean Blue and Aubergine (my current favourites). We’re showing it here in two subtle shades of grey, Diamond Grey and Light Grey. Inspect the rest of the range here, and start planning some colourful schemes! The attention to detail is immaculate, with the possibility of creating bespoke solutions for all types of kitchen, from compact to giant-sized. This is a new twist on a familiar design that will no doubt soon become a best-seller.

Solva in Vintage Rose and Graphite Grey from the new Masterclass Kitchens collection

At the KBB Exhibition, there were almost too many fabulous stands to choose from (including our own Blum stand, which won a prize, naturally …), but one that I thoroughly enjoyed visiting was the Masterclass Kitchens stand. It was beautifully styled, featuring not just kitchens but living spaces, larder ideas and great colours. This is the new Solva kitchen in Vintage Rose and Graphite Grey; which can be seen here on their website. Some great ideas for using a soft, gentle pink shade in the kitchen – we’ve been seeing it all over the house, used for lighting, soft furnishings and even bathrooms for the last year or so, but this shows it off to great effect in the kitchen too! And if you think pink is a step too far, balance it out with a choice of three great blues in the same collection – Powder Blue, Windsor Blue and Oxford Blue are all great contrasts.

Talking of blue, take a look at this gorgeous kitchen with traditional country styling; it’s by Mark Taylor Design, and has a host of design details that completely nail that country kitchen vibe! See some more bespoke kitchen and interior design ideas from the Mark Taylor team here.

SURFACE STYLE

So many surfaces to choose from … I will try to bring you a few new ideas each month! CRL Quartz was impressive, this is a new design, Montana Gris. It’s an engineered quartz, which is, as you would want and expect, is scratch, heat and stain resistant. Available in polished and honed finishes, and 20mm or 30mm thickness. See the collections here.

We loved the Y-Line handleless kitchen from Pronorm – in matt organic glass, shown here in Light Grey. Glass has been around for a while now for cabinet doors, but this is a particularly good example, and is naturally impact and scratch resistant. Choose from five colours and a glossy or matt finish. A great idea for kitchen designers to explore – create a dynamic and contemporary look just by this choice of material. See the rest of the Pronorm range here. The website is well worth a visit, it’s packed full of ideas!

Rotpunkt always draws the crowds, I’m sure visitors can’t resist the lure of the unusual name. The new Black Line and Metal Line kitchens are super sleek and extremely striking. Definitely future classics, with hi-tech details including drawer boxes in Carbon and Smoked Black Glass. The Titanium Kitchen Line has an industrial feel, but still looks extremely sophisticated. Visit the website here  for an informative overview of what Rotpunkt has to offer.

I know we usually focus on kitchens at The Kitchen Think, but on the basis that anyone involved in designing and creating new kitchens is also likely to be interested in bathrooms, and of course that it was the KBB Exhibition, it would be remiss of me to ignore some of the amazing bathroom ideas. Some of the most impressive were the new panels from Showerwall. These are clever, totally waterproof shower panels that allow designers to specify smooth, minimalist bathrooms that don’t need to be tiled. This is Lighting Marble, look at the other designs available here, the Nautical Wood and Blue Toned Stone designs are simply delightful and will transform a showering space with ease.

SHOPPING UPDATE

Despite the fact that the last few weeks have been completely hectic, I can’t ignore three new shopping and testing opportunities that have arisen. After having minor panics regarding running out of phone battery power (well I was stuck on a train for ages in the snow!) I like the idea of the Thumbs Up Mini Emergency Charger it’s just about the size of an AA battery and plugs directly into an iPhone (or an Android, make a choice before you order!) Charge it up and keep it in the bottom of your bag. The only bad thing about it is that it’s from ASOS, so oops I’ve just bought a dress too … And it’s nice to see a new design for the Stellar Stay Cool casseroles and pans that have the super-clever draining lids and stay-cool handles. Try one, honest you won’t go back to juggling with sieves and colanders! See the collection here.

And finally … coming next month, my review of the latest carpet cleaner/washer from VAX.  The all-singing and dancing Platinum model going to take some mud stains out of the NEW stair carpet and will then go on to revive and spruce up some fitted carpets that have been down for 20 years! I’ll keep you posted!