EuroCucina is Europe’s most influential kitchen trade fair, and Rebecca Nottingham travelled to Milan to discover the biggest kitchen design trends catching on in Europe.
EuroCucina, the most influential trade fair in the kitchen industry, was held in Milan as part of the 62nd Salone del Mobile furniture fair.
The Milan Salone del Mobile trade fair, which took place in Milan from 16 to 21 April, attracted more than 1,950 exhibitors from 35 countries. The fair once again attracted a record 370,824 visitors this year, a 20.2% increase on the 2023 figure.
“The 62nd edition of the Salone del Mobile in Milan has exceeded all expectations,” said Maria Polo, President of Salone del Mobile in Milan. “It has been a record-breaking event. We have recorded exceptional results thanks to the trust of an ecosystem that has once again confirmed the international leadership of the event. With 370,824 visitors, Salone del Mobile in Milan has once again become a unique event in the world and an important bridge with new market regions; an intercontinental city open to innovation, where competition accelerates the competitiveness of key sectors of the national economy and beyond; a great factory of meaning and lasting value, of products and jobs, of tangible and intangible culture.”
This year’s Salone included the biennial EuroCucina / FTK (Technology For the Kitchen). Exhibitors at this year’s EuroCucina included Bora, Asko, Beko, Bertazzoni, BSH, Eggersmann, Häcker, Nobilia, Nolte, Signature Kitchen Suite, Elica, Falmec, Scavolini, Schüller/Next125 and Smeg.
Compared to other years, this year’s EuroCucina seemed a little more conservative in terms of innovation. Perhaps in keeping with the current market climate, there seemed to be fewer mind-blowing design concepts and instead a lot more practical functionality on display.
This is far from a criticism – quite the opposite: the new products on display captured people’s imaginations with bold new finishes, new styles and technological innovations – but, crucially, all seemed to respond directly to consumer needs and demands.
Here we have summarised some of the key trends.
Hidden Storage
There were plenty of examples of hidden storage – clearly a key area of innovation, linked to the focus on practical, functional design. As well as offering clever storage solutions, the hidden aspects continue the clean lines and minimalist style that’s very much on trend. Highlights included Falmec’s Surface hood, which fits against the wall and blends into the kitchen design, Siematic’s SecretService and SecretSpace solutions and Scavolini’s BoxLife kitchen.
Tactile finish
Mixing materials and featuring tactile finishes was a trend that was present throughout the booths: think grooved wood details on the display cabinets and finely textured fluted glass, and this tactile quality was also realized as fine details on a range of faucets and appliances.
Beautiful pastel colors
While darker finishes were widely represented, one of the key trends was more subtle pastel tones. These fresh finishes were often used as subtle accents against neutral hues like beige and taupe. Pastel colours were featured by a variety of brands, including Nobilia, which showed new jade green and coral options from its Senso palette.
Organic Shapes
Curves and organic shapes were prevalent throughout the halls of EuroCucina. These elements were mainly seen as multifunctional islands, contributing to the revival of the softer, more fluid kitchen designs of the past. Examples include Next125 and Scavolini.
Again, metallic finishes are by no means a new concept in kitchen design, but the sheer volume of these finishes across the fair makes it clear that this is a trend that cannot be ignored. Bertazzoni showcased this growing trend by previewing a range of concept finishes, including gold, on its Modern Series built-in ovens. Next125 also got in on the action as part of its collaboration with Francis Kéré (pictured above right). In addition to these examples where solid metallic finishes were the main focus, there were also more subtle nods to the trend, with different types of metallic accents featured throughout the furniture.
