Sleek, slick and smooth – Milan 2006 (by Sue Terley)
For five days in April 2006, the world’s best furniture ideas were on display in Italy – where else?
Attracting an estimated 200,000 visitors from around the world, the biennial Milan Furniture Fair is a showcase for new and innovative design ideas for modern living…and kitchens were prominently on show.
To see what the best of the world has to offer, we attended this year’s Fair and this is a brief summary of the latest international trends on display.
The Look
The overall look is slick.
- Handles, drawers, ovens, fridges or pantries are not seen
- Tall stuff is behind closed sliding doors
- Drawers are behind doors
- All corner units are blind with “moving corners”, no L-shaped corners
- Inner drawers are used extensively along with chrome shelves
- Pantries are fitted out with drawers or pull-out systems
Benchtops
- Aluminum edged laminate bench which looks good (see photo)
- Stainless steel and engineered stone 40mm – 200mm
Door Finishes
- Polyurethane in matt finishes, mainly Whites
- Veneers with strong direction grain (see photo)
- High gloss painted glass with 5mm aluminum frames
Handles
- Routed both large and small in aluminum, generally centred
- Channel handles with centre split for drawers, used with inner drawer
- Touch latches
Summary
When it comes to design ideas, Europe still leads the world. But not every European idea suits Australian conditions and many designs can cost a bomb. That’s why A-Plan selects the best that Europe has to offer and adapts these ideas for the Australian market, at an affordable cost.
Visiting Milan has confirmed the direction in which our business is heading. In the coming months, expect to see a range of new kitchen concepts from A-Plan inspired by the best from Europe.