i+D - November/December 2021 - 53

Open or glassfronted
cabinets
in kitchens are
an increasingly
prevalent trend.
(Image: Courtesy
of Cantoni)
Whether homeowners opt for the traditional hood design or an
in-counter design, proper installation is key. " Ventilation is the
unsung hero of the kitchen, " says Stevenson. " It's often not
what people start with [in the design process]; it's where people
end, and it needs to be the inverse. I cannot tell you why many
kitchens are designed with ventilation as an afterthought, and it
doesn't work: It's noisy, the wrong location, the wrong size. "
Stevenson says that as people invest in more powerful burners,
proper ventilation is even more important as those high-BTU
burners create exhaust and heat. As with specialized aspects
of a renovation like acoustics or smart home wiring, it's best
to leave the design of a ventilation system to a professional.
Gaggenau has a concierge program whose specialists can work
with designers to select the right products for the appliances,
the cook, and the space, and will help design the schematics to
properly route the air flow, and, finally, help integrate the delivery
and installation of the system into the renovation schedule.
waterfalling down the ends of islands, and even on kitchen
and dining room tables. " We are offering more and more
beautiful quartzites that are frequently vibrantly colored,
very low in porosity, and highly resistant to acid, which make
them a phenomenal material in the kitchen, " Marcus notes.
In place of a bulky hood,
a downdraft ventilation
system can provide an
inconspicuous solution.
Shown is the Gaggenau
Vario 400 Series
Downdraft System.
(Image: Courtesy of Gaggenau)
Blanco says that while neutral and all-white cabinets will always
be a popular choice, especially for conservative clients or less
urban areas, she's being asked for lots of colors: blues, greens,
even pops of bright hues like orange. " Maybe everyone is tired of
their kitchen looking like everybody else's, " she says. Blanco is
also seeing an interest in metal frames and reeded or textured
glass cabinetry, which lend a rustic modern look.
Ventilation is another area of the kitchen that's evolving. Ventilation
hoods have long been the norm, but today's kitchen designers are
seeing increased requests to cover the hoods with marble and
other materials, so the hood recedes into the rest of the design.
Meanwhile, at Gaggenau, Skyler Stevenson, senior marketing
and product manager, says that cooktops are moving away from
the wall and onto a center island, where a host can interact
with guests while putting the finishing touches on a dish, rather
than turning their back on them. Traditional hood ranges, then,
can often block sightlines or ruin a view. Gaggenau's downdraft
ventilation system, which is installed alongside the cooktop,
is an ideal inconspicuous solution.
i+D - November/December 2021
53
i+D - November/December 2021

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