WATCH | All the trends you need to know about kitchens and bathrooms

Hosted by interior stylist and TV personality Pilani Bubu, SA Home Owner’s Kitchen and Bathrooms trends talk was a fascinating hour filled with insights into all things kitchen-and-bathroom related. Viewers were not only treated to brilliant tips and takeaways for functional kitchens and smart bathrooms, but also had a sneak peek at our September 2020 30th birthday issue — on shelf September 4. 

If you missed the live discussion, watch the highlights below: 

Create spaces you love

Hirsch’s CEO Margaret Hirsch spoke on the most important qualities every kitchen and bathroom space should have. Hirsch says these spaces have to be somewhere you feel comfortable in, designed according to your tastes and preferences. “I think colour is so important, and while muted colours have been fashionable for a long time, black kitchens are now coming back.” 

Invisible kitchens are trending — when you walk into a home you can’t see the kitchen and with the touch of a button the cabinetry emerges. The kitchen has become an integral part — and blends in seamlessly — of the home. During lockdown, people have also spent much more time at home so they want their homes to be comfortable, with easy-to-use products that will work really well.

Functionality is key

Classic Luxury MD Shazeen Jooma shared insights on how functionality and aesthetics in the kitchen work hand in hand. He says kitchens need to be both functional and practical. “People are focused on the types of appliances they are putting in their kitchens, the size of their oven, the durability of their worktops, and whether the space is big enough and functional enough to do what they need to do.” He has noticed that homeowners are looking for products with good quality aftersales service plans, and a mental shift where buyers are looking for quality products with aesthetic appeal.

An airfryer is a must-have

Hirsch’s MD Paul Brown revealed which appliances are becoming popular in the kitchen and bathroom. He has noticed a demand for dishwashers over lockdown. Another incredibly popular product at the moment is the airfryer. “The airfryer is the perfect appliance for a busy family, especially families with children. Steam cooking has changed the way we cook as we look for healthier cooking methods that keep the nutrients in the food but still produce tasty food.”

Go for flow, function and fashion

Classic Luxury marketing co-ordinator Luthfia Bhabha says homeowners are interested in creating flow with their bathrooms so they blend in effortlessly with the rest of the home. Bathrooms are no longer viewed as isolated areas, but are an important part of the overall look and feel of the home.

“People are also paying far greater attention to the types of products that they are putting into their bathrooms. Quality is very important and with that the styling you’re using in your bathroom. It’s important to go for reputable products that have the combination of both fashion and function.”

Maximise space

Blum sales and technical manager Wesley Wild, discussed Blum’s studies — a concept called dynamic space — on how to use space to the maximum using Blum products. Wild suggests maximising your storage capacity in your kitchen using products such as Blum’s Space Tower, which is used for food storage and replaces the existing pantry cupboard. The pullout drawer system allows easy access to products at the back of the cupboard that are often forgotten and hard to reach. “People underestimate how much space they can save with a well-organised pantry.”

Preparation is vital

When planning your next kitchen, Blum marketing manager Charisse Gray advises that you take your lifestyle, shopping habits, cooking routines and family size into consideration. “It’s very important to make sure these factors play a positive role in your kitchen planning so space optimisation, workflow, how many steps you take between your fridge, the position of your microwave, and your work surface in relation to the bin, all play a vital role in your kitchen.”

Congratulations to our three lucky prize winners — Busisiwe Mlenzana, who walked away with a R500 Hirsch’s voucher; Thandeka Phiri, who won a shower head to the value of R1,500 from Classic Luxury; and Belinda Viret, who won a one-year SA Home Owner combination subscription voucher for both print and digital copies valued at R363.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE — subscribe to our new combination subscription deal for only R363 to receive BOTH your print and digital copies. Subscribing could not be easier — e-mail feedback@arena.africa to take up this offer before September 3 2020.