No, this wasn’t shot at KBIS this year, but Hettich did offer up an abbreviated version of its Kitchen Concept 2015 demo shown here at its booth. I also saw a similar demo at the LivingKitchen show in Cologne but unfortunately, it was entirely in German, so I didn’t understand everything that was being explained.

What’s particularly cool is that some of the products and technologies on display already exist—if not in full form then some partially realized version. The hardware is a given and the retractable faucet reminds me of Blanco’s Statura, which was shown at LivingKitchen.

And when I saw the induction cooktop, I thought of Gaggenau’s CX480 full-surface model, which was also shown at LivingKitchen. Here’s a video:

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while but, well, life and magazine issues get in the way…

It’s of an award-winning product design that I came across at the LivingKitchen show in Cologne. The design competition was sponsored by Naber GmbH Co Kg, a manufacturer of kitchen accessories.

So what is it? It’s a sink with an integrated faucet bar that was designed by Sven Arlt and Thomas Beck, of pablo, and incidentally came in first in the competition.

In case you’re wondering, yes, that faucet bar does move. When not in use, it can be pushed to lie flat and flush with the rim of the sink, allowing for, say, a cutting board to be placed on top. When needed, the bar can be lifted and angled for optimal use. A foot pedal controls the water flow and temperature, which is a good thing, as it makes users more aware of water consumption.

Cool, no?

—Alice Liao

I admit it: I’m writing this partly because I wanted an excuse to post the video below. It’s footage of Prada’s 2011 Spring/Summer Women’s Collection, which I watched over the weekend. This being Fashion Week in New York, I started surfing the web for videos and images of shows and ended up on YouTube where I watched this (make sure you watch it with the sound on):

I love the weirdness—or is it freshness?—of the show, the blend of the high-tech/industrial, ultra-white set with the bright colors of the fabrics, the horizontal stripes with the vintage decorative patterns. Then there’s the music, which is so period in sound, along with the 1920s-inspired hairstyles on the models. Of course, the goggle-like shades and the shoes are funky, too.

The mishmash of old and new, hard and soft, white and bright hues, bold graphics and vintage patterns resonates and seems so strangely now—or maybe “now” in a year or two…

Of course, it could just be me. After all, I did write an article on color trends for the January/February issue and, as part of it, was immersed in much talk about different color palettes, their sources of inspiration and the moods they convey (all of which I love hearing about). Sensational Color, for example, included a palette of opposites (in addition to three others) in its color forecast for 2011. Formed of pale, pale pastels and dark blues and greens, it expresses the feeling of being pulled in opposite directions and the need to regain balance, noted Kate Smith, president of Sensational Color.

Charles Luck’s most recent trends forecast mentions a “fusion of craft and technology, urban and pastoral, traditional and modern.” And almost all forecasts include a palette of bold, vibrant hues that reference the influence of longstanding artisan traditions from faraway lands.

So I thought I would gather together some images from LivingKitchen that either together or separately seem to embody the various color and style trends predicted for this year, as well as my experience of the Prada show video.

First up is a kitchen that’s received a lot of ink: +ARTESIO from Poggenpohl. Here’s our write-up on it. Designed by architect Hadi Teherani, it really has an architectural feel and when I saw the video above, the set reminded me of it.

I like the daylit shots of the kitchen as they allow one to really see the interplay of materials.

This next one comes from Ballerina Küchen’s collaboration with glass design and manufacturing company Ritzenhoff. One of four designs in the series, “Ballerina goes Ritzenhoff,” the kitchen features a door style created by industrial designers Harry & Camila.

In shape and style, Elica’s Bubble has the same kind of funkiness as the goggles in the show. Available with a black, white or silver shell made of technopolymer, the spherical hood mounts to the wall, has a 250-450 m³/hr fan and measures 60 cm in diameter.

Contemporary kitchens that combine white with dramatic wood patterning—such as this lacquered and glass design from Nobilia, which features a printed walnut pattern—were popular on the show floor. In a way, the dramatic grain pattern reminds me a little of the more graphic and decorative motifs on some of the clothing.

Here’s a kitchen from (I’m guessing) Pfister Küchen that boasts nothing but grain.

Rational’s Cult kitchen features rough-cut oak doors and ceramic surfaces whose weathered appearance evokes a sense of age and history.

These last two are not from LivingKitchen but Modono Glass’ Modono Glass Tile Collection. The line is comprised of four series—Opulence, Vintage, Extreme and Organic—of tiles, each of which incorporates dichroic film for a variety of color-changing (and somewhat futuristic) effects. Sizes range from 3 in. x 3 in. to 12 in. x 28 in.

Of course, much of this is subjective and may sound a little random. But then again, I did say that this began as an excuse…

—Alice Liao

Want to read more about LivingKitchen? Check out these blog posts from Jamie Goldberg and