KBB 2016: A Seriously On Trend Industrial Kitchen

I had a marvellous time at KBB16 Birmingham yesterday, scurrying from stand to stand with camera at the ready and notepad poised, taking details for both client projects and design articles. For those in the know, the acronym KBB stand for Kitchens-Bedrooms-Bathrooms and means stalls, nay, halls of inspiration, where the design savvy can check out newly launched designs & products and the keen trend lover can easily spot what’s newly hot.

Let me tell you, there’s a whole lot of hot for 2016. Some years are a bit meh but not this one. I adored the tactile, warm and very versatile styles on show, plus the clear movement towards individuality generally. I’m going to write up a full low down tonight (whittling down from 335 gorgeous images!) but just want to show you one of my favourite collaborations from KBB16, that of Italian design company Scavolini and fashion retailer Diesel. Seriously how cool is this space?

Nailing the industrial trend, it fabulously combines a deep – both in colour and depth – worktop, vintage metal framing and tactile wood effect cabinetry. Timber is back in a huge way trend wise according to this show. Much more on that later this week.

Leather in kitchens? Oh yes indeed. In the Diesel space it was used sparingly and with texture on the stools, but I’ve got some more surprises later this week.

Black lines are so very 2016 and the pendant over-island lighting caught that look well. Was the copper styling a trend step too far? Maybe, but still looked good.OK, maybe not right for a country cottage or suburban semi but what a brilliant kitchen for the more contemporary pad. The metal wall cabinets with wire framed glass doors were wicked, tapping into the trend for darker grey shading in kitchen metals to replace the ubiquitous chrome and nickel. They’d work equally well with rustic timber shelving if you didn’t want to go Full Metal Jacket.The wall ’tiling’ was in fact routered panelling which just looked like tiles, perfect for a trade stand but easily mimicked with white painted bricks or tiling in a ‘real’ kitchen.The pop of egg yolk yellow on the lacquered moveable work station worked wonderfully with the industrial scheme, bringing the whole set to life and adding a touch of fun to quite a serious look. Do add colour pops where you can, they’re often an inexpensive way of adding personalisation.

And you know what else is massive – texture. That’s texture, texture and more TEXTURE. Got it? Yes, there are still smooth glossy surfaces to be found but it’s all about the ridge baby. And guess what – more of that later this week too!Not a detail went unthought of and even the tall cabinet handles were super cool, vintage in feel, reminiscent of an old style fridge and fab to the touch. Dark grey metal again, you see….Millenials watch out, forward thinking kitchen companies are coming to get ya 😉