Evolution of kitchen and bathroom design over the last 30 ye

Evolution of kitchen and bathroom design over the last 30 years
July 3, 2013
Media Release

Evolution of kitchen and bathroom design over the last 30 years

The past 30 years have seen kitchens become the heart of the home, while bathrooms have evolved into private relaxation zones, says Trends Publishing International editorial director Paul Taylor.

The National Kitchen and Bathroom Association celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. It has also had a 30-year association with Trends. So, it makes sense for Paul to be looking at changes in kitchens and bathrooms over the decades.

“If you went back three decades, you’d find most kitchens were sectioned off from the rest of the house. These days the kitchen is the heart of the home. It might be an overworked phrase, but it’s an accurate description of how we see our kitchens today,” he says.

In the meantime, bathrooms are now more closely connected to the bedroom than they’ve ever been.

“In some extreme cases, people are even putting their bath in the bedroom itself, instead of in the bathroom,” Paul says.

“Years ago you would have walked into a separate room, but there is now more openness between the bathroom and the bedroom. In some cases there’s no door to the bathroom, or there are only sliding panels which means you can have it open to the bedroom, or close it down if you want to.

“Freestanding tubs have become a common element and give a sense of space or add something sculptural to the space.

“Some bathrooms have an Asian spa feel and design, creating an environment that’s relaxing and not just a place where you go to have a quick shower,” he says.

Another concept is the wet room where there is no lip on the shower floor. Some don’t have a full shower enclosure, just a glass panel on one side.

“A lot more money is being spent on bathrooms and the number of bathrooms in each house has increased as well,” Paul says.

An interconnecting bathroom between two children’s rooms is one model, while other homes have one bathroom for every bedroom. And the powder room concept – a bathroom off the living area – is becoming more popular as well.

In the kitchen, designers are thinking more about how the cooking space interacts with other living areas such as the dining room, the outdoors or even the home office.

A view is often what dictates the kitchen placement and that then has a flow-on effect for placement of other rooms, Paul says.

We’re also exposed to a lot more choice.

“Thirty years ago people would look at pictures of kitchens in overseas magazines but could never buy many of the things they saw. As the New Zealand market opened up in the early 1990s, we had access to a lot more products and materials. Now, even if the products aren’t sold here, you can probably still get them online,” he says.

“The issue has actually become that there’s too much choice out there. For example, if you want to buy a tap these days, the number of taps you could look at is just phenomenal. That creates problems because people can’t make a final decision. Members of a professional association like the NKBA can cut through all of that,” he says.

The designer plays an important role in decisions like this. They can work within a budget allocation and quality expectations, and then suggest half a dozen tap options to the homeowner and give their recommendation.

Paul says New Zealand has a contemporary aesthetic which is influenced heavily by European designs, though there are still plenty of more traditional kitchens being produced, particularly to work in with New Zealand’s villas and bungalows.

Colours have gone through various stages such as strong blues in the 1990s, and reds coming through at one stage. But more muted, natural shades are currently popular, with textures and patterns added, he says.

Cupboards and drawers now have soft-touch and self-closing features, and large appliances can be fronted with the same material as the cupboards so everything is integrated.

The National Kitchen and Bathroom Association has almost 300 members, 60 percent of whom are design/manufacturers.

Ingrid Geldof is the NKBA’s president. She’s been in the industry 21 years and the owner of an award-winning company based in Christchurch.

“NKBA designers go out of their way to learn about the latest trends in the world with more than 30 of our members attending the Eurocucina exhibition in Milan last year,” Ingrid says.

“Our designers strive to be the best and the NKBA provides them with the vehicle to achieve that.”

Please refer to page one of the attached PDF for examples of kitchen designs typical of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s [Images.pdf]

ENDS

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