Design Anatomy
Welcome to Design Anatomy, where we examine the world of interiors and design. With a shared passion for joyful, colour-filled, and lived-in spaces, Bree Banfield and Lauren Li are excited to share their insights and inspiration with you.
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Design Anatomy
Kitchens Reimagined with Loren Inglis of Vzug
The humble kitchen has evolved from a purely functional space into the vibrant heart of our homes, but what's next in this evolution? In this fascinating conversation with Loren Inglis, Regional Business Development Manager at Vzug, we explore how kitchen design is entering its next phase as "the third space" – where technology, aesthetics, and authentic living intersect.
Loren pulls back the curtain on how professional-grade appliances are transforming home cooking experiences, making restaurant-quality results accessible to everyone from passionate home chefs to self-proclaimed "reheaters." We dive into unexpected innovations like the Refresh Butler, which uses steam technology to clean clothes without chemicals, demonstrating how kitchen-adjacent technologies are extending throughout the home.
The conversation tackles the shift away from sterile showpiece kitchens toward spaces designed for real living. "Authenticity," as Lauren notes, has become a driving force in kitchen design. We explore how designers are balancing visual appeal with functionality through sculptural stonework, thoughtful color palettes, and clever space-saving solutions like cooktops with integrated extraction systems.
For those renovating or building, Loren offers valuable insights into choosing finishes that complement your space, with Vzug's Pearl finish emerging as a sophisticated alternative to traditional black or white appliances. We discuss how sustainability considerations are shaping both manufacturing processes and product design, with energy efficiency and food preservation becoming increasingly important as food costs rise.
Whether you're planning a kitchen renovation, curious about the latest appliance innovations, or simply interested in how design trends reflect our changing lifestyles, this episode offers a rich exploration of the contemporary kitchen landscape. Join us for a conversation that goes beyond surface-level trends to examine how our kitchens are becoming more personalized, more sustainable, and more aligned with how we actually live.
Ready to see these innovations in person? Visit Vzug's Melbourne studio in Richmond, open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, where the Gourmet Academy team can demonstrate how these appliances might transform your home cooking experience.
Checkout Vzug's amazing innovations on socials:
Instagram: @vzug
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If you're sitting at your desk about to send a fee proposal and you'd just like to run it by someone else first? Or have you ever had a client dilemma and it just doesn't feel right but no one you know understands (except for the dog)?
And do you wonder why you're not raking it in when you're practically living at your desk, busting your creative chops 'round the clock?
These are the things we're diving into with a small group of designers just like you. And so much more in THE DESIGN SOCIETY
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So we usually start off by trying to remember where we first met our guest, and today we have Lauren. Inglis and Lauren. I think the first time I met you was at your incredible showroom for Vizug where you work, and it was the most divine dinner with the coolest guests. But I mean, Bree, you've known Lauren for a lot longer than me.
Speaker 2:yeah, we worked out. I was a bit vague on. I was like when did we first meet at? Lauren remembers exactly. And it was in Milan, that's right, wasn't it? At a dinner, um, and I think it was the year that I also first met your cousin Selena, was it that same Serena?
Speaker 3:yeah, serena, oh my god, okay.
Speaker 2:Well, here we go. Now we need to cut that out.
Speaker 3:She'll kill me don't leave it in, she'll love it. Hi, selena.
Speaker 2:We love you, selena, we do, we do god now she's gonna be calling me something else, um, who, funny enough, I didn't know was your cousin until ages after. And then I kind of put the two together and went yeah, of course, like you do kind of look similar, but you also have a great energy like a similar energy yeah, um, yeah, but you know Milan, meeting Australians in Milan is not uncommon. For some reason there's a lot of us over there and sometimes I see more people there than I do in Melbourne at home.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I remember the dinner and it was fairly hectic and it was my first time to visit Milan, so I was really overwhelmed and excited and just you know, so happy to be there and then to be having this cool dinner with Aussies, you know, somewhere as exotic as this design fair was heaps of fun and we obviously had a few wines at dinner, which was awesome, and I don't know if you recall, but our waiter was quite a unique character, of course, and he was very playful, and so we went to go for some group photos.
Speaker 3:Of course, it's all for the grams, all for the content. And he somehow managed to like, absolutely flip my phone out of his hand and at the same time he was actually recording. So it wasn't a photo, it was actually this spinning video of my phone as it cascaded down to smash on the floor. Um, but thankfully it wasn't broken. But it certainly made for a good story on the grams yeah, it was that's right, I remember that now uh, yeah, and then how we both know lauren from.
Speaker 1:like dinners with wine? Yes, it's a common thread here.
Speaker 2:Yes, well, she knows good wine and she knows good food I do and so she's the perfect fit for a kitchen discussion, right, absolutely, amongst other things, obviously.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, yes, that was a draw card for me for coming to work for Vizug as well, of course. You know it's all about hospitality and hospitality is sport particularly. You know it's all about hospitality and hospitality is sport particularly in Melbourne. So it makes perfect sense.
Speaker 1:Hospitality is sport.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1:Hobbies as we learn.
Speaker 2:We were talking to someone last week and we often ask people what their hobbies are, because we find it fascinating that a lot of creatives don't really have hobbies. And they were like going out to restaurants and eating good food And'm like I like that, it's a hobby. Yeah, it's not just an night and day.
Speaker 3:Yes, and it's a sport.
Speaker 1:It's not even totally a competitive sport.
Speaker 3:We're competitive with each other. If you don't know about the new restaurant that opened up two minutes ago, then who even are you in some cases?
Speaker 1:and it's not even a snobbery piece.
Speaker 3:It's about understanding the design and participating in community and I think that the dining scene, particularly in Australia, or hospitality scene in Australia, really does offer us that, and I think it sort of creates a really nice footing for some of the discussions that we'll have today, which is, you know, people are passionate about food and the kitchen and things like that.
Speaker 2:So tell us a little bit about what you do at Bezoog as well Great.
Speaker 3:So I've been with Bezoog for almost a year now. It's been an amazing opportunity to join such an iconic brand and I have the absolute pleasure of currently owning the role of a regional business development manager so sort of a regional business development manager so sort of focused on Victoria and WA. We've got amazing representation in New South Wales and Queensland, as well as looking at new business in New Zealand. So a new challenge and exciting for us to be able to, I guess, open up that market. So I'm hustling all the time.
Speaker 1:I love that. New Zealand yeah, it's great.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what are great, yeah, what are they looking at doing over there? Oh look, I think in general we'd like to see, and we see, placement for our products and some of their multi-res projects. There'd be a projects channel initially, which is really exciting, and there might be a project or two that we're already, sort of, you know, getting along with.
Speaker 1:Love it so yeah.
Speaker 3:So it's a good starting point, but a little way off yet. Obviously. It's been for 15 years in the market in Australia, to be fair, and over 111 years internationally. So there is just such great opportunity for us here and I sort of come into the business standing on the shoulders of greatness in those that have built our project pipeline over those last 15 years and then looking to see what we can do next. So we're talking a little bit before about you know what we've all been up to, or what I've been up to lately, and I'm still sort of recovering from our massive launch party last week, yes, last week Thursday night and sort of.
Speaker 3:You know, it's like the biggest prom ever. If you want to call it the oscars, please do. Um, you know, let's get tonal. Let's dress to the studio. I'm actually sitting in the melbourne studio right now and so exciting for us to open melbourne second only to sydney. So we're in surrey hills, yeah, so it's just nice to be able to roll out a red carpet.
Speaker 2:You did the design of your showroom in melbourne yep, so it's all internal.
Speaker 3:So Gabrielle Costello, who's our global interior art director, and it's sort of a bit of a strategic piece in terms of ensuring that we're, you know, taking in inspiration from the local market, and then sort of translating that into a very unique Vizug DNA, and I think that we've done that exceptionally well. And you'll look to our global studios and see that everyone is quite different. So we're Zug, London, Paris, Hamburg, Berlin, Venice, Milan, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong. Singapore and Sydney and now Melbourne, and you know I just want to go and stamp a passport.
Speaker 2:I love that Melbourne's on that list now. Yes, you just need to go and just need to check out all those other shows. You know, it's just part of the job right, 100%, and you're always welcome. I'll be joining you.
Speaker 3:Just to finish on the design note, we're quite specific and I think that, in terms of looking at the Melbourne studio and I'm not sure, lauren, have you been in yet? Have you had the chance to come in? Oh, you did. You came for dinner here, sorry. Yet have you had the chance to come in? Yeah, oh, you did. You came for dinner here, sorry, darling.
Speaker 3:So the the key finish or key color is coyote, which is quite a strong color and very much a rich clay color, earthy color if you will, and it's very, very predominant in the studio, yeah, and quite intentionally so. So inspired by the australian outback and sort of the neighboring influences in melbourne, like the red brickwork that surrounds us here in Industry Lanes, as well as the amazing tin rooftops of the cottages just across from the studio.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you do get that reference.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's such an inviting warm space with that colour. It's very tonal for those who haven't seen it, and I guess there's a real richness in the space that doesn't make it feel like a showroom, it makes it feel more, probably a little bit more, like a restaurant.
Speaker 3:Really, Lola's restaurant. No, I'm joking, but we've had that remark and it is a very and I was thinking about it today sort of getting ready to have a chat with you, ladies, and really reflecting on the experiences that we've had in studio over the past few months and and the compliments and or the feedback from our client partners so designers, developers, consumers, so forth and people have described it from everything to romantic to super frowning, and I think it actually has got this really calm energy.
Speaker 1:So definitely, um, we invite everyone to come in and have a look yeah, no, I would encourage everyone to do that, because we've been talking about the romancing thing well, yeah, but also the fact that um homes take on elements of restaurants and restaurants take on elements of the home, and this showroom is taking on an element of a restaurant, so it's not it doesn't really feel like home, homely, like it still has that commercial sort of feeling a little bit. But it's a restaurant, it feels like a restaurant.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the lighting is so beautiful and it's moody, it really just pulls you in. And it is, I guess, color drenched, is the is exactly what it is. It's that beautiful rich clay color, the flooring, it's the ceiling, it's all of the cabinetry and the the curtaining is like a soft softness to it as well and yeah, to be invited to your beautiful dinner sitting around this round table, huge round table. It's just has this beautiful sense of occasion. It's just yeah, I recommend anybody if they're in the.
Speaker 1:Richmond area. Yeah, to go in and have a look because it's yeah, it's a really beautiful space. It feels good to be in.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thank you so much and that was the intention, and I think it is quite unique. So we've got, for you know, visual context. For those of you listening out there, welcome to pop in and see us. 10 to 4, monday to friday. The gourmet academy will be here to be able to host you, uh, but we have it. The space is really theatric. I think would probably be in a very minimal and elegant way in terms of the, the, the appliances are displayed essentially on around what you would call a cube that's centrally set in the studio space. So it's this whole idea of this journey that you take through our appliance categories as you move around the studio, and the beautiful round table that you're talking about, lauren, for our listeners as well, is just an amazing setting to be able to create intimate conversations. So I call it under the cone of silence. So we've got an amazing collaboration with Ross Gardam, so working very closely with Gabrielle to design beautiful pieces that are bespoke to or customized for our space and it, just it comes together just so seamlessly.
Speaker 2:It's stunning so big fan, yeah, and I love Ross's work. I'm a big fan, yes, he's great. Um, well, I guess it sort of leads into one of our first discussion points, which is what everyone always loves to know, and that is um design trends in kitchens, and lauren and I've kind of uh, lauren lee and I oh god, I'm gonna have to do that ll and li um have sort of touched a little bit on you know what we think is happening in 2025. But, without getting into sort of that, you know the fact that a lot of the design trends are also driven by technology, which is, you know, something I guess Beezook's quite known for in terms of their appliances, and I guess how do you think those things kind of inform each other? You know aesthetics, how technology kind of can somehow play a part in that as well. Or you know the design of a kitchen.
Speaker 3:Have you seen that sort of coming through and affecting that A hundred percent and I sort of feel that in considering sort of which informs which or how they might communicate with one another, I think you could potentially even go for a Venn diagram. I think I'm going to go with that in terms of what sort of sits over top and I want to go with an umbrella. That's really all about contemporary mindset and this is certainly from our perspective. So we look at, you know, the advantages of technology application to appliance and if we're building brilliant products ovens and so forth and our hardware is good, then the technology overlay will be able to drive that and make that sustainable, long-living appliance for the end user, and I think that's probably most important. So it's that whole idea of buying once, buying well.
Speaker 3:Yes, we're sort of going for high quality, high performance in terms of the cooking methodology, but equally quality, high performance in terms of the cooking methodology, but equally it's got that aesthetic balance as well. So hopefully that answers a bit of your question there. What are your thoughts? Have you got clients that are really into the internet of things Like what does connectivity look like?
Speaker 1:for you guys currently.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have different clients who really want that, they want the latest, they want to be completely integrated. And then I have clients and I don't know if we've touched on this before LL, because some of them sort of go oh, I don't know, I worry about when. Will I need to update it? Will it go out of date, is it?
Speaker 2:going to be an issue, and I think this is, like you know, to your point about things making sure that things have a long life and that some technology, particularly when it's connected or integrated in that way, sometimes, can you know, only last for so long and then it's not you know, connecting to the latest, whatever it is. So I guess that is a really important point, particularly when it comes to things in a kitchen, because we don't want to have to replace them quickly, right? We?
Speaker 2:want to be able to invest in those things and and have them hang around, and you know how often do we want to have a new kitchen? I'd say, you know, 10 years minimum, wouldn't we, most people? Yeah, the visa guarantee 10 years.
Speaker 3:fantastic, yeah, didn't that I mirror. I mirror the sentiment and we have, you know, in talking to a multitude of different clients, from, you know, end user purchases, through to designers and developers, daily. I think that what are the key drivers? And, really, whilst we're seeing an emerging technology conversation quite big and I agree with you, bree, that sometimes it can be technology for technology's sake so I say, let's get the performance right and ensure that there's an endurance program testing in there as well. So we have a V-Upgrade which is available through the VESLGAP. So, at a base level, easiest way to describe it is it provides ultimate personalization. So, as our R&D team are consistently looking at different ways to calibrate how we cook, how we wash dishes, how we clean clothing, you then have got the opportunity to be able to upgrade your appliance through the app and it's really, really simple and for us it doesn't necessarily need to currently be correct.
Speaker 2:Simplicity is probably key. Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:But I think you know from that dinner event that I attended, you just don't know what. You don't know, like when it comes to what the oven can do and how it cooks.
Speaker 1:It's really an education piece with clients, if clients they love to cook. I'm not an expert in all of the latest things of appliances. It's great to be able to go in and speak to yourself, because I think it was something about the steam cooking or what was that. Again, I can't remember. I should have remembered, but I was distracted by the food and wine. The food was very good.
Speaker 3:No, I get it, me too.
Speaker 1:But it was amazing the food, it was just amazing the dinner.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was good and thank God for the Gourmet Academy. I'll be the first person to put my hand up and say I'm a fraud. My nickname is Rita the Reheater, so really great journey for me. And that's okay, right? Because in demonstrating that we sort of say that these little appliances are for everyone, right? So if we're talking about steam, that's our original IP in terms of we were first to the residential market with steam in 2001.
Speaker 3:So from there for 20 plus years. Obviously, the R&D team have been innovating the whole time and sort of understanding how we can apply steam in cooking. So combining hot air and steam, combining the Holy Trinity being hot air, steam and microwave which you know at the time was a little bit nuts, but then sort of saying, well, hang on, where else can we use steam?
Speaker 1:Let's use it in the dishwasher and more importantly, let's use it in fabric care.
Speaker 3:And, more importantly, let's use it in fabric care, so something that's so, so simple can actually be so advantageous. And that's why, cycling back to the whole point in terms of why our clients choose the appliances, because they understand that's a contemporary mindset and it's a way of life and it's a lifestyle, and what these products deliver to your everyday needs.
Speaker 2:So that's sort of of my take. I guess that whole lifestyle driven trend simplicity, I would have to say has to be one of the ones that everyone's looking for, because our lives are so complicated already. Right, we just need everything to do what it's supposed to do, the way we want to do it. And not have to be worrying about, I don't know, overcomplicating something like cooking.
Speaker 1:Anything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, or yeah, yeah, any of those like washing dishes, all of that, yeah.
Speaker 1:Could you just talk about what does clothing and steam like what? Yeah, yeah, I don't know about that. So this is the thing it is. You know you do want to simplify, but I also think that it is an education piece, because I've never heard of that before, so I'm really curious piece, because I've never heard of that before, so I'm really curious.
Speaker 3:No, and that's, that's perfectly fine.
Speaker 1:Neither had I until I joined this business.
Speaker 3:But um so fast forward. From 2001, 2014, we introduced our refresh butler.
Speaker 1:So this isn't a you know jive sort of standing at the door, helping you with everything.
Speaker 3:It's our fabulous refresh butler is it like a cupboard? It's like a cupboard um it's quite a big piece almost like a big fridge, but for clothing. So when we talk about fabric care, it's all about the long-term care of fabrics. So if we have guests in the studio, we'll ultimately take them to the refresh butler and demonstrate how it operates. So using steam, essentially, it will remove odours from clothing. You'll be able to pull blazers out that are wrinkle-free.
Speaker 3:It has an anti-allergy programming as well as kills germs and at a really base level, it is a drying cabinet. So it's the all-singing, all-dancing king of the pops in terms of you know, the great guy that's in our range, the Elvis, yeah, and clients far and wide love him. So, for those that are discerning in terms of chemicals, you don't need to worry about that. It only uses water and, in fact, um, we won't plumb this product. It's canister water that we use in terms of quite simple. And again, there's that maintenance piece and looking after the product, yeah, over its lifespan as well.
Speaker 2:It's very easy to install somewhere where you need it, like if you wanted it in your walk-in robe or whatever. You don't have to worry about that being plumbed. We'll take it with you in the moving house.
Speaker 1:Yeah of course Take.
Speaker 3:Refresh with you. Why?
Speaker 2:not. We want to keep that Absolutely.
Speaker 1:I love that. Wow, I did not know that existed. Sounds cool.
Speaker 3:The Refresh Butler. The Refresh Butler oh cool, welcome to Reach Out Direct if anyone would like one Trademark trademark.
Speaker 1:I was just thinking oh, I want one, oh my God.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, we can all have one. Yeah, I mean materiality-wise, like you look at it and you understand, it does attract quite a significant retail price point, but that's in line with its operation and also the materials. So, predominantly stainless steel. Absolute hand assembly to a point in terms of manufacturing the product. It really is a beautiful piece and the perfect addition to any premium home or those with a fabulous wardrobe that they want to take care of. So highly recommend.
Speaker 1:Wow, so okay, sorry to just ask so many questions, but it's steam, it's water, so it's a hot, hot steam that kills bacteria and odors and stuff, and then it dries it as well, so is it wet when it's doing it?
Speaker 3:No, no, it's sort of a dry steaming, if that makes sense, without being into myself to have it demonstrated per se. The use of steam is, yes, as you've said, to remove the odors, to remove the wrinkles, to create that sort of hyper allergy sort of scenario, and then the use of hot air combined with that as well in order to ensure that once we finish the cycle, that things come out fresh.
Speaker 3:as a daisy, I've seen blazers go in and come out looking like they're brand new off the shop floor. It's phenomenal. We've had some clients put wedding dresses in there. I would say that the majority of my winter coats will end up in there at any given point before we crack on with the season.
Speaker 1:So it's a very very special product. Clever. Well, thank you for that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it does play into that wellness factor, right, Because that's definitely something that we're seeing more of. If it doesn't use chemicals, then it's kind of absolutely perfect for people who don't want to I don't know have any of that, Because dry cleaning even when you walk into the dry cleaners and you can smell it straight away, it's never a nice.
Speaker 3:It's not like a fresh.
Speaker 2:It's just like chemicals. This is what they're using to clean it.
Speaker 3:It's harsh right and it's just like chemicals. This is what they're using to clean it. It's harsh right and it's harsh on your skin and I think today you could almost even feel that after you've taken something to the dry cleaners. I know I can.
Speaker 1:I've got quite sensitive skin, but the opportunities are endless in terms of linens, scarves, gloves, shoes, Depending on the fabrics and so forth, it can be put into the refresh butler.
Speaker 3:So it really is bang for buck day in, day out. So can I just drop off some laundry tomorrow? Yes, so long, and the short of it is yes, um, I've just I've just moved into an apartment and I don't currently have a washing machine and dryer, so you'll join me in line. I'll just bring my own clothes, horse, yeah yeah yeah.
Speaker 1:But I mean talking about, you know, a lifestyle shift, like having a refresh butler in your home, like that's a different way of doing laundry, that it changes the whole way that you're doing that, and I think that you know talking about lifestyle shifts as well with the more kitchen appliances you know. We see, well, we didn't have a choice during COVID, obviously, to enjoy dining at home more, and that's something that I've definitely done a lot more. We used to live in South Yarra, sort of, you know, near the hustle and bustle and everything.
Speaker 1:So we'd be going out for dinner all the time, and now we're out in the burbs, so we're definitely dining in at home and enjoying a meal together or having friends and family over. So you know, with the appliances you can kind of feel more confident that you can pull off something a little bit more special than you're reheating, because that's my mode too, lauren, I'm a queen of reheating as well 180 fan forced.
Speaker 3:Can I say, and do you know what this is right and what it comes down to? And it's quite simple, and you nailed it in what you said there, lauren. It is all about having professional grade appliances in the home. Never before, I believe, has the consumer been as informed in terms of understanding or having an expectation of what they want and what they want to deliver. And our clients are very much the same and they do understand that that is a key requirement. Um, particularly in any contemporary house and or apartment today. It's it's how does it operate, what is it delivering in terms of a result? And I think that's sort of the upper echelon where it starts and then all the other drivers sort of sit under that, if that makes sense, um, I think to the other point being that it's a sense of pride, right, like it's the badging, it's the what's in your toolkit, like what am I working with?
Speaker 3:oh, have you got combi steam? No, yes, maybe. Um, and you know, of course, brands and branding really play into that factor as well, and that's where, by category, viso has such a great portfolio and being able to offer solutions for every aspect of the home, and I think that that's, you know, holds us in great stead to be able to support any of your fabulous projects as well.
Speaker 1:Do you ever see clients install all of these beautiful appliances in their butler's pantry and you're just kind of like a bit insulted, Like what?
Speaker 2:Because they look so beautiful.
Speaker 1:The appliances themselves, like the design, is just minimal and beautiful.
Speaker 3:that would be so sad yeah, I mean there's two arguments there as well, and I think it's sort of um, if in studios say, for example so we've got, you know, the cube which is the heart of the studio, which conceals our butler's kitchen, if you will, so that our gorgeous feasible academy can go in there and prepare meals for our guests and surprise and delight and all that sort of thing, and let me tell you that is one good looking kitchen in there. And you know I just like to pop in there, just have a little quiet moment.
Speaker 3:Sometimes it's a lot of fun, so I would suggest you pop in there to eat, have a little bit of respite, make a little coffee, whack out a couple of emails. I've just given up all my secrets. Now People will be able to find me. Leaves my mind track of thought.
Speaker 1:Sorry.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, that's okay. The butler's pantry, you know, I agree and I think that we can. I think sorry, disagree, but agree. I think that we can push the boundaries and it's sort of that sort of bleeds into that conversation about the kitchen becoming the third space, so on top of kitchens, evolving in how they're used and utilized and even becoming not even resembling a kitchen to a certain point anymore. Then there's additional performance-based cooking areas are a part of that conversation as well. So I'm seeing the shift between that. And it's not just, I guess, design applied, it's how we look at and operate in these spaces, and designers are coming up with new and unique ways of being able to, you know, show like, reveal appliances, hero them and or conceal. And I believe that you know, if you want a V-Zug appliance and pop it away in the butler's kitchen, who am I to stop you from popping one in?
Speaker 2:there. Maybe that's the ultimate luxury. It's like you know, we've had a discussion about that and sometimes it's not being showy, it's the you've got it there, you've got the technology, you don't need to show it off. What the show is is the food in the end and how good that is. So everyone goes, hmm, what did you do? How was it cooked?
Speaker 2:And then you can kind of go well, yeah, you might not be able to see it, but oh yeah, but it's a really good point too that, um, people are getting so much more creative about the kitchen and and whether it's concealing things or making a, you know, an actual design sort of statement with the appliance we are seeing a bit of both, and you know, lauren and I've talked about the fact that those kitchens are being more integrated into spaces with the way joinery is designed, so it feels less like a kitchen.
Speaker 2:So maybe there is a bit of a factor of sometimes having a slightly hidden space so that the kitchen, yeah, doesn't feel kitcheny because the appliances aren't on show. Is that sort of what?
Speaker 3:you're saying. It's a bit of both, and I think that I was thinking about it today, and how would I describe what I see? And this is all subjective to my point of view, mind you I put my faith in the brilliant designers and developers that we work with. You know that they can be the jewel of the kitchen space. Right, they can be an adornment. I would throw down challenges in thinking about how we might install them into kitchens.
Speaker 3:So we've seen a lot of totem-style installations with some of the stuff that we've done in Milan and Henry. Timmy is very good in that representation, so it's interpretation and being maybe a little bit more creative in how we might use appliances in any part of the home. I think further to that sort of really having a few key priorities. So primarily I would say that our clients that are designing and developing new projects have non-negotiables that are more in the terms of design language. So looking at how the joinery might talk to the appliances and so forth.
Speaker 3:And I think that's really the beauty of the VESA collection, because it does really sit well with that and it's really good as sort of, you know, being a hero but also being complementary to any given design. We've got three magical finishes that speak to that as well. I like to call the Signature Black the magician that looks so very different depending on its adjacent finishes Our gorgeous Platinum, regal, fabulous. And then, of course, pearl, so Pearl's sort of a real chameleon, if you will, and a beautiful finish for some of the lighter schemes that we work with in hotter parts of Australia and so forth.
Speaker 2:So yeah, is the Pearl fairly new? Is that a newer finish?
Speaker 3:Yes, it's the newest finish to the collection and it's been received extremely well.
Speaker 2:Um was typically only open to projects, but now available in retail as well, so yeah I did notice a little bit of that style of finish sorry, lauren, um last year in milan at um yurikachina, there was a lot of that softer. I wouldn't call it beige, I think pearls probably the best descriptor yeah, um, coming through in in different appliances and I think it's sort of fitting to the fact that we um there were white appliances and I don't. I think they're very much sort of done um, but then people don't necessarily want black, depending on what's surrounding it. So that pearl is that kind of lovely soft finish, that sort of just like I don't know, sits within everything else and not yet it's not, it doesn't take over, it's not glitzy or anything, it's just kind of it's soft, very, very subtle.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I think that sort of magic recipe really comes down to the mirror glass as well, and I think, just capturing the reflections and at any given time in the studio, you can see different light, different elements reflected in the glass of the appliances. And the same for at stunning projects in iconic locations for example, as well. We just finished Como Terraces on Alexandra um parade and you know, for some of the um apartments in that particular project, depending on where you're standing in the kitchen, you're capturing those beautiful views and the reflection of the glass as well.
Speaker 3:So I think it's a double, double viewpoint, which is nice, so like the style of it?
Speaker 2:do you find that? I mean, these are sitting in kind of a high-end space, that, what? What are you sort of seeing as being that direction? In terms of the joinery, is it quite subdued, or are you seeing kind of stronger finishes and elements coming through?
Speaker 3:To be fair, I think it's fairly universal, because you might argue that residential design versus, you know, multi-residential design can be quite different but also complementary. We do know that stone obviously heavily emerging, and then I guess it's it's predominantly in what I've seen around the details, so people aren't as scared to be a little bit more brave in terms of what that kitchen space looks like. You know, certainly sort of, you know to a point, without offending anyone, sort of Hamptons-esque sort of styles and things are starting to sort of drop off a little bit to the wayside.
Speaker 3:They still have their place, obviously, but you know, designers are feeling free, and I guess with their client as well. To be more expressive, what are your thoughts? You're both sort of big lovers of colour and detail. What are you seeing in your own work?
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, I think definitely there's a shift to colour, isn't there Lauren?
Speaker 1:I think so. I mean, yeah, the white kitchens that we've banged on about this before, but that was just so dominant. And I think when you see something over and over and over again, you sort of think what else is there? And now I think people are a lot more brave to go into color. But you know, as you say, lauren, like, yes, stone, stone is being used, but it's the details. You know, it's the bench edge profile.
Speaker 1:It's like a bull nose or it's like a half bull nose, or it's something really fine or it's something really chunky, but it's just not standard. It's just not your 40 mil thick bench top. It's something that's had that bit of thought and I think also the way that stonemasons can really sculpt stone is just so it's just amazing that craftsmanship that we see, like how do they curve stone?
Speaker 3:it's amazing.
Speaker 1:It really is, really, yeah, and it's it's a lot more common. Not that it's common, but it's a lot. You're seeing it a lot more, which makes you think, well, I think I've seen a curved detail like that before, so why can't we do it like this? And you're sort of starting to push the, the limits of those, yeah, what, what those craftspeople can do, like those stonemasons. So, yeah, it's just sculptural island benches, you know a faceted sort of front, or yeah, just some interesting details that yeah, I think people are just wanting a little extra.
Speaker 3:I think with that too you go right. Well, in terms of the design signature of an appliance brand, some obviously are quite, would you say, particular in terms of how they like, how it's represented, or might be quite heavy set and so forth. So again that consideration comes in. So what is the design language of the appliance versus what I'm trying to achieve here for the design?
Speaker 3:And I had a great, just picking up on your pushing the limits sort of conversation, tila, and had a great conversation with a joiner, um pre our launch last week and sort of just sort of pinging them a little bit and what they're seeing, um in the kitchen space and and what's being ordered and what's being cut and things like that. And we talked about, um, you know, yes, all these sort of amazing designs and things that are emerging, but then sort of you know, bringing it back to uh, ease of use and and really being quite mindful. And my question would be and I'm sure in engaging professionals like yourselves, you achieve this is how are we ensuring that that kitchen then is tailored to the needs of that family and is practical and functional? And we don't necessarily have a means of testing. So I think it's sort of balancing the elements is quite an interesting idea to me, given that I'm not by any means a designer.
Speaker 2:I'll put the appliances in, but you know, yeah, no, I think that, um, but also harks back to that idea of luxury and again we have talked about this where the way something functions, even the way a door closes, or you know the way it's integrated, so that you don't know the doors there are any of those small things in the details, kind of the new, the new version luxury. And it's not necessarily all about how it looks, but actually if it doesn't, because if it doesn't function well, it can be a stunning looking kitchen, but there's no luxury in that. If it doesn't work, if the design doesn't work, if the layout doesn't work, if it's noisy, when you open and close drawers, then that element of luxury is suddenly taken away. So all of those things really have to come together. But yeah, it's a really good point. You know, kitchen has to be functional. I also think it should be beautiful, but it can't be one or the other, it has to, kind of I think it should be both.
Speaker 1:You also?
Speaker 2:probably do a really ugly but very functional kitchen, I suppose I think it just depends on the client, you know and we've all sort of spoken about.
Speaker 1:You know, some people are, you know, cooking chef, quality, amazing food, or they're aspiring to do that and they've got oily wok going and you know a million different saucepans bubbling away and something in the oven and something doing this. And then some people are just like reheating.
Speaker 3:So you know you could have.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what's luxury for some is not for somebody else as well.
Speaker 2:So you could have.
Speaker 1:You know, that's why we're seeing all these amazing kitchens that are just almost for show, and all the actual cooking happens in that butler's pantry. You know what's the kitchen for? Well, it's kind of a status thing really, it's to. You know what's the? Kitchen for well it's kind of a status thing really.
Speaker 2:It's to you know, entertaining, it's to actually dining do you think there's a little bit of a shift away from that now, like it being? I mean.
Speaker 1:I hope so.
Speaker 2:It will always be a bit of a status thing, but maybe it's less about it being showy and more about it If it isn't being used, like there's still a butler's pantry and most of the stuff happens there. The kitchen's kind of reimagined a little bit and it's maybe a bit more of like where people actually entertain and connect, rather than just this kitchen that just sort of looks perfect all the time and doesn't get used. So I feel like that's the shift of the sparkly, perfect kitchen. That's almost like how ridiculous is it to have all of this when actually everything happens behind the doors but now it's not so perfect and part of the home, even if the cooking isn't primarily there. I don't know. That's what I'd like to think is happening anyway.
Speaker 1:I think we would like to see that, brie, but I think yeah because I think you know I am speaking for myself, at least. I'm about living in spaces. Yeah, so if it's for show what, it's that to me, I I don't. That's not where I resonate with it's got to be lived in.
Speaker 1:You've got your. You know you you're using your oven and you're using your appliances and you've got your. You cooking utensils that you are just picking up because it's easy next to the like, but not everybody likes that, but I think that's you know there's room for all different.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's that move towards. I think smaller spaces too right yeah, I guess it is a bit of a status to say I have space to have a kitchen that doesn't even get used.
Speaker 3:I have liberty and specs.
Speaker 2:I have a 900 reflex induction cooktop yeah, but I feel like now that's become maybe a little bit. I don't know. I just think people want just a tiny bit more authenticity in their homes, even when they're luxury homes.
Speaker 1:I like that word authenticity. I think that's it. It's a kitchen. Let it be a kitchen.
Speaker 2:Use it.
Speaker 1:It's not something that's just for show. I feel like it's a little bit fake. I know why people do it. But yeah, authenticity, I love that.
Speaker 3:You can look at great solutions Broadening that gentrification convo that we're having earlier. Really like, all of these accessories and bits and pieces that we utilize, including utensils, are of such better design today and readily available. I've just moved into an apartment and my kitchen's black. So black toaster, black kettle, black set of stream, black everything and it disappears. So therefore I can sort of play with the illusion of certainly don't have a butler's kitchen. Let me tell you that much, Even down to having the bin bit matching and things like that as well, and that just might be me twitchy OCD moment, but it's certainly there.
Speaker 2:No, but it really helps because you don't have a huge kitchen. So, you know, I often talk to clients about like visual noise, in terms of how do you make a small space work. Sometimes that is it, like it's sort of there's less things for your eye to kind of go to. They're still there, but they're sort of a bit more softer and integrated into the space, being all black against black, so it doesn't feel as small, whereas if you just see every single thing in a kitchen like that, it's like oh gee, there's not a lot of room, whereas I think you've balanced it very well actually in your small kitchen.
Speaker 2:Thank you, darling, Thank you.
Speaker 3:I mean it's just, you know, we sort of learn and the boot camp is, as you said, that there's this constrained idea of kitchens getting smaller than on the other end of the scale, you know, there's the big, what I like to call the bbl, which is the not what you're thinking, it's the big bench legacy. So you know, we certainly got the bbl in the front of the studio here, where we've got the space to be able to have that and utilize it as a central hub. But in some of these smaller designs it's really about well, how can we, how can we get this product heavy lifting for us when we've got space constraints and a good example product of that is a combi steamer in terms of you know, you're knocking that microwave out of the park, you don't necessarily need it.
Speaker 1:We've also got microwaves, by the way.
Speaker 3:If anyone wants one, I'm not putting them into your projects, but for those that are in the know, you can actually regenerate food that's going to taste just like it was freshly cooked, so therefore, you're also being more sustainable. Um, which is what we're all about. And then, of course, you know, another emerging shift, particularly when we talk about size, is moving away from a 90 centimetre and into an 80 in terms of induction cooktops.
Speaker 3:And we have these amazing ZoneFlex cooktops, which are super powerful and work extremely well with the pots and pans to ensure that you get that high performance out of cooking for those that know how to cook and would potentially make complaints and prefer a gas situation, which we all know naughty, naughty, naughty. And then the third product is, for us, really the combi cooktop. So this idea of the central extraction that's actually embedded into the cooktop itself. So it offers lots of space-s, saving opportunities in terms of, you know, quite shallow in terms of benchtop installation, and lots of ducting opportunities for clever designers to be able to magic around, you know, constrictions from a joinery perspective. So that's a really exciting product that we're seeing, you know, specified more and more as well.
Speaker 1:So well, I was just going to say to say I love that idea of the kitchen island being kind of a space where you can actually cook on and if you've got your exhaust in there, people like to gather around whilst somebody is cooking. It's that extraction, so it's in the cooktop and does it pop up, or how does it work?
Speaker 3:It actually draws in.
Speaker 1:Draws in.
Speaker 3:It draws in. There's a charcoal filter in there, an activated charcoal filter so you can actually get a recirculation mode so it'll remove all the odours, smells and so forth from any of that sort of air that's being or steam or whatever it might be being extracted, and then it can filter that back out into the room.
Speaker 3:So that can be, quite a good option, as well as a standard extraction, should you have the liberty of being able to provide a direct you know ducted connection to the outdoors. So either or it's a brilliant solution in that regard. And I think, coming back to your point around people gathering around, you know, typically, with sort of I guess, a range would set up. You know you've got your back to people in most cases in that scenario. So there's cultural reference there in terms of, you know, I'd be asking clients, you know, how are you cooking? How do you like to cook? Does the family get involved?
Speaker 1:Is it?
Speaker 3:a lone wolf situation, or have we got the kids sort of jumping in and trying to give a hand as well? So all important things to consider.
Speaker 1:Lots of questions. Yes, good questions to ask. And everyone cooks differently. Every family is different. What some people's amazing like dream is to have their cooktop there with you know, the kids are hands on and we're all doing this together and it's that food appreciation and blah, blah, blah that is somebody's worst nightmare. So everyone's different. I don't think there's a right or wrong, you know.
Speaker 3:Some people are like oh, lock me away in the butler's pantry by myself.
Speaker 3:That's my dream, I mean not my personal dream, but you know someone's dream. Maybe Probably a good circle around too, and probably one of our strongest points and points of interest to me in terms of what's driving the clients that we all sort of interact with at any given point of our day-to-day lives, outside of doing this amazing podcast sustainability. So where do your clients sit with that? Because obviously it's a key foundation of our brand. We've been carbon neutral since 2020, which is pretty phenomenal. That's very good, yeah. So are they sort of wanting more sustainable appliances? What's the bottom line there in terms of your experience?
Speaker 2:I think so. Yeah, other than what you've touched on about longevity. People do want to know what does the brand stand for? I think there is a sort of a moral check-in about sustainability as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it could be, you know, in someone's top five, or it could be just somebody. They're not that into it. So, yeah, you can kind of tick the boxes depending on what's important to people. It sounds like yeah.
Speaker 3:I think, personally too, like you, can't go wrong either way, so we hope that maybe that is there in terms of the best practice behind the scenes, and so we're typically not so vocal about what we do. However, we do celebrate it once we've achieved, and the way that I see it is that you can be sustainable in production, which I think is really, really important in terms of how the products are made, and certainly we offer that All of our products are made in Zug and all of our emissions are offset as well. We have a forest in Scotland, so we're out there planting trees.
Speaker 3:Oh nice To ensure that we encourage more diverse I'd like to get lost in the Zook Forest at some point but on top of production, obviously from materiality and how we source products, but in the end, I really think that what's most impactful for that consumer or resident, whoever you might like to call it, is the performance of the product and also the results, so the performance in terms of the energy usage and so forth, and water and so on, and then the results, because we all know produce is so expensive today, so you know anything that can help you cook nutritional meals and hold that value and deliver healthy meals to your family every day, efficiently and in quality, really looking after those gorgeous veggies and so forth and proteins.
Speaker 3:I think that's super important too, and I care about it even though I don't cook. So I must be being impacted by my 11, 12 months here now.
Speaker 2:I think it's a really good point that maybe we don't talk about that enough, and I think it will probably become a bigger point as things increase in price and cost, and even talking about luxury is fresh food going to start becoming a luxury because it is costing more. So how we cook it and how we treat it when it's cooked will be even more important. I think you probably touched on something there that I actually haven't thought a lot about when it comes to that part of the kitchen, but I think we probably do need to be thinking about that Absolutely Well. I feel like we have covered quite a bit today already.
Speaker 1:Some more fun.
Speaker 2:I have not put these questions on here for you, lauren, so we'll see how we go, but we usually wrap up now and say goodbye and then, if you hang around, we'll also record a couple of extra questions that will go into YouTube, which are maybe slightly more personal. So thank you, thank you for being here and goodbye to everyone on the podcast.
Speaker 1:We'll see you over on YouTube. Thanks everyone.