Latest news with #kitchendesign
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Kitchen Tile Trends On Their Way Out This Year (and What to Do Instead), According to Interior Designers
It may sound like a platitude, but 2025 kitchen design trends — when it comes to tiles, at least — are all about embracing imperfections. Several designers and decorators say that tiles like the hand-cut zellige ones, which are glossy, textured, and rebel when it comes to uniformity, are becoming favored — even over the straight-edge, perfectly symmetrical subway tiles that have reigned supreme in kitchens for years. 'Zellige tiles are so popular because of the beautiful texture, subtle color variation, and handmade look that they bring to a space,' says interior decorator Vivianne Chow of Viv and Tim Home. Similarly, Floss Kelly, the co-founder of TileCloud, says ultra-polished, high-gloss finishes are losing popularity in favor of matte and natural finishes. 'The design world is gravitating towards authenticity and materials that evoke warmth and organic charm,' Kelly says. Whether you're planning a kitchen renovation or just want the inside scoop on the design world's forecasts, here's more on what tile trends are in for 2025 when it comes to tiles, floors, and backsplashes, and which ones are on their way out, according to experts. Kelly says she's seeing a significant shift this year towards natural stone materials and earthy tones in kitchen tiles, floors, and backsplashes. 'This trend is all about bringing the outside in, creating a connection with nature right in your kitchen,' she says. The earthy tones range from soft beiges to rich browns and complement a natural aesthetic, she says, contributing to a warm, inviting kitchen. Materials like marble, slate, and terracotta, with their inherent textures and colors, are becoming increasingly popular. 'These natural stone options not only add a timeless elegance to the kitchen, but also offer durability and uniqueness, as no two pieces are exactly alike,' she says. It's early, but zellige is looking to be the darling tile of 2025. 'We are so obsessed with the hand-crafted artisan quality of zellige tile,' says Jennifer Verruto, founder and CEO of Blythe Interiors. 'Made from a clay mix found in Morocco and hand-crafted, glazed, and fired, each tile has its own unique quality.'Varying thickness, shape, and glaze only adds to the perfectly imperfect vibe of this tile, she says. One thing Verruto notes: Because these tiles aren't uniform, it makes for a tough DIY makeover and typically requires expert installation. Verruto notes that heavily textured tiles are a simple way to add organic movement to a room. '3D tiles easily become a conversation piece and bring character,' she says. Specifically, using them on a dining room wall or an entry wall can pack a big punch. Subway tile will likely always be around — but that doesn't mean it's got to be the same old white brick-lay pattern (more on that below!), Verruto says. 'We're seeing a creative influx of hand-pressed looks in varying sizes, colors, and shapes of the classic tile, and people are getting more playful with layouts,' she says. Whether it be a vertical stack offset, a double herringbone, or basketweave, subway tiles can be classic, yet elevated with a fresh arrangement. White, monochromatic, and minimal designs were all the rage a few years ago, and understandably so as we entered the pandemic and were craving peaceful and visually calming spaces, Verutto says. Now, bolder tiles are coming back. Color-drenching, rich textures, and invigorating patterns on bold tiles, she says, are taking center stage. 'While bold design choices are being made, they're still being balanced with simplicity and a dose of minimalism that creates harmonious and exciting spaces,' she says. Those shiny, busy backsplashes such as metallics and glass that have long been popular in new builds are officially on their way out, says Kelly Marohl, interior designer at Neutral Home Design. More homeowners, she says, are choosing to use marble slabs as a backsplash instead. It's softer on the eye, and you can get the look in your kitchen by extending the marble halfway up to the ledge or all the way up to the ceiling, she says. (Or, you could even use marble contact paper for a budget- and rental-friendly solution.) Subway tile backsplashes, known for their classic and versatile appeal, are becoming less popular as homeowners seek more distinctive and personalized design elements for their kitchens, says Mariya Snisar, the head of interior design at Renowell. Hexagonal tiles or larger-format tiles feel more contemporary, she says. Although some people are loving variations of subway tiles, like colored or gradient tile trends of 2025 are you most (and least) excited about? Let us know in the comments below! This post originally ran on The Kitchn. See it there: Move Over, Subway Tiles: These Kitchen Tile Trends Are on Their Way in (and Out) for 2024 I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It's a Game-Changer!) We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
CNA
2 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Meet the CEO of Bulthaup, the family-owned German company that pioneered the modern kitchen island
Before Marc O Eckert became the CEO of luxury German kitchen manufacturer Bulthaup, he was a lawyer. There was no pressure to join the family business founded by his grandfather Martin Bulthaup in 1949. Hence, Eckert spent many years working in the professional world before joining the company in 2010 at the age of 38. 'I never put any thought into running the family company one day so I [charted] my own way. I became a lawyer and set up my own firm. But everything in life is somehow destined and life is never linear; it takes turns,' reflected Eckert during an online interview. I was speaking with him in August last year on the occasion of a Bulthaup pop-up in a shophouse on 22 Duxton Road. The brand was introduced to Singapore by Hong Kong's The Madison Group but moved out of its Armenian Street space in 2023. On May 8, 2025, the pop-up became a permanent showroom, designed in collaboration with Singapore design firm, Terre Studio. The new concept showroom features interactive displays and immersive kitchen vignettes with each zone highlighting how Bulthaup systems function in real homes. There is also a cafe – a first in Asia – where the public can enjoy Santino Coffee made with the brand's Victoria Arduino espresso system while sitting at Bulthaup's Solitaire table and benches, or at the B2 kitchen workbench. Bulthaup has been proudly family owned for three generations since Martin Bulthaup opened a Mobelfabrik (furniture factory) out of a sawmill with seven staff after World War II. In the 1960s, it was a producer of superior kitchen sideboards across Germany. Over the decades, Bulthaup has set the benchmark for impeccable craftsmanship, premium engineering and beautiful kitchens driven by individual needs and thoughtful functionality. Starting from 1980, the brand pioneered modern kitchen innovations together with Otl Aicher (the design commissioner of the Summer Olympics in Munich and pioneer of the concept of corporate identity). For example, System B, introduced in 1984, evolved the utilitarian kitchen into a space of communication and connection. 'We pioneered the island. Before, people were standing in front of the wall, looking at the wall,' said Eckert. 'We liberated women because the island is in the middle of the room and people circle around it. So now you have people opposite the island looking at each other; one can be cooking and the other opening a bottle of wine.' In 1984, Bulthaup released the System B preparation table. It was the first-ever kitchen island. The compact unit has a solid oak preparation counter on a steel base, an in-built disposable unit and a hanging rig with pull-out grids for kitchen tools. It pays homage to the kitchens of the past, where cooking apparatuses were displayed rather than hidden inside cabinetry. In 1988, Bulthaup introduced another ground-breaking product – a kitchen workbench with a stove and washbasin elegantly integrated into a long, compact, stainless-steel unit. It is now part of the existing B2 system. 'System B2 is for the modern nomad. The kitchen is like a suitcase; you can take it with you, open it and there's everything – not many things, but only what you need,' said Eckert. Rather than following trends, Bulthaup focuses on creating well-researched, high-quality and lasting products through the concept of 'systems'. Their comprehensive designs and modularity mean that customers can create their own designs from a basic series of components. For example, System B3 comprises a smart wall system from which everything – cabinets, worktops, cooktops, water points, electrical appliances and accessories – are hung. 'We produce over 6,000 kitchens a year and no kitchen is the same as the other,' said Eckert, on the variations that can be created with just three current systems – B3, B2 and B Solitaire. Connoisseurs who compromise at nothing appreciate Bulthaup's craftsmanship and timeless design, and are willing to fork out five- to six-figure sums. Eckert highlighted that the showroom's opening anchors Singapore as a strategic market at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Australasia. The Madison Group first made headway into Asia with a Hong Kong base in 1996. It subsequently opened Bulthaup showrooms in Greater China, such as in Shanghai and Macau. Asia is now the brand's fastest-growing market, with sales in developing markets like Vietnam picking up. I asked Eckert why he eventually decided to join the family business. In 1976, Marc's uncle Gerd Bulthaup and his twin sister Ingeborg Eckert (Eckert's mother) had taken over the company from their father. A fan of the Bauhaus, Gerd was the one who engaged Otl Aicher in 1980 to collaborate on design and engineering concepts. 'When my uncle left in 2003, we had about six years of external management. That was a difficult time, when people in the family business were starting to lose faith. And as they say, companies die from the inside when people lose trust in the future or perspective of a company,' Eckert recalled. One Saturday afternoon, he received a call. There was a family discussion going on and he was asked if he could imagine taking responsibility for the brand. 'I said, 'Okay, give me one month to think about it. But I knew that second they called that I was going to do it,' said Eckert. Changing careers was not difficult, he commented. 'I always had this passion for making things – the production of things, technology and engineering. I'm always interested in what is the cost-effect relationship [of things], questioning how the world is functioning,' said Eckert on integrating quite naturally into the family business. 'I think this is my destiny. After one or two months, I had forgotten I had been a lawyer,' he chuckled. I asked him if he missed being a lawyer and Eckert responded, 'I'm not someone who lives in the past, but the past prepared me for this job.' He started by looking into the company's finances, and then later studying its products and processes. Apart from introducing developments to address changes in consumer behaviour, distribution and digitalisation, Eckert has also spearheaded ideas such as the Bulthaup B3 interior system, which is a modular series of drawer and cabinetry inserts facilitating workflow and personalised use. Unlike regular internal drawer organisation systems, Bulthaup's version has a clever prism design that can contain objects but also becomes a sliding base for inserts. Eckert's law career also provided him with a different perspective in creative thinking. 'I had the advantage of being a complete outsider, far from the logic of the industry. I had the luxury of asking stupid questions like 'does it really need to be like this, or can it be like that? This is the driving engine of Bulthaup – we never look around; we don't follow trends. We have a conviction and then we act on it.' Today's kitchen has become an extension of the rest of the home – as a place of personal identity and social activity. Eckert observed that there is a longing for the 'the warmth of the fireplace' as the world becomes more complicated and cold with Artificial Intelligence (AI), wars and complex political situations in the power countries. 'When people feel like they're losing control, the kitchen is the place where, while working with the hands, they gain back control. It's real, not artificial. That's why kitchens are so important in the life of people because it's about congregating around the fire,' said Eckert. This gathering of family is a precious part of Eckert's childhood memories. While he joined the business only in his late-thirties, the training started in his boyhood. 'I remember my late-grandfather, my mother and my uncle sitting at the dining table, [discussing the business]. Even as a child, or later as a young man living your own life, you're infiltrated with the daily issues of running the company, and its responsibilities in good times and not so good times,' he explained. All that passive absorption helped shape Eckert in running the business later on. He reflected, 'In the 15 years at the helm of the company, I always look back and connect the dots, so to speak. There was so much information that I learned at the ages of 5, 10 or 15 years old that I didn't consider relevant then. But now, I understand; everything had a purpose and makes sense now.' I pressed Eckert for one of these memories and he offered a poignant one that did not take place at a boisterous dinner table discussion. Instead, it was at the bedside of Martin Bulthaup the year he passed on. It was in 1978 during the Iranian oil crisis – one of the many world troubles that Bulthaup had overcome. 'When he was ill and near death in his home, my grandfather said, 'I don't hear the machines running', even though he was 20km away from the factory,' related Eckert. He was only seven years old at that time but this statement is what has been guiding him in leading the family business. "The heart and soul of Bulthaup is the factory. The machines in the factory – those are the organs; that's where we create the most beautiful kitchens in the world with the best functionality and technology we can think of,' said Eckert. He produced an analogy using the human anatomy. 'Sales, marketing, our stores – those are the muscles. But you can't flex your muscles when you don't have organs that are healthy. That's why I always focus on the factory, on keeping the machines running, on producing [excellent kitchens].' In the digital age, craft and the act of making are even more vital. 'We are coming more and more into the times of social media bubbles and the world of AI where people don't know how to create beautiful things with the human hand, a human soul and a human eye. So this is what we stand for: craftsmanship, combined with technology, to create the best quality for our users.'
