It is indisputable that German precision and engineering expertise are responsible for some of the world's most outstanding products and designs.
For starters, there's the likes of Mercedes-Benz and the BMW, and probably the press that printed this magazine. And then there's Poggenpohl with its impressive history of style and function, technology and good old-fashioned craftmanship in what many would consider as world-leading kitchen design. A benchmark company for most kitchen manufacturers, Poggenpohl's sleek, minimal-ist and classic designs are becoming more prevalent in Australia where they appeal to design-savvy individuals.
Australia's well-travelled residents have now increased the demand for smart kitchens. Poggenpohl, established 100 years ago, has created a point of difference by using new, durable materials that are environmentally friendly, and allow for good ergonomics and organisational systems to create liveable workspaces that perform well in today's modern kitchen.
"I've been in this industry for a decade, and I noticed people used to have the attitude that a kitchen was just a series of boxes," says Colin Kippax, principal designer and founder of A La Carte Design, Sydney, importers of Poggenpohl kitchens.
"As long as it looked good, they thought that was all that mattered. People no longer want just boxes; they now understand that good technology makes a kitchen better. Creating a kitchen isn't about developing a space that a designer, who may have a passion about a particular style or colour, wants to impose. The kitchen designer's chief responsibility should be to inform the client of the cost and user implications of the design they choose and offer viable alternatives as needed," he says.
A client may be as keen as mustard to have aluminium finishes, but may be under budgetary constraints. Kippax has options that use aluminium edging on the drawer and cupboard panelling, for instance, but with a look-alike treatment for the fascia that certainly would fool anyone except, well, a professional kitchen designer.
A fit for comfort
A chief point of difference with a Poggenpohl kitchen is that consultants look closely at 3233how it will be used and who will use it.
"We interview the client in detail, asking questions such as the number of people who will use the kitchen space; their height; whether they're right- or left-handed; what they cook; how their weekend lifestyle differs from their weekday habits and so on," says Kippax.
To work well, a kitchen needs to be designed for comfort and efficiency. To ensure this, Poggenpohl maintains flexibility with points of style, such as differing bench heights that can range from 910mm up to a 1 metre high in a single kitchen.
