PRESSRELEASE REVIEW OF THE EUROCUCINA 2016 GRASS GmbH Movement Systems Press contact, Grass Platz 1, 6973 Höchst Phone +43 (0) 5578 701-0 Fax +43 (0) 5578 701-59 E-mail presse@grass.eu www.grass.eu ENGLISH
Salone del Mobile/EuroCucina 2016: Trendsetters and traditionalists place their confidence in GRASS movement systems After six intensive days the EuroCucina 2016 at the Salone del Mobile drew to a close on 17 April with a new visitor record and abundant design inspirations for kitchens. Two megatrends dominated the many innovations of kitchen manufacturers in Milan; kitchens and living areas are increasingly merging with living areas, and they are also becoming more individual. It is not surprising that the ranks of manufacturers who use GRASS movement systems in their furniture are constantly growing, as the elegant, linear and convenient products can be flexibly integrated into a wide range of design concepts. Visitors to the EuroCucina 2016 were able to experience this quality first hand at the stands of almost 50 exhibitors. More than 370,000 were registered at the Salone del Mobile, which makes Milan the international hub of the furniture world every year. The trends of years to come are defined on the exhibition grounds and in the various showrooms as well as at special exhibitions in the city centre. Even if the EuroCucina 2016 did not reveal any great surprises, innovation was expressed in the details and clever designs on show at the stands of the more than 120 exhibitors. Kitchens and living areas are becoming one For some time now kitchens and living areas have been merging together. This development was omnipresent at the EuroCucina. It was Page 1
demonstrated in the colours, materials and the way that kitchen furniture is integrated into its environment. Dark, warm, earthy tones are combined with accessories in copper or gold. Shelf elements break up the rows of kitchen units. The cooking areas are either prominently displayed or discreetly concealed. The German manufacturer Leicht Küchen, for example, had a kitchen on show that was only recognisable as a kitchen when the doors were opened. Otherwise the Leicht exhibits stood out from those of other suppliers, whose stands mainly featured dark colour schemes, and light and lively niches were the themes that hallmarked the design of the Leicht products. Inside the furniture, the GRASS Nova Pro Scala Crystal comprehensive drawer system continued this approach. Linear, geometric forms were the distinguishing features of Dada that used several GRASS products for its varied presentation. The elegant Tiomos hinge was also used as well as the cubist Vionaro drawer system, which is based on the Dynapro concealed slide system. One highlight of the Dada show presentation was the Armani kitchen that combines solid materials such as marble and metal in surprising filigree designs. Convenient GRASS drawer systems were also on show at the Euromobil stand, where open and glazed cabinets created a living area feel. Trend theme no. 1: Individualisation Stosa virtually perfectly demonstrates how individual kitchens can be, as the exhibits featured almost every kind of style, ranging from contemporary hipster kitchens with a rustic style to neoclassical models. At the IBK stand visitors were also able to see for themselves the perfect Page 2
options which the GRASS products offer kitchen manufacturers for developing flexible and individual furniture. The Italian manufacturer offered individualisation in its purest form; a cabinet with different, exchangeable surfaces that creates a comprehensive range of aesthetic components. Inside the furniture the individualisation options seamlessly continued with Nova Pro Scala IBK showed how the drawer side of the drawer system can be customised to suit individual preferences in seconds. One system, flexible but easily customised this concept that GRASS implemented with the greatest artistry with Nova Pro Scala was also on show at the Valcucine stand. The fronts and drawers of the models made by this Italian company can be replaced with minimum effort. Individualisation was demonstrated here with four different style worlds that appeal to different customer types. A special, convenient solution was developed in collaboration with GRASS for innovative kitchen users; it was possible to operate the Sensomatic damping system by foot with a motion sensor, a feature which is extremely practical when the chef's hands are both full. Individuality was also the dominating theme at the GAMADECOR stand, which focused on a material collection - various drawer sides and stoneware of the parent company PORCELANOSA. The Spanish company demonstrated how these materials define the character of the kitchen with different kitchens grouped around the material collections, and in which Vionaro and Dynapro as well as Tiomos ensured smooth, highquality movement. Page 3
At its stand, the German manufacturer Häcker Küchen showed how individualisation is possible in series production. The company exhibited a completely handle-free kitchen in which the GRASS Sensomatic permits opening of regular and pot drawers with a gentle push. With the branded drawer sides, GRASS was also able to demonstrate on the Häcker exhibits how GRASS can respond to the requirements of its customers. Haptics: A feast for the fingertips Different surfaces and a combination of a wide range of materials are an excellent way for customers to create the kitchen of their dreams and express their personalities, and they are also an expression of the new touch-and-feel trend. The surfaces at the EuroCucina 2016 were not simply rough or smooth they were finely structured, coarse or ribbed. This new sensuality was to be found, for example, in the material mix of the Italian kitchen furniture manufacturer Arrital - one of the four new GRASS customers exhibiting at the EuroCucina. With its clear, defined designs, Arrital is ideally suited to the GRASS product portfolio. Nova Pro Scala and Tipmatic Soft-close were included in the high-quality kitchens to the great satisfaction of the company: "For us, GRASS is a unique selling point, especially as we can offer solutions that have been modified especially for us." The Tuscan wood specialist Toncelli provided another tactile sensation: In hall 11 a EUR 380,000 kitchen was on show which was made of fossilised wood that is 2,500 years old. Toncelli fully equips its kitchens Page 4
working "only with the best supplier". The luxury kitchen, which wonderfully combines craftsmanship with art, features Vionaro with an aluminium profile. Anyone wishing to see a completely new kitchen concept had to travel to the city centre. In the Brera designer quarter bulthaup found an ideal backdrop for its exhibits in a former church and challenged all previous concepts of kitchens as we know them. The kitchen can be individually reconfigured with a plug & play design in one working block and constantly modified to keep pace with changing life circumstances. The basic principle: Simplicity. The GRASS movement systems also provided the required flexibility and quality in this case, effectively demonstrating how the design principle "form follows function" can be turned around by means of great craftsmanship and comprehension of the use of space and movement. The GRASS movement functions are so flexible that they can follow the form anywhere it goes - for example in the bulthaup design visions, the fossilised luxury kitchen by Toncelli, the new openness of Stosa, and also in the direction of the Häcker Küchen series production. Images: Arrital, file: Arrital_GRASS Nova Pro Scala at Arrital, file: Arrital_NP_Scala_GRASS Dada with Armani, file: Dada_Armani_GRASS Dynapro at Dada, file: Dada_Dynapro_GRASS Vionaro at Dada, file: Dada_Vionaro_GRASS Page 5
Gamadecor, file: Gamadecor_Steingut_GRASS Vionaro at Gamadecor, file: Gamadecor_Vionaro_GRASS Haecker, file: Haecker_GRASS Haecker 2, file: Haecker_2_GRASS IBK, file: IBK_GRASS Nova Pro Scala at IBK, file: IBK_NPScala_GRASS Leicht, file: Leicht_GRASS Nova Pro Scala at Leicht, file: Leicht_NPScala_CrystalPl_GRASS Stosa, file: Stosa_GRASS Nova Pro Scala at Valcucine, file: Stosa_GRASS Toncelli, file: Toncelli_GRASS Vionaro at Toncelli, file: Toncelli_Vionaro_GRASS Valcucine, file: Valcucine_GRASS Nova Pro Scala at Valcucine, file: Valcucine_NPScala_GRASS Page 6
Caption/Shortcut: The elegant, linear and convenient GRASS products can be flexibly integrated into a wide range of design concepts. Visitors to the EuroCucina 2016 were able to experience this quality first hand at the stands of almost 50 exhibitors. Arrital_GRASS Arrital_NPScala_GRASS Dada_Armani_GRASS Page 7
Dada_Dynapro_GRASS Dada_Vionaro_GRASS Gamadecor_Steingut_GRASS Gamadecor_Vionaro_GRASS Page 8
Haecker_GRASS Haecker_2_GRASS IBK_GRASS IBK_NPScala_GRASS Page 9
Leicht_GRASS Leicht_NPScala_CrystalP_GRASS Stosa_GRASS Stosa_NPScala_GRASS Page 10
Toncelli_GRASS Toncelli_Vionaro_GRASS Valcucine_GRASS Valcucine_NPScala_GRASS Page 11
GRASS Movement Systems A globally successful group of companies, a fresh brand with tradition and an extraordinary diversity of perspectives that s GRASS in a nutshell. With sales revenues of 340 million euros in the financial year 2015, more than 1,800 employees at 18 locations and more than 200 distributors in 60 countries, GRASS ranks among the world s leading specialists in movement systems. As development partner and systems supplier to the furniture industry, GRASS has been creating products which inspire its customers for more than 65 years. GRASS slide and drawer systems, hinge, flap and corner cabinet systems are brand-name products that move the furniture of prestigious brands. Page 12
GRASS Group Factbox Owner: Management Board: Würth Group Thomas Müller, Christoph Walter, Helmut Kainrad Employees: More than 1,800 employees worldwide Sales revenues 2015: Production companies: 340 million euros Austria: Höchst, Götzis and Salzburg Czech Republic: Krumlov Germany: Reinheim USA: Kernersville NC Sales companies: Australia: Melbourne Canada: Toronto China: Shanghai Germany: Ofterdingen, Verl Italy: Pordenone South Africa: Cape Town, Johannesburg Spain: Elgeta Sweden: Jönköping Turkey: Istanbul USA: Kernersville NC UK: Bromsgrove Page 13
Press Contact Further information can be requested by contacting our PR agency, GOOS COMMUNICATION. Downloads and additional information are also available online at www.grass.eu. GRASS GmbH GRASS Platz 1, 6973 Höchst, Austria Telephone +43 (5578) 701-0, Fax +43 (5578) 701-59 Email: presse@grass.eu Internet: www.grass.eu GOOS COMMUNICATION Ms. Yvonne Deters Geibelstraße 46a, 22303 Hamburg, Germany Telephone +49 (40) 284 17 87-20, Fax +49 (40) 284 17 87-60 Email: y.deters@goos-communication.com Internet: www.goos-communication.com Page 14