10 Most Popular Kitchens of 2019

As the year ends, we would like to share our top list of kitchens loved by our fans on Facebook and Instagram. At Nolte, every kitchen has a story to tell from the counter top to the recess panelling. Besides, you can customise your kitchen to match your personality, lifestyle and space. Remember, we are just a call away. Alright now! Browse through our top kitchens of 2019. 

Top 1
Get the stylish, finely grained real wood look with TAVOLA in oak pinot and SOFT LACK in papyrus grey. The open shelf unit at the end converses with the living area and provides just the right space for displaying decorative pieces with personal meaning. Under the induction hob, the intelligent Matrix 150 size grid even leaves room for a drawer. Designed for modern homes.

Top 2
The FRAME LACK kitchen in LAVA soft Matt and Rose hip soft matt front. The display unit adds nostalgic charm to the kitchen. Every cabinet door or drawer has a vintage style knob that makes it appealing. A true choice for those who love classic with a modern twist.

Top 3
A natural look material, FERRO Corten steel makes an exciting contrast with high-gloss white NOVA LACK. The island with an extended counter invites one for a conversation over a drink. Extravagant front with magical attraction; Real metal particles give FERRO Corten steel a magnetic effect. The open shelf unit also provides sufficient space for all of your favourite reads.

Top 4
The Classic TORINO LACK kitchen has several attractive facets. The front in white with the worktop in black creates a delightful contrast that essentially defines the overall character of this kitchen. The modestly sleek manganese bronze handles go perfectly with the visual concept. The shelf units with ingredient dispensers and cross inserts in oak barolo, complement the look. The design elements, such as the cornice, light pelmet, pilasters and forward-set side plinth elements, play a key part and give the kitchen a distinctive look.

Top 5
Whether you are archaic or love classic with a contemporary twist, the Windsor Lack kitchen in Avocado and White soft matt is your pick. This pastel coloured kitchen highlights the perfect symbiosis of living in the country and life at home by amalgamating open shelf units and intrinsic details. The cabinet handles confidently picks up on the character of this style, complements the impression of a perfect country kitchen. This is where attention to detail really counts!

Top 6
The combination of the TAVOLA Soft Lack front in Oak Barolo and SAHARA soft matt with the worktop in black creates a delightful contrast that essentially defines the overall character of this kitchen. Exclusive details, such as the cooking island with integrated table solution, the flush-fitted hob as well as the unit along the wall with so much storage space and open shelf units emphasise a homely, modern character. The handle in stainless steel look perfectly complements this kitchen.

Top 7
Perfectly in tune with the design style, this Artwood Soft Lack kitchen comes without handles in a linear style and with a clean appearance. ARTWOOD in Flame Scarfed Oak creates a warm and familiar atmosphere. This authentic surface perfectly creates the illusion of real wood. Contrasted with SOFT LACK in White Soft Matt, it gives a charismatic look which we absolutely love. The clearly organised larder unit, sideboard and pull-out units give you ample space for storage.

Top 8
Elegant and sophisticated TAVOLA sparks attention easily. The front in Oak pinot and White soft matt conveys a warm, homely ambience with a modern touch. Open wall shelf unit, pull-out units and raised oven provide the best in ergonomic design.

Top 9
The ARTWOOD kitchen is synonymous to love at first sight. The Flame Scarfed Oak finish along with the Sahara Soft Matt adds contrast. The look of scarfed wood exudes charisma and, in combination with the calmness of FEEL in Sahara, conjures a perfectly balanced overall impression. The island offers endless storage and the drawers are perfectly organised without any wastage of space.

Top 10
Elegance doesn’t seek attention, but prefers to be understated. As such, the Lava soft matt front of the TORINO LACK kitchen captivates an understated charm. The handleless display unit in manganese bronze with its exceptional framed frontage and bronze-tinted glazing go perfectly with the style elements of this exquisite looking kitchen. To further emphasise the character, handles and taps are also in the same colour.

Explore our kitchen collection here.

The Flair Ferro Kitchen - A truly magnetic choice!

If you have a FERRO kitchen, it is quite obvious why your guests are in awe.

A kitchen oozing with flair with its exciting combinations. A real looker you won't find anywhere.

The handleless FLAIR black soft matt combined with the FERRO in unusual corten steel finish combines elegance with comfort and high functionality.

The MatrixArt base units at the end of a row provide practical additional space for keeping smaller-type utensils.

Tall wall cabinets, with integrated appliances and dual storage provide convenient storage space for the smaller things in everyday life.

Clean lines and distinctive details, like the edges in brass look, as well as the illuminated MatrixART finger pulls, heighten the charisma of this impressive kitchen.

The combination with FERRO in Corten steel is the perfect complement, with a matching splashback adding the finishing touch.

A slim horizontal wall cabinet creates novelty in the space, with a bold, open shelving unit in metal and wood.

The open shelf wall units with sliding doors are a practical combination of space saving elements.

Let's say Nolte would call it "The fertile design sophistication of the organic."

For those who want to experience the FLAIR FERRO kitchen, Nolte doors are always open. http://www.nolteindia.com/showrooms

The Evolution of Kitchens - Past, Present, and Future - Part II

In our earlier blog, we took you through the journey of the kitchen from the middle ages to the late 1950s. And now, here are more stories from the 1960s to the present as well as what the future of kitchens looks like.

1960 - 1980

As the swinging sixties arrived, pop artists had their influence over interior design and kitchens took up the tune of minimalism and funky colours. In the 60’s and 70’s other societal changes were taking place that impacted the style of the kitchen. It was an era of liberation for women. More women were joining the workforce, and therefore looking for more time-saving and convenient cooking and cleaning appliances was ideal during the time. Dishwashers, garbage disposals, and refrigerators with freezers were gaining popularity, as well as the brand new ultimate time-saver, the microwave, which quickly became a staple in every home. For the first time, the sale of microwaves exceeded that of gas ranges. The kitchens of the 1970s got as groovy as the decade. Appliances and cabinetry were appearing in a wide range of colours. Kitchens were being designed with curved features, bevelled edges and circular countertops. Wood is becoming a popular option for cabinetry. The roots of contemporary kitchen design - like the work triangle, islands, raised bars - were born of this era, which has continued to be a staple in modern day kitchens everywhere. It was the age of the breakfast bar, the wall mounted oven and the island bench. Lime green, red, mustard, and orange colours were found in nearly every aspect of kitchens, from the countertops to the wallpaper. Many of the colour trends from 1960s carried over into the 1970s, though green hints gave way to harvest gold- that muted, earthy yellow that has become very reminiscent of the era.

(Image courtsey: Ross Wardle/Tudor Art Studios)

1980 - 2000

People have yet to start taking a personal interest in the design of their kitchen so layouts aren't the greatest either. Architects begin to devote a lot of study to the best layouts and homeowners really take an interest in decorating by starting to match the appliances with countertops and flooring. Appliances are generally black, white or ivory. Tasteful matching in terms of cabinets, flooring, and countertops became trendy, with warmer colours, oak cabinets, and wooden furniture making their way into the kitchen. As Martha Stewart makes her mark on the food world, kitchens include more shelving to display cookbooks along with wine and pot racks, and pegboards allowing people to show off their accessories when not using them. Designers would build the occasional burst of colour to break up the pattern. Rather than hiding dishes and pans in cabinets and drawers, many kitchens featured open space to display specialised cookware. In 1990s kitchens become a space for entertaining, they grow even larger and open floor plans or open concept spaces become popular. Appliances make a move towards durable stainless steel. In the 90s, people began to gravitate toward a more minimalist feel, using a lot of natural oak and other light-coloured woods. If homeowners painted, they often used bright colours and whites. Large kitchen islands doubled as bars, or even second dining tables, and were accompanied by tall chairs or stools.

(Image courtsey: Ross Wardle/Tudor Art Studios)

2000 - present

The kitchen hasn’t stopped evolving, in fact, it has become even more efficient. There’s a drastic change socially and we see that women are no longer confined to the kitchen and men began to assume more of a care-taking role in the home. The stigma of cooking as a domestic chore for women faded, and food preparation was reinvented as both “fine art” and a sign of affluence.

With the internet, mobile, smart, and now the wireless technology. There is also a parallel trend towards connectivity, integrated appliances and using wireless technology throughout the home. More gadgets are serving multiple purposes, as are materials used within the kitchen design. Refrigerators can tell our phones that we’re out of milk and our tablets can monitor our recipes and food intake. More gadgets are serving multiple purposes as are materials used within the kitchen design. Countertops aren't just all about marble and granite, homeowners are branching out into many contemporary finishes available, including stainless steel, concrete and slate. Instant internet access allows us to get inspiration from anywhere and has led to new kitchen designs all the time.

During the last 20 years, kitchens have evolved to become the heart of the home. The kitchen has located to the front of the house and blends with the living space. That’s where Nolte’s ‘The Social Kitchen’ comes into the picture. Nolte kitchens go with the trends and are designed around the people and their lifestyle. The kitchen is no longer designed for the efficiency of one person instead it’s a place where family and friends come together and all of them actively participate in the preparation of the meal along with entertainment and fun. Kitchens are now woven into the social aspect of our lives – it’s the space where the kids are doing their homework while Mom or Dad prepare a meal, where guests, friends and family gather. Where thoughts are shared and memories made. It's the multi-faceted heart of the beautiful home. Nolte kitchens are designed to keep style, functionality and usage on par. Gone are the days when the kitchen was designed only to prepare the meals of the day. Kitchens today double up as spaces where you catch up with your family and entertain friends. Keeping this in mind, Nolte kitchen designs can be customized and adapted for large and small families as well as individuals who enjoy good design.

Apart from the kitchen becoming a part of the social ethos, there’s also the technological side to it. Voice control technology in the kitchen began with Alexa and Google Assistant integration. We’re currently asking Alexa to find recipes, create grocery lists, order products online. Appliance brands are integrating Alexa and other services into their products to manage appliance functions and to engineer appliances within the same brand to talk to each other. Besides, Microwave voice control is on the horizon. Maybe in the near future you can ask Alexa or Google Assistant when the dishwasher will be finished. Use of voice technology to preheat the oven or to change the oven’s temperature. Set an oven timer. How much time is remaining for the oven timer? Is the ice maker, full?  Tell the dishwasher what program to run next. We are not far from “Alexa, cook me dinner".

Click here to read: The Evolution of Kitchens - Past, Present, and Future - Part I

Top 10 Kitchen Design Trends You will See in 2018 and Forward

Decades ago, the kitchen was hidden in the back of the house and was a place where meals were prepared and dirty dishes were washed. Fast forward to 2018, kitchens have become the heart and hearth of the home. Today, the kitchen is the focal point of the home, the place that brings everyone together at the start of the day or after a long day. When such is the role of the kitchen, it is quite important that we stay up with the trends and know what's hot in the world of kitchen design. Here are the top 10 trends in kitchen design we expect to see in 2018 and forward. 

Smart Kitchens

This is one of the biggest trends going into 2018 and further. Technology has entered the kitchen making everything in the kitchen from the fancy gadgets to appliances be controlled by an app, wifi, Bluetooth, smartphones or iPads. Today, smart kitchens are an evolving aspect of design. Soon the kitchens will have refrigerators that can alert you when your grocery items are running low or a coffee maker programmed to have your coffee ready when you wake up. There is also a gadget that monitors your eggs, telling you which ones are almost going bad. You can also control all the lights in the kitchen from your smartphone or tablet. Nolte was a part of the Smart Homes installation at IMM Cologne 2018. Nolte, with its concept 'Living in the kitchen' demonstrated the merging of design, comfort, and technology. Nolte Kitchens showcased an innovative ceramic worktop featuring an invisibly integrated induction hob. And if you don't really plan on re-doing your kitchen, then use the latest gadgets like Amazon Echo & Alexa and Google Home and other such gadgets to stay up with the trends. These gadgets have become 'essentials' in the kitchen, enabling homeowners to order products, play music, set reminders or find out the recipes at the touch of a button or the sound of a voice. All this has certainly made cooking easier and quicker.

Countertop Materials

In terms of countertops, Quartz finish continues to be on the top along with granite and wood. Quartz is robust, easy to maintain, is anti-microbial, resistant to spills and scratches, making them a smart choice for families or busy cooks. When Quartz first came to the market, there were limited choices, but today you will see a wide range of colours as well as realistic stone patterns.

Open Layouts

Open-plan kitchens have revolutionised the way we cook and entertain. The open plan kitchen has made room for more interaction, more people, and a more casual lifestyle. Nolte calls the open plan kitchen concept as The Social Kitchen, allowing for a more sociable experience for everyone. With this concept, the kitchen has become the other living room, the party place. A desire for informal dining and comfortable cooking drives this design trend, supporting a casual yet connected lifestyle. Open kitchens encourage interaction and entertainment with their breezy blend of living spaces. Open layouts are here to stay for a long time.

Induction Cooking

There's a fair amount of awareness when it comes to induction cooking and therefore the modern kitchens come with one setting a trend in aesthetics. More and more kitchens have introduced induction because induction burners utilize little heat, even cramped kitchens stay cool while cooking, surfaces remain safe to touch, and cooking is fast. Plus, these cook-tops eliminate the need for a large range hood, opening the door to creative design possibilities. At the Cologne fair, Nolte displayed kitchens with ceramic worktop featuring an invisibly integrated induction hob making way for more flexible cooking and convenience. 

Tech That Does the Work for You
Today fancy gadgets, devices and appliances have made cooking an enjoyable experience. With innovation, cooking is fast, easy, and convenient. Some of the examples include Amazon's Echo voice control device or Sony Xperia projectors.

Integrated Appliances

Unlike the conventional kitchens which has all appliances sticking out, the kitchens of the future will have integrated appliances. This trend has opened a new world for designs. The storage has shifted to underneath counters while appliances have become accessible by seamlessly blending in with the interiors. There is no wastage of space with kitchen gadgets, dishwasher, ovens, garbage, all being integrated with clever panelling and built-ins for convenience.

Cabinet Colours
White will remain a popular cabinet colour in 2018 and probably for years to come. Light greys, soft greys, and warm greys from medium to dark shades are even more widely seen in kitchens than in previous years. Blues are also gaining momentum, especially in a combination of two shades of the same colour – for example, light blue for wall cupboards and dark blue for base units. Also, this year is all about mixing and matching colours. Using multiple colours in kitchens has become a popular trend this year. White and grey seem to be the two big cabinet colours going into 2018 still. Their modern, clean look will keep them as favourites for years. More and more homeowners are getting bolder and opting for a kitchen with dark cabinet colours in 2018.

Maximised Kitchen Storage

Going forward kitchen storage options will be mainly focusing on making daily lives more effortless and cooking fun. Multi-tiered drawers, drawer organisers, and deep drawers make accessibility easy and convenient. This solves kitchen storage issues within the cabinetry. 

Open Shelving
Give upper kitchen cabinets a new look by shelving them. Open shelving also adds room for lots of greenery like kitchen herbs. It also provides extra storage space for accessories. 

Lighting

LED lighting continues to be applied in innovative ways. Lighting under cabinetry and counters is an easy way to change the atmosphere of a room. Illuminate the work surface by placing LED lights under the worktop to transform a kitchen into an entertaining space. Use LEDs to illuminate a toe-kick, perk up an island, or brighten the work space beneath the cabinetry. The new-age lights are more efficient and long-lasting than halogen and fluorescent bulbs. Disguised or concealed lighting has become more common place in most designs.

5 Modern Bedrooms That Are Stylish and Match Your Personality

Gone are the days when bedrooms were treated as just a place to rest or sleep. Today, bedrooms have evolved and become truly personal. They are a chic sanctuary for entertainment, for work, for dreams, for relaxation,  for de-stress and more. When you spend a lot of time in there, you surely want the place to be cosy, comforting, and impeccably stylish.

Nolte as an aficionado in bedroom furniture gives you an opportunity to fulfil your bedroom look fantasy. Nolte makes beds and side-tables that can be coordinated to match the wardrobe. You can choose suitable heights and dimensions, a headboard and a chest of drawers to go with the room from a wide range of exciting models. After all who wouldn't want a modern bedroom that matches your personality and taste? 

Concept Me
A design as unique as you. That very much defines what CONCEPT ME is all about. An all-new series of coordinated wardrobes, beds, and chests of drawers, engaging a new design concept of ‘boxed-out’ drawers and tall units. A perfect union of technique, quality, and durability. The wardrobe collection is presented in 7 body finishes and 17 front finishes, from exotic platinum oak to unusual fango glass. There are two height options and a range of widths that go up to 400 cm, with hinged or sliding doors, or even a logical mix of the two. Concept Me features sophisticated storage space functions and also Soft Close for the gentle closing of drawers and doors. With styles from pure to natural, a wide variety of sizes and infinite extendibility is possible. Simply combine the elements you like best. So don’t just get the most out of your life – get the most out of your bedroom, too. With concept me.

Belvento
Classic, timeless elegance, well-conceived functionality and pleasing comfort BELVENTO is the bedroom collection for demanding tastes. It is thoughtfully designed and  provides a sophisticated framework for practical details such as optional under bed storage drawers. Its silent system allows the doors to open easily and close. Belvento has body in three colours, front in four colours and allows you to tailor your bedroom with the wide configurations of your choice. 

Ipanema
You'll wonder when did bedrooms become so stylish. IPANEMA is not only beautiful, but also offers enough space for everything that needs a place. The collection offers six front colours in glass and wood finishes and four body colours. The upholstered headboard is available in three colours. It also gives one the freedom to choose a wide range of internal and external accessories.

Livia
Give yourself a personal retreat With LIVIA. Totally natural, with uncluttered designs, delicate features, and an atmosphere that leaves its mark on a room at first glance, transforming it into something really special. The front and body are available in three colours and interior finishes in two types. Livia has a separable double bed with adjustable foot, optional glass shelf with LED lighting, and an optional mirrored front.

Novara
NOVARA is everything about harmony, everything fits. Just the way you wish. Besides, Novara goes well with any decor set-up. Most importantly, it offers excellent functionality, lots of ideas, details, clear design vocabulary, and personality. The wardrobe is available in six colour combinations, beds in six, and chest in four. The glass and decor surfaces create attractive contrasts. The bed and bedside chests appear suspended in mid-air. The bed has an upholstered headboard with an option of headboard lighting. Novara also gives the option of glass shelf with LED lighting.

Check out the coordinated bedroom collection here: http://www.nolteindia.com/bedrooms 

7 Easy Herbs to Grow in Your Kitchen

Wouldn't it be convenient to have your own indoor herb garden in the kitchen so you can pick up fresh herbs for your mouthwatering cuisines? Whether you're living in an apartment or condo, with a lack of outdoor space, here are 7 herbs you can grow indoors easily all year round.

1. Lemongrass

Keep the fresh lemongrass stalk in a jar of water. Leave it in the sunlight. Change the water every day till it grows about 2 inch tall and then transfer it to a pot.

2. Cherry Tomatoes

Take a pot and plant some cherry tomato seedlings. Add a supporting stick and cover with the soil. Water regularly.

A post shared by Nolte India (@nolteindia) on Jan 28, 2018 at 9:29am PST

3. Coriander

Sow coriander seeds in a pot. It best grows in direct sunlight though partial shade is preferable. Don’t over-water the plant. You’ll soon see little shoots of coriander that can be plucked and used.

4. Fennel

Plant the fennel bulb in a container with about a cup of water. Leave it on your windowsill where it gets direct sunlight. When the roots grow strong you will notice new green shoots, then you can transplant it into a big pot.

5. Onion Chives

Plant onion bulbs in a small pot which has a hole to drain out excess water. Cut about one-third growth off the plant to stimulate new growth. Provide sufficient sunlight. Water frequently.

A post shared by Nolte India (@nolteindia) on Jan 30, 2018 at 11:36pm PST

6. Mint

If you have the leftover mint stalk with roots, plant them in a pot. Water frequently. Make sure it receives plenty of sunlight. Clip growing tips monthly to encourage new growth.

7. Parsely

Cut the stem of parsley near the base of the plant to promote re-growth. Place in a glass of water in bright sunlight. Transfer the cuttings to a big pot when roots appear.

14 Recess Panelling ideas for your dream kitchen

Making your kitchen colourful not only limits to cabinet fronts, wall painting and floors, you’ll be amazed what a recess panelling can do. The nature of their practicality and the wide range of choices have made recess panelling trendier than the backsplash tiles. It allows for an individual and personalised look to your kitchen. Besides, it matches the décor of the worktops to give an overall harmonious appeal.

Choose from 14 evocative glass recess panels with optional back lighting to liven up your kitchen. It’s time to bring emotions into your kitchen.

1. Birch forest

2. Blueberry

3. Cups

4. Forks

5. Herbs

6.  Pepper

7. Lemon

8. Ice Cube

9. Espresso

10. Lavender

11. Kiwi

12. Beach

13. Tomato

14. Orange

Make your dream kitchen fun and colourful with these come alive backgrounds.

The Countertop Arguments

11 kitchen countertops that make a statement.

Countertops are like swing voters. They may or may not pledge allegiance to the kitchen in question but are often the reason why you go for one.

A countertop never gets caught up in long drawn decisions.

You’ll know it is the one when you see it.

Countertops are distinct and subtle, eco-friendly, flamboyant and functional, immediate and timeless.

Will it be Cognac or Armagnac? When it comes to choosing your kitchen, the countertop makes all the difference.

Ask the ardent baker and you’ll hear profound truths like how nothing is as lovely to knead on as marble. A stone like white marble, however, is not for everybody especially if you are a perfectionist. A connoisseur will appreciate the natural way stone scratches over time, takes on stains from wine spills, and dulls authentically, a little by little. A perfectionist will not.

Whether you choose stone, glass, stainless steel or solid-core, Nolte countertops are ultra-versatile. It is also possible to choose the thickness of your countertop: 40mm, 50mm, 25mm or 12mm.

Then of course there is the romance of wood. Available in oak, driftwood, walnut and limed wood.

1. Glass top in a Glass Tec Satin Kitchen

2. The quartz grey glass countertop featured here in the Nova Lack kitchen.

3. The impressive 50mm thick granite countertop, seen here in Neo Chalet.

4. The Beton, concrete stone countertop in the Stone kitchen.

5. Carisma Lack with a Stainless Steel countertop

6. A sophisticated Steel countertop

7. Natural bough oak countertop

8. The extremely robust, 12mm solid core countertop standing out through its extremely fine appearance with a black core emphasizing the contours.

9.  The Cement Anthracite countertop featured here with the Portland kitchen.

10. Artwood Feel in a Walnut Cuba countertop

11. Driftwood countertop in an Alpha Lack kitchen