From June 7 to June 12, 2022 at the Fiera Milano fairgrounds in Rho the 23rd edition of EuroCucina will be held to bring together 82 exhibitors showcasing wide range of top quality goods. Spread over an area equal to 16,000 m2, largely in Pavilions 9 and 11, EuroCucina will benchmark its exhibition at the international level where furniture companies exhibiting total living concepts will be presenting their kitchen proposals on their respective stands.
In this edition of EuroCucina, the domestic hearth will be seen as a multi-functional space, an expression of contemporary living, its confines with the other domestic spaces becoming so blurred as to be non-existent.
As a natural evolution and consequence of these last few pandemic-hit years, kitchens have become fluid, hybrid, integrated spaces, the absolute barycentres of the modern home, social aggregators, not just purveyors of essential needs. This is where most of the day-to-day family activities take place other than just eating – home office and video calls, homework and relaxing. What people are after now is a variety of multi-functional spaces for cooking, dining, containing, celebrating, chatting, working and relaxing.
New accessories such as spectacular wine cellars, domestic greenhouses and laundry columns will abound. Elegant and versatile bookcases and wall or freestanding units will make an appearance, integrating the areas while marking them out. Foldaway and walk-in kitchens will make reappearance with equipment, appliances, larders, taps and fittings cunningly concealed behind increasingly skillfully engineered doors. Home office units containing small, neat workstations or configured to allow for the insertion of efficient desks in quiet corners or multi-tasking snack counters that are easily converted into work areas, consoles and desks will be showcased. Lastly, kitchens will also tend to extend outdoors, beyond the domestic walls, with highly accessorised solutions, both portable and not, that blend versatility, practicality, quality materials and performance.
The true protagonist of EuroCucina is materials experimentation, a smart means of bringing style and distinctive character to projects. Thanks to the technological innovation, the new materials will boast improved surface hardness and resistance to chemicals, abrasions and knocks as well as to UV rays and thermal shock effects, guaranteeing slower deterioration over time. The new finishes, including glass, can be texturised to reproduce the look of natural materials such as marble and wood which, in any case, feature widely to keep the connection with nature alive.
In terms of shapes, which have become softer and sometimes rounder, clean lines and rigour are championed, to underscore the functionality of the space. Colour shades, which left the simple, minimalist black-and-white look behind several years ago, are inspired by the natural spectrum, often opting for a mix of soft tones reminiscent of the spices most frequently used in cooking – sage, rosemary, lavender, saffron and basil. There will be a mix of matte and shiny finishes, alternating with brilliant colours.
As in every other space in the house, sustainability remains one of the key trends for 2022: in response to demand from consumers who have become more aware and involved, companies will invest increasingly in sustainable production cycles with low carbon footprints, and in durable solutions that will also take the end life of products into consideration.
Date: June 7-June 12, 2022
Timing: 9.30 am to 6.30 pm (trade only)
Open to the general public on 11 and 12 June, 2022
Open to students on 10, 11 and 12 June, 2022
Venue: Milan Fairgrounds, Rho (Milan)
Entrance gates: Porta Est, Porta Sud, Porta Ovest
Image credits: Saverio Lombardi Vallauri for Salone del Mobile.Milano