2015 – Let there be light

Reading the various predictions for kitchen trends in 2015 one theme seems to prevail – the growing importance of light in the kitchen. Many commentators are saying that, as the hub of many families, kitchens need to be capable of change. To be light and functional one moment and moody and sensual another. This applies a great dexterity. Units need to be ‘presentable’, surfaces need to be clear of clutter one moment and practical the next. Lighting can help cover a multitude of sins – or create them! We reproduce below some images from our researches and a few of our own to demonstrate this growing trend and provide inspiration.

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We have experience with kitchen lighting – and in-house experts. Pop in and see us – we’re here to help

Making light work

There’s no doubt that lighting has enhanced our interiors. Time was when it was referred to as ‘lights’ – nowadays its ‘lighting’ and properly so. The flexibility that modern lighting offers creates as many exciting opportunities as it does challenges. On the one hand we can now put lighting almost anywhere. LEDs are powerful, lightweight, need changing far less often and are much more energy efficient than old lights. With the advent of this revolution has come increased regulation – requiring consumers to check carefully from whom they buy their lights. A wider range of alternatives has complicated the market and the pace of change is so fast that you need to be nimble to keep up. Lighting design has become a necessity – it’s no longer acceptable to ‘bung a light bulb up’. What with dimming, mood-lighting, timer and holiday settings and a cornucopia of exterior options – your home can be a programmers nightmare if your supplier doesn’t have the necessary training and it is just this sort of continual professional development that makes it vital to have a properly qualified company design and install your lighting.

Anglia Factors recognised this trend early on and has been working closely with an expert company in the field; Joseph Read will be joining us in our new showroom and be available to discuss the lighting options for your new interiors (when they’re not away sourcing wonderful new lighting………and, of course, being trained!).

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Happy New Year trends

As we hurtle towards another New Year, with customers last minute shopping and our workshop completing custom kitchens and interiors for the New Year, it’s time to ponder what lies ahead for us in 2014.

We see a lot of change in our industry. As we have pointed out in past blogs, customer’s requirements from their living spaces reflect a widening influence from abroad, from technology and from changing living patterns. A few weeks ago we were commenting on the growth in working from home and the increase in converting a room at home into an office. Similarly technology and the growth of 4K to replace HDTV, increased interaction with the internet and home cinema all change our use of space while the kitchen has seen a revolution in appliances and steady conversion into a formalised social area.

So, here’s half a dozen future trends that may affect us here at Anglia Factors: –

We expect to be busier as the pace of house-building increases fuelled by Government’s need to house a growing population – we are expanding our showroom and looking at other ways to cope with growing customer demand

Juicy turkey in a KitchenAid sous-vide

We’ll integrate more designer lighting into all our bespoke home interiors to reflect growing demand – and will devote a specialist area to lighting in our new showroom

We will become more involved in food as our Celebrity Chef; Paul Foster undertakes demonstrations in the new showroom, the Brazilian World Cup provides inspiration and we all chase the next trend after baking

We agree with reports that homes will become smarter. Everyday objects and appliances will monitor their environment, report their status, receive instructions, and even take action based on the information they receive from our PCs, smartphones, and tablets – we will continue to stay on top of these trends so we may advise

We will offer CAD visualisations to more customers as they seek inspiration or just to see what our design will look like in their home

But overall, we anticipate that customers will continue to deserve great service at a fair price and maintaining that is our greatest challenge in 2014. Happy New Year!