New Kitchen Concepts from Poggenpohl

Poggenpohl, an award-winning luxury kitchen cabinet brand based in Herford, Germany, attracts attention for its bold aesthetic and innovative spirit. Poggenpohl’s +INTEGRATION line balances contrasting elements of design with high-tech elegance to reinvent the kitchen as a lifestyle hub well-suited for a variety of functions. Poggehpohl’s US President Lothar Birkenfeld elaborates: “The kitchen is evolving into a multifunctional room that includes everything from dining and entertaining to working and relaxing which responds to a growing consumer demand of this trend.” +INTEGRATION seamlessly fuses elements of traditional living spaces with kitchen design by incorporating innovative materials, hidden storage, and a built-in entertainment center to its versatile layout. It even includes a touch screen computer networked to control every technical function in the house such as lighting, temperature, appliances, email and more.

Poggenpohl recently presented another interpretation of the ideal contemporary kitchen with its PLUSMODO line. Created by prominent Spanish lighting and furniture designer Jorge Pensi, this model debuted in the US in Spring 2006. PLUSMODO features a landscape of open and closed areas that play with the idea of displaying and concealing the components of the kitchen. The lighting concept balances the horizontal lines of illuminated shelves with the vertical lighting elements utilized in the appliance space. PLUSMODO is also the first kitchen design that eclipses the need for hinges. Instead, it maximizes usable space with sliding doors, a solid 6-inch countertop with drawers, and pull-out glass trays that can serve as display cabinets. The functionality of the appliance area is enhanced with outlets, light switches, a radio, clock, and utensil storage space all with ergonomic placement in mind.

Pensi also composed and performed three songs to accompany the kitchen: “I believe that it is possible to join different arts, to create an atmosphere with material objects and also with sensations. The intention of PLUSMODO music is to describe the life we are living.” His far-reaching vision led PLUSMODO to surpass the recognition garnered by other lines, winning six design awards within its first year on the market. Most notably, PLUSMODO received the 2005 Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, the world’s oldest international competition of its kind.

Poggenpohl is also at the cutting edge of environmentally friendly design practices, exemplified by its water-based lacquers and structured wood veneers. For example, their industrial engineers have recreated the exotic striated character of zebrano wood so that consumers can enjoy the beauty of this wood without sacrificing these scarce Amazonian trees. Furthermore, all materials used by Poggenpohl and its parent company The Nobia Group are 80 percent renewable and all wood waste generated from production is used to heat the manufacturing facilities. Poggenpohl also developed an environmentally safe and functionally equivalent water-based lacquer that it exclusively uses in its collections. The water-based finishes achieve the same high gloss and fine texture as solvent-based paint while ensuring durability, easy maintenance, and ecologic responsibility.

Established in 1892, Poggenpohl is currently available in more than 60 countries with eight showrooms and twenty-three dealers in the United States alone. For more information on Poggenpohl’s product line, please visit www.Poggenpohl-usa.com.