Michelle worked with Magnet, the British kitchen company, to script and present a series of videos championing the sustainability and design credentials of its game changing Nordic Nature range — Better Living through purposeful design.
Video One:
Future-proofing your home with considered design choices to last a lifetime
Sustainability is like a red thread running through all aspects of design at the moment. Responsible designers are asking themselves, how can we continue to create while being mindful of our impact on the planet. How can we design is a way that is less wasteful and more ecological?
Buying a new kitchen then might not seem like the most sustainable thing to do! But what I want to share is the idea that if we all make more considered choices, there is less waste from the very beginning. We buy what really works for us. We buy things that we can love for a lifetime, not a season. And, most importantly, we buy things designed to last.
It’s also about a level of considered and informed future proofing. Instant boiling water taps that use less energy. The world’s smartest cooker hood which is super energy efficient. In-built recycling bins. Wood that is all sustainably sourced. Units that are guaranteed for 25 years. All things available in this Magnet kitchen.
In short, buy well, buy once. Love forever. And it needn’t cost the earth.
Video Two:
Exploring how biophilic design can bring nature into your home
This new kitchen concept from Magnet, Nordic Nature, has had every detail considered. Inspired by Scandinavia, it has its roots in nature. From the rich wooden palette to its inherent tactility, it evokes a strong yet peaceful and calming mood in the home.
A lot of this is to do with what we call biophilic design. This is when, at its simplest, design deliberately incorporates the forms, materials and textures of the natural world. And we do this to create healthy environments that speak to our innate need to connect with nature.
You can see this here most obviously in the use of wood, but also in the gentle ribbed finishes that echo tree trunks. The curved end panels that mimic the smooth forms of nature. The fluting on the glass that shimmers like water. The solid wood handles, ribbed plinths and cool ceramic work surfaces — beautiful, yet with real purpose.
And yet this isn’t a kitchen that turns it;s back on technology. Even though natural daylight is optimum, artificial lighting is also vital. But it can be discrete so it feels like a comforting segue from day to evening. It can be adjusted to suit your mood, the room use or just time of day.
Likewise, state of the art cooker hoods offer silent and exceptional kitchen ventilation can also be colour matched to integrate seamlessly. Both lights and hoods do the job without disrupting the soothing ambiance of the whole.
This is a kitchen that not only works superbly and looks great, but it also feels great, literally to the touch, but also to be inside. And that’s what makes the difference — it’s wellbeing by design.
Video 3:
Discovering how design can help you live better and support your lifestyle
We talk a lot about work life balance, but what does that really mean? For many of us, shifting to working from home meant less time wasted on commutes, and video conferencing enabled more efficient meetings, but did it also mean that we were now living at work?
To avoid this, we need to think deeply about the way we live now and the way that we want to live. Home can indeed be a stage for our lives to play out on, accommodating all our everyday needs but also socialising, being creative, playing and discovering who we are.
It’s probably never been more important to embrace this possibility and to invest in our homes to ensure that they can support and sustain us. What surrounds us is as important as the food we eat or the exercise we take. It is the third pillar of wellbeing.
So, when you’re planning your kitchen, the engine of your home, be sure to pause, mull and consider what you want, just like your Magnet designer does. This will help them understand your lifestyle and can give you what you need.
And if you’re working from home there are many clever ways in which they can help you… perhaps building in places to stash your laptop and books at the end of the day — sneaky storage is always a winner — to creating a solo seating nook to help with focus and concentration, or for taking a little moment for yourself.
Or simply, by creating an environment which is so serene and supportive that it’s a simply a real pleasure to be in, whether working, eating or just hanging out. Which surely is the very essence of better living through purposeful design.