Kanika Bakshi Khurana tours Milan's design fair to show two luxury kitchen approaches: FIBO Casa hides all appliances behind clean surfaces and textured marble, while Arancucine uses porcelain that mimics marble and a sliding island that tucks away the cooktop and sink. Both prove luxury comes from either minimalist restraint or clever engineering.
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What actually makes a kitchen look expensive? I went to Milan, to the biggest design fair in the world, and pulled the best kitchen design ideas from 2 of Italy's top kitchen brands. 2 very different styles, built on opposite ideas, and both feel high-end. Let me show you how. First up is FIBALCASA, an iconic Italian design brand built on a heritage of custom contemporary kitchens. Their whole approach to a modern kitchen comes down to one idea: hide everything. This is a pantry, but it's not. It's really cool. So go in. They have their microwave in here, some shelves. Basically keeping all the appliances hidden. It's a really cool take. This is a great example of a modern contemporary kitchen where everything is behind closed doors. Also, what I love are these textured marble countertops, which perfectly complements this sleek kitchen design. Hiding your appliances away is what gives a modern kitchen that calm, expensive feel. Nothing on the counters, Nothing competing for your eye. That's the first idea worth stealing. So much I like about this kitchen, whether it's the wood paneling on the back as the backsplash and these very sleek, modern, contemporary cabinets. And if you look on the side, I like how it's a very open kitchen. What I like here is this, like, a high bar dining table. So it's a very still open concept, but look at the beautiful green marble on top of the table. Like, it's absolutely stunning. All the color goes really well. Again, it's a warm earth tone, so with the wood paneling and the base on the cabinet, It looks really nice. So that's Fiebel Casa's whole play: conceal the clutter, keep the surfaces clean, and let a few warm, natural materials do the talking. Now, the next brand, Arancusin, does the complete opposite. A global ambassador of Italian style, celebrated for technological innovation, and clever design-led engineering. What I liked here is the concept of bringing in warm terracotta color into our kitchens. It instantly brightens up the room. I love the detailing on the island, matching the overhang in terracotta color to create an island seating area. As you can see, the countertops, the backsplash, and even the hood are all wrapped in the same material— not a natural stone, but actually porcelain. I love how the sink overhangs at the end of the peninsula, creating extra prep space. And what's cool is that this stunning material isn't even marble. In your countertops, if you can explain me what material this is.
Yeah, this is a gres material porcelain. It's the same material that we usually use for the tiles, no?
Okay.
So it's very durable and strong material.
Yes.
Okay, now we have a lot of finishes because we have different companies that are producing this.
Okay. I was blown away this wasn't real marble. These porcelain countertops give you the exact high-end stone look, but they're tougher than marble and they cost you less. If you want a luxury kitchen finish without the luxury price, this is it. The second thing Erin does brilliantly is make a small kitchen work harder. This isn't about hiding for looks, It's clever engineering. With a click of a button, the island slides out, revealing your cooktop, sink, and faucet all neatly tucked away inside and only appearing when needed. If you're tight on space, this is a game changer. Your whole prep station— cooktop, sink, faucet— slides away when you're done, so a small kitchen gets all its room back. These are the kind of small kitchen ideas that actually change how you live in the space. On this cabinet that I like, so there's no waste of space, kind of like 2 cabinets in one. There's some shelving on the door too, and then I'm gonna close it, how it stacks so well. Look at this blue island with the complementary orange sink and brass faucet. It's a bold color combination, and I'm loving it. And once the clever stuff is handled, Erin has fun with it. A bold island color against a contrasting sink gives a modern kitchen real personality. So there it is. 2 of Italy's best kitchen brands, 2 opposite ways to make a kitchen feel high-end. FIBO Casa hides everything for a calm, clean look. Arancucine shows off clever materials and smart engineering. There's no single way to a luxury kitchen, just the one that fits how you live. Save the idea you'd use in yours and tell me which kitchen you'd cook in.
