Walk into any “big box” hardware store, and you’ll likely be overwhelmed by all the kitchen and bath options: colors, finishes, handles, tiles, name it.
And it’s just as likely that you’ll be underwhelmed by the quality of a lot of that stuff.
The fit and finish of any kitchen is critical to long-term success and satisfaction when it comes to this particular room of the house. The kitchen – now part cooking station, part gathering place, even perhaps part home office – gets used, a lot, and not gently.
Marcus Haderlein, nobilia North America’s COO, explains how quality control is maintained from handles to hinges: “Our labs imitate what all our products will go through over the course of their existence.” That means that drawers and doors and their attendant hardware will be through the motions – and not just at a single angle or weight. “The life of an average kitchen is 15 years, and you open a door a minimum of three times a day during that period – but you don’t always open it in the same way. Our machines vary the way the hardware is handled, the pressure and weight on the door, opening and closing it up to 60,000 times.”
Handling Handles
Whenever nobilia adds an element to their lines of European kitchen furniture (it’s more than just “cabinets,” as is explained here), that hinge or handle or switch goes through that same rigorous testing. And that testing is not just for durability – it’s also about ergonomics and ease of use. “Our product development department takes every item and puts it through that process,” explains Haderlein. It can take three, perhaps four months of discussion that’s happening in parallel with the durability trials. The questions we’re asking are, ‘Does it last? Is it comfortable? Do people want it?’”
The range of handles, knobs and pulls that nobilia’s landed on include all of Haderlein’s requirements – and they cover a range of looks that all work with nobilia’s various lines. From the “classic modern” Bauhaus looks to more traditional vibes, there’s a pull to match any taste, including the “bar handles” that affix to the top of a drawer or cabinet front to streamline the look. For fans of a true minimalist approach, here’s even a “handle-less” configuration, with cutouts for gripping doors and drawers integrated into the fronts. That feature of nobilia’s “Line N” is achieved via precise, lasered cuts.
All of nobilia’s kitchen accessories – and colors and finishes and everything else – are informed by an ongoing effort by everyone in the company to meet the need and desires of the global market.
“We have a product development department and they, of course, go to all the trade shows,” says Haderlein. “They are in constant contact with all the hardware manufacturers and providers in the kitchen industry.” Measuring what’s popular – and where – helps nobilia craft that feedback into ensuring their offerings maintain the kind of broad appeal they’ve established in Europe – and are bringing to North America.
What’s On Top
In addition to a variety of kitchen cabinet fronts and finishes (including solid colors, stained wood finishes, matte and gloss effects), the countertops from nobilia North America are designed for versatility, longevity and terrific aesthetics. Those tops, available in looks that range from marble to concrete to walnut to marble, offer not only a variety of edge options (again, cut by lasers), but thicknesses too: the “Slim Line” clocks in at around two-thirds of an inch (16 mm) compared to the thicker standard counters at 38 mm (roughly an inch and a half). As you’d expect, there’s no difference in durability between the two thicknesses, one just has a more diminutive profile that some find a bit sleeker.
The surface itself – built from layer upon layer of quality material – allows for sinks and cooktops to mount flush against the worktop. There’s no crevices or gaps that can retain debris or moisture in these countertops, dubbed “Xtra.” The German engineering that extends to a simple flat surface make these counters uniquely impact- and water-resistant.
Making a (Back)Splash
What’s between those countertops and the doors above is equally interesting. Because kitchens can travel with individual owners (and renters) from address to address, backsplash solutions need to be movable, too. nobilia solved the riddle by offering a heavy-duty material that features either solid base colors, quartz finishes, or a variety of high-resolution images. If a stone look is what’s desired, the options give a natural, organic vibe. Tile solutions range from a throwback “Décor Indigo Blue” that recalls classic kitchen backsplash vibes to a dark “Décor Tile Mix” that can provide a stellar focal point for contrast against a variety of nobilia’s color options.
There’s another breathtaking option that’s difficult to find anywhere beyond nobilia’s catalog: Backsplashes that have the appearance of photographic murals. This design element includes brilliant photographs of flowers, vases, trees, mountains – even beaches. If the hi-res photos aren’t for you, there’s also a tempered glass solution that’s nothing short of stunning.