Renowned Designers Partner With
Sub-Zero and Wolf to Present Findings
NEW YORK (October 11, 2010) – Sub-Zero, Inc. and Wolf Appliance, Inc., industry leaders in
premium refrigeration and cooking appliances, joined forces with three of the nation’s top
designers to showcase a report on how kitchen design is evolving, including the identification of
future trends.
Nationally acclaimed designers Mick De Giulio, Jamie Drake, and Matthew Quinn teamed up
with Sub-Zero and Wolf to author a report, which was released during a presentation at the
Sub-Zero and Wolf Manhattan showroom last week.
“Throughout the years, we have seen kitchens evolve through our biennial Kitchen Design
Contest, which honors the design trade’s greatest work,” said Paul Leuthe, Corporate Marketing
Manager for Sub-Zero and Wolf. “Each contest, we review thousands of kitchens.
Consequently, we have a wealth of knowledge on evolving designs and trends, and we are able
to draw on these resources to forecast for the future. Jamie, Matthew, and Mick have all been a
significant part of the Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest over the years, and we have
key insight from their own professional experiences that we could share.”
Drawing on historical context, current design trends, and future projections, the designers
outlined the following key trends:
- Integration of lifestyle into the kitchen
- “Green” has evolved into a “health and wellness” focus
- Personal experience as a driver of design
- Honest use of noble materials
- Technological innovation is front and center
Since founding de Giulio kitchen design in Chicago in 1984, Mick De Giulio has been creating
extraordinary kitchens for distinctive residences throughout the United States and abroad. In
2005, he was recognized by Kitchen & Bath Business as one of the 50 most influential people in
the kitchen and bath industry over the last 50 years.
"There has been a dramatic shift – a fundamental cultural shift – in the last decade,” said De
Giulio. “Families are gravitating toward this notion of “kitchen centricity” – the energy of the
home is truly centered in the kitchen."
New York-based interior designer Jamie Drake launched his design firm, Drake Design
Associates, in 1978. Since then, he has been awarded numerous accolades from ASID’s
Platinum Award to his induction into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. He has completed a vast
array of projects for an impressive roster of clients, from Madonna to New York’s Mayor
Bloomberg.
“We are now seeing clients infuse meaningful personal experiences in kitchen design,” said
Drake. “The application of global and custom elements is wonderfully exciting, particularly in a
room of the house that was once so utilitarian.”
Matthew Quinn, principal of the Atlanta-based Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio, is a
leading expert in kitchen design. He recently founded the Matthew Quinn Collection, a new
showroom concept in luxury kitchen, bath, and architectural hardware. His timeless work and
principle of design, “form follows function,” have earned myriad design awards.
“New technologies are the game-changers in kitchen design,” said Quinn. “We are now able to
seamlessly blend the kitchen with the rest of the house in a way that responds to our changing
lifestyle.”
Since 1993, Sub-Zero and Wolf’s Kitchen Design Contest honors the world’s leading designers
who have helped make Sub-Zero and Wolf the quintessential components of the
uncompromised kitchen. The most respected contest within the design industry, the Sub-Zero
and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest recently named top award winners of its 2008-09 contest at
The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida.
For more information and to request a copy of the report, contact natalie_bond@richards.com.