Wickes has unveiled its first ever high-end handleless kitchen range, betting on continued demand for clean lines and minimalist design.
The home improvement retailer, which last month revealed massive expansion plans to its kitchen and bathroom showroom offering, said its Intelliga offering would feature an integrated, ergonomic aluminium rail to provide a discreet grip between doors and worktops.
This combines with Tip-On Blumotion technology, which the firm said makes for effortless door opening and silent closing with a single push of “your hand, hip or knee”.
As for the island, Intelliga’s aluminium rail goes all the way around, providing space between the worktop and units to create a hovering effect, while Wickes said, “clever design tricks provide extra storage in shelves and drawers”.
Raman Judge, category manager for showroom kitchens at Wickes, said: “Ultra-modern, sleek kitchens continue to be one of the most dominant trends this year and we’ve seen a rising number of customers wanting to make the kitchen, which is the hub of their home, as stylish as other living areas.
“Increasingly, people want to be able to pack up the functional element of their kitchen at the end of the day to make way for a clean living environment, perfect for entertaining.
“In answer to this demand, we’ve designed our truly handleless Intelliga range, offering three kitchen styles and a variety of colour options and design elements to suit different lifestyle.”
The Intelliga Esker (pictured) is the highest price point, at £2,549, with the Glencoe costing £2,054 and finally, the Melrose at £1,876.
Wickes is looking to take on an extra 150 design consultants and 750 fitters to cope with demand for its fully-fitted service, while it also invests in upgrading its stores and showrooms.