Häfele has teamed up for the second time with Chelmsford-based kitchen studio Regal Kitchens to host a workshop for design students from University Centre South Essex.
The event, hosted by Regal Kitchens – a Häfele Studio Partner – educated the group on how lighting can change the look of textures and colours used in a kitchen before being set a brief to design a fresh, bright kitchen in a space with limited daylight.
The workshop, which was led by Matthew Lissaman, Häfele’s regional sales manager, and Darren Bull, Häfele’s local area sales manager, introduced the company’s Loox lighting range and considered how various shades of white light ranging from 3000k to 5000k impact on different materials and finishes.
The students explored the importance of lighting design and how plug and play LED systems like Loox by Häfele can be used to enhance textures.
They also learnt about maximising space using intelligent storage solutions from Häfele such as Vauth Sagel.
Armed with their new knowledge, the students were tasked to design a full kitchen, including cabinetry, lighting, worktops, tiles and splashbacks, which was then presented to a panel fro, Häfele and Regal and a winner chosen.
Emma Mcloughlin, business development manager at Regal Kitchens, said: “We were extremely impressed with the designs. The student’s presentations were amazing and it’s easy to see that they are all going to do brilliantly well in whatever career they choose after their course finishes.”
Lissaman added: “The standard of work was incredibly high, and it made choosing a winning concept very difficult. However, the winning team managed to follow the brief to the letter, showed a very good use of light and incorporated AluSplash, an innovative splashback solution from Häfele into their design.
“Lighting can often be overlooked when designing a kitchen, but it was clear from the day’s presentations that the students really grasped the concept and we hope they’ll take what they’ve learnt forward as they develop their careers.”