Extractor hoods no longer just provide the function of removing steam, smells and airborne food/grease particles during cooking, they can now be one of the most stylish appliances in the kitchen.

From chimney to telescopic, integrated to canopy, there’s an extractor hood to suit any kitchen design.

Try installing built-in lights to illuminate your cooking surface like the Elica Mini Om, which also has a minimum noise level and long life charcoal filter.

If you’re after something a little more glitzy, the Elica Star (above) will guarantee that your extractor hood is a focal point in the room. With three speeds and a booster illuminated ‘Magic Wand’ this re-circulating hood is as high performance as it is visual.

Some kitchens are more suited to a subtle chimney hood, which won’t detract from the overall design and descend from directly above the hob. The EFC90245X from Electrolux has push buttons and an aluminium grease filter so it’s functional and stylish.

Integrated Hoods consist of an extractor fan mounted behind a casing that matches your kitchen units which will look great in a minimalist or contemporary setting. The false front pulls open when you need to use the hood, activating the fan.

To celebrate our Essentially Magnet range, we will be sending you tip

s on how to make the best of your new kitchen, whatever your budget.

Head of product, Marco Rossi said, “It can be tricky to know where to spend the money and where to save when designing a kitchen. We hope these expert tips will help you to choose your perfect value kitchen!”

Top Five Essential Tips

1. Maximise your budget. Spend and save in the right places to get the most out of your kitchen.

2. Look at as many kitchen ranges as possible to get something that really suits you and you will love in years to come.

3. Talk to an expert. A designer will use their expertise to take you through the whole process and work out how best to get a kitchen to suit your needs

4. Don’t forget the lighting. The right combination of lighting can make a huge difference to the look and feel of your kitchen. By carefully selecting appliances, considering your layout carefully and looking at space solution, create a spacious area for the whole family to enjoy.

High gloss finish? Fushia splashbacks? Textured frontals? Farmhouse inspired?

Looking for inspiration for your new kitchen?

Kitchen expert, Magnet, has launched the perfect solution to get your creative juices flowing – a new online design tool that allows you to create your very own digital moodboard.

My Kitchen Scrapbook allows you to browse through hundreds of inspirational images, including patterns, colours and textures. From ornate, vintage chandeliers to brightly coloured butterflies, there’s something to suit everyone. There’s also the option to upload your own pictures to give your design a really personal touch.

You can use the intuitive drag and drop control mechanism to create a moodboard from your images really easily, and then can re-size, rotate and add stylish picture frames to the design.

The tool also allows you to view, comment and rate other users’ creations. It’s the perfect platform for sharing ideas, opinions and images, giving you the opportunity to be inspired and inspire others.

You can see your dream kitchen develop from a scrapbook of beautiful images into a personalised moodboard, and finally see it become a reality with the help of Magnet’s expert kitchen designers.

Visit http://my-kitchen-scrapbook.co.uk to start designing!

We love contemporary design, so when we saw this uber modern Cooker Hood by Electrolux, we were just blown away!

The lampshade-styled cooker hood hangs directly from the ceiling so it will have extra impact when placed over island units.

The EFA50700 is available in stainless steel, white and black which so you can select the right tone to match your kitchen.

As well as it’s striking design, it also boasts three levels of extraction, a charcoal filter and an aluminium grease filter to purify the air while you cook.

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also two choices of lighting: two 20W halogen lights can provide a bright, clear light or opt for four 40W lights for a more ambient atmosphere.

We’d love to see one of these hanging in our kitchen!

If you’re looking for a contemporary kitchen then there’s nothing more modern than a sleek handle free design.

Inspired by European minimalist trends, handle free units are becoming increasingly popular in modern kitchens and can be combined with angular lines for a clean, contemporary look.

Some kitchen cabinets feature integrated handles that give an uncluttered and seamless look.   However, if you want a totally minimalist look you should choose Servo drive opening technology which provides responsive opening from a light touch as they provide a strong design led feel.

As well as giving a stunning clean looking finish, integrated and handle free units are extremely easy to clean and practical.

But whether you choose a stylish handle or you prefer handle free units, it is essential that you choose a good manufacturer to ensure that the mechanisms open and close effortlessly.  Many offer great added features such as soft close drawers which are useful if you have children in the home.

Magnet’s Urban Lineaire is a sleek and streamlined kitchen that takes cutting edge kitchen design a few steps further.

I’m sure you’ll have been tuning into ITV This Morning to check out the lovely curvaceous Crème Lineaire kitchen.

So you may have noticed the beautiful worktops that compliment the range perfectly. Well, not only are they stylish but they are environmentally friendly!

The durable ECO worktops that This Morning selected are partly made from recycled consumer waste such as mirror, porcelain sinks, baths and tiles, and from industrial waste such as ash from power plants and stone scrap from quarries and workshops.

These products are bound together using an eco-friendly resin made from corn oil to create beautiful composite kitchen worktops. They come in 10 different colours and styles.

So, if you’re thinking about some new surfaces then definitely check out the latest eco-friendly trend!

Next week Electrolux will hold it’s annual design competition final – 100% Design – where industrial design students from all over the world are challenged to come up with, innovative ideas for compact homes of 2050.

The competition, currently in it’s seventh year, attracted over 1,300 entries.

We particularly like the ‘Elements Modular Kitchen’ by US entrant Matthew Gilbridge. The wall mounted appliance provides flexible modes of cooking, as well as refrigeration, air conditioning, lighting and environmental design.

The appliance even draws power wirelessly and is supplemented by solar energy.

We think it looks great, but you can’t beat a traditional kitchen!

]]> http://blog.magnet.co.uk/uncategorized/modular-kitchen-looks-pretty-modern/feed/ 0 http://blog.magnet.co.uk/accessories/magnet-loves%e2%80%a6/ http://blog.magnet.co.uk/accessories/magnet-loves%e2%80%a6/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:53:34 +0000 Magnet http://blog.magnet.co.uk/?p=762 Wine Coolers!

We all know that fridge space can be at a premium when you’ve got a large family. Our fridge is packed with delicious fruit and veg as well as every day necessities such as milk and a vast array of condiments.

And if you’re anything like me, during the summer months you never know who’s going to pop round so I always like to have a bottle of wine chilling in the fridge. Unfortunately – sometimes there’s not enough space!

Did you know that it takes up to 16 hours for a bottle of wine to chill in a fridge? And that time increases every time the fridge door is opened!

That’s why at Magnet we love wine coolers. Not only do they look great, but they mean you’ll never have to drink warm wine again!

If you’re planning a kitchen, make sure you get yourself this must-have kitchen appliance!

Well here are a few handy tips to consider so that you don’t lose your cool…

The most exciting element when choosing a fridge is the overall style you want to project – there are hundreds of different colours and designs that can be used for inspiration, from uber modern to retro to even having an England flag adorning the fridge!

Editor of Essential Kitchen magazine, Ronnie Whelan says “The fridge is a major element of a kitchen’s design”

And as to where to put your fridge – they can be hidden behind kitchen cupboards which is ideal for a streamlined look that suits open-plan living.

On the other hand, freestanding fridge/freezers use less floor space than built-in units making them perfect for flats. But can, on the other hand, they be less energy efficient and noisier.

Freestanding fridges are ideal for making a statement and can work with most kitchen designs -  plus there’s an enormous variety of colourful, retro-styled, black, white or stainless steel designs.

Another key point is to consider is your eating and drinking habits – if you enjoy a cheeky glass of wine every now and again then perhaps a special cooler would be a nice extra. Other special features include open door alarms and ice and chilled water dispensers.

So think outside the box, don’t just go for standard white when you could make your fridge a funky focal point in your kitchen.

MagnetMe allows kitchens to be truly personalised by printing your own images, designs or photographs direct onto the cabinet doors.

As the World Cup gets in to full swing, we wonder if this could be the perfect kitchen for a football fanatic??