We went to Hard in Austria to visit a reseller who chose SapienStone’s Uni Ice countertops for one of the kitchens on display in his showroom.
We took the opportunity to interview Mario Kügler, owner of Corpus Küchen Design.
Good morning, Mario. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your business?
I have been working with kitchens for 31 years now, and I’ve been in business independently for 12 years.
We opened our 300m² kitchen showroom in Hard in April 2016, and we now have 8 employees.
Our principal kitchen partners are Rational and Bekkermann. We also produce a lot of custom-made kitchens, drawing on our carpenter’s experience.
What kind of projects do you primarily work on: private homes or public spaces?
Our core business is still private residences, though we are sometimes commissioned for small projects.
What is the most appealing design trend in Austria today?
We use a lot of wood here, and natural products are very popular. We design them to be consistent with countertops in solid colours: brown, black and grey are the most popular colours among our clients.
How important is Italian design for you?
Italian design always has a certain appeal, and I personally have always liked it a lot. Italian designers are very forward-looking in some ways.
But I must admit that this factor does not always determine my choices when it comes to design.
What is the most important innovation in kitchens in recent times?
Definitely the introduction of slabs requiring very little maintenance, such as ceramic.
Our clients consider maintenance one of the most important factors to be taken into account.
I think we are only beginning to get an inkling of ceramic’s potential. In the next 5 years I believe I will be able to provide a photograph and a request to produce slabs exactly like the ones shown.
WHAT’S THE TOP?
What’s the top in the kitchen for you?
Above all, everything must be very practical: after all, the kitchen is a workplace.
When you go into a kitchen, you should notice the furniture first, and the cooker only later. In open space homes, of course, everything must be perfectly designed and made.