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Germany and Italy are strong in their kitchen industries and both European countries have numerous kitchen brands. Italy is known for its design and Germany known for its function. Every 2 years, Euro Cucina is held along with Milano Salone. This fair, presenting the newest Italian kitchens, was held in 2010. The trend has shifted from minimal to decorative kitchens. Layout wise, open and island-style kitchens are still popular, but there were changes in the details. The material has changed from polished paint to matte paint, and the design has changed from simple and flat to decorative, with carvings, stiles and dots. The strong wood grains like zebra wood and cheek are now gone, and natural light-colored wood and echo wood materials are more trendy. Kitchens are evidently changing. On the other hand, many well-known big brands like Poggenpohl and Miele were presented in the 2011 Living Kitchen held in Cologne, a commercial city of Germany. What caught the attention of people was the primitive impression of the wood. The light-colored oak wood was overwhelmingly popular and drastic designs like using wood un-peeled as the countertop were presented. Due to the depletion of materials, the attitude of design has shifted from choosing the material to match the design, to designing to match the material.

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