The next generation of cooling will turn your ingredients into works of art.
Gaggenau debuted their latest refrigerator-freezer at this year’s Milan Design Week as part of “The Elevation of Gravity” installation, giving a select group of real estate industry pros a sneak peek at the appliance that is setting a new standard in both aesthetic design and performance. The elegantly-crafted refrigerator-freezer features adaptive lighting that adds a touch of drama to the cooling experience, while also providing a professional freshness system and convenient smartphone integration. The Real Deal got the chance to catch up with a couple of lucky attendees to get their first-hand impressions of this striking appliance.
Years in the Making
“Gaggenau takes its time developing things like this,” says Tiffany Wey, SVP of Planning & Design for New Developments at Douglas Elliman. For example, Wey told us that Gaggenau had previewed the dark brushed stainless steel that is used in the refrigerator-freezer interior a few years ago. “You can see how they’re super meticulous about product development.”
The result of the company’s tireless work is a refrigerator-freezer that takes its design cues from luxury furniture as well as interior lighting. The brushed stainless-steel interior serves as backdrop for the food within, which is lit by warm, adaptive lighting that places visual emphasis on your ingredients.
“You open the refrigerator door and you’re greeted with this theater,” recalls Peter Bazeli, Principal and Managing Director at Weitzman Associates. “The lighting is orchestrated. It really is like the food is on stage.”
The lighting adjusts to the ambient levels in the environment, meaning that the interior will remain pleasantly dim when you open it to grab a bottle of milk in the middle of the night. But the real showstopper comes when you open one of the drawers and the lighting changes to spotlight its contents while dimming the rest of the interior, an experience that Wey calls “the magic moment” and compares with items being highlighted in a video game when your character reaches for them.
“It’s a really interesting way to think about what the emphasis is, which is the food that you’re going to cook and consume, and that you’re going to enjoy cooking and enjoy consuming.” muses Bazeli. “Why shouldn’t it be treated aesthetically?”
Form Follows Function
While users will be struck first by the refrigerator-freezer’s materiality and sophisticated lighting system, they will soon come to rely on its cooling features. After all, the main purpose of the appliance is to preserve your precious ingredients for when you need them.
The five distinct cooling zones present a range of cooling options, while Fresh Climate drawers keep ingredients fresh for longer. The freezer automatically detects warm temperatures and activates a fast freezing mode. The refrigerator-freezer’s Holiday Mode, which can be activated via the integrated touchscreen or via phone, reduces energy consumption during long absences while keeping contents cool.
“It’s really very nimble and practical,” says Bazeli, who was particularly struck by the integration of smartphone technology. “The refrigerator has some interior camera visibility that you can access from your phone, wherever you are. When I’m at Whole Foods, trying to remember how much of something I have left, I can just look at a photo of my refrigerator in real time. That’s insanely practical.”
Gaggenau Elevates Your Building
Both Wey and Bazeli rely on Gaggenau appliances to distinguish the luxury developments on which they work, and the refrigerator-freezer debuted in Milan will extend that relationship into the future.
“People at that echelon of product like to be surprised by a level of thoughtfulness,” explains Wey. “It’s a level of consideration that you wouldn’t get from a less elevated brand.”
Bazeli, who selected Gaggenau for the homes at the recent redevelopment at the Waldorf Astoria New York, talks about how “no competitor to Gaggenau makes quite the same impression.”
“If I’m selling a residential development, and I have this refrigerator in every apartment in the building, and a broker or a buyer goes and opens the door, it’s another opportunity to reinforce the quality level that a developer is building into the project,” he says.
In essence, Gaggenau’s appliances feel like they were custom-designed for every space in which they are installed, yet they are produced at a scale that makes them perfect for developers who want their building to attract the highest tier of buyers.
“The most important differentiator is that they’re so developer friendly,” says Bazeli. “Gaggenau is the only choice for super luxury residential development because of the quality that they deliver.”
Learn more about the new generation of cooling from Gaggenau here.