2020 was a year of the unknown and while it brought many challenges, it also brought opportunity. By December, most people were ready to sign off a year that was both the longest and the shortest. And yet, with only two weeks to go, we at Miele New Zealand were busy announcing a new exciting partnership with three award winning interior designers; Mal Corboy, Davinia Sutton and Morgan Cronin. This is such an exciting next step for Miele New Zealand. We’re partnering with three local designers, so that we can bring you exciting updates on the latest trends, tap into their extensive design knowledge and showcase some of New Zealand’s most stunning kitchen designs. Kiwi’s love a celebration, particularly in the home, and we at Miele want to ensure you get enjoyment out of your home and your appliances. We hope this new partnership further adds value to your experience with us, while inspiring your next kitchen design.

So let’s take a look at our new design partners:

Mal Corboy

Mal has over 25 years’ experience designing award-winning kitchens, bathrooms and furniture, here in New Zealand and across the globe. He’s a founding fellow for the NKBA (the National Kitchen & Bathroom Association), winner of NKBA’s CDS Kitchen of the Year in 2020, and a finalist for numerous international awards. Even with a slew of awards following him, he is still extremely humble and says his love of the Miele brand stems all the way back to when he was 9, when his Mum got her much awaited vacuum cleaner.

Miele: How do Miele’s values align with your own?

Mal: As a designer we’re really trying to think of sustainability, how the products will last, where they come from, what they are made from. There’s now a lot of thought of where things go when they’re no longer needed. We’re changing how we design and how we think of products. This is really aligned to Miele and their efforts towards making products which last, use less energy and use less water.

Miele: What inspires your designs?

Mal: Life inspires me. From something as small as the shape of a shampoo bottle, to as big as an international commercial building. The more you’re in it, the more you are inspired. And I’ve been in it a while now. As a designer I can see that the next 20 years is where my most productive and inspired work will come to light.

Miele: What are the three Miele appliances that you love?

Mal: Vacuum cleaners- my mother bought a Miele vacuum cleaner when I was just 9 and for her that was the thing she most wanted. And this was where my understanding and love for the brand started.

The Dishwashers- I say to my clients that no matter what appliance brand you get for your home, the dishwasher HAS to be Miele. If you want it to do the job and be quiet, you need Miele. I work on a lot of open plan kitchen/living spaces and you want a quiet machine in an open environment, so there is no better choice.

The latest Generation 7000 Ovens. The design of these ovens really makes it. The handle-less style and the options of colour like the Graphite Grey integrate beautifully into cabinetry. Miele is a brand I feel I can bring out my best design work with. Other brands can be so architecturally dominant, whereas Miele works function into design beautifully. It is subtle enough that it flows into the aesthetics of the kitchen but it’s not overbearing or overly dominant taking over the space, which I love.

Visit Mal’s Instagram and Website

Davinia Sutton

Davinia has taken out New Zealand’s top design awards on many occasions, including 12 National Awards at the 2019 NKBA Excellence in Design Awards, including Designer of the Year. She recently worked alongside our retail partner Kouzina, to create a modern and sleek Miele kitchen in their showroom based in her hometown of Christchurch. Davinia is a pillar in the design industry and is excited about the changing times, where spatial design means so much more than a single space, it now has an impact on the wider home and the surrounding environment.

Miele: Why have you chosen to partner with Miele?

Davinia: Because Miele is not just about appliances; their vision, passion, and direction of this journey it what excites me. Watch this space!

Miele: What excites you most about this partnership?

Davinia: To collaborate with Miele on the bigger picture; that spatial design is more than just our home environments, more than just appliances. Our surrounding environment from a design perspective is where we should be concentrating, and the impact as a designer along with the ethos of Miele is a fitting partnership.

Miele: What inspires your designs?

Davinia: The people. Every project is a personal journey. The approach to fit within an architectural context and meet the needs and requirements of each individual person is the inspiration and also the challenge that I love.

Visit Davinia’s Instagram

Morgan Cronin

Since forming Cronin Kitchens in 1989, Morgan has earned a reputation for creating quality award-winning designs that hero the most complex room in the home – the kitchen. A long-time Miele advocate, Morgan works closely with his clients to make their dream interiors come to life, with over 90 per cent of the kitchens he has produced filled with Miele.

Miele: How do Miele’s values align with your own?

Morgan: My kitchens, along with Miele products, are both functional and well considered; they’re aesthetically pleasing, innovative, reliable and built to last.

Miele: What excites you most about this partnership?

Morgan: Hopefully having the opportunity and influence to work with Miele on future product ranges for the NZ customer.

Miele: What are three Miele appliances that you love?

Morgan: At the top of my list, very boringly, are their integrated Dishwashers. I love the way these install into cabinetry. Miele has put a lot of thought into the way these install – quite simply they are easy to adjust and align and they can be solidly fixed into place, so they don’t move out of alignment after installation. As a designer, this is critical to the long-lasting happiness my customer has with their kitchen.

My second favourite are Miele’s integrated fridge/freezers. I like to avoid freestanding fridges in my designs whenever possible and integrated appliances make a huge difference to any kitchen aesthetic by concealing them behind matching cabinet doors. I also like to avoid handles in my designs and these fridges allow the flexibility to include practical and simple handle-less solutions.

Thirdly, I love our Miele induction cooktop, which is well used in our home. It looks and functions like it did when I first installed it over 10 years ago. I love the design and look of the bevelled glass edge. Most importantly though, I love that even after heavy use, when it is covered in oil splatter and food, it is so easy to clean and instantly looks like new every time.

Visit Morgan’s Instagram and Website