How to create quieter, cleaner kitchens with Falmec extractor hoods

Today’s kitchens are fully integrated within our living spaces, but, typically, this is not for a lack of space or the need to share a central heating point as may have been the case in the past. Seamlessly unified, open-plan designs are possible thanks to the work of engineers, designers and researchers who continue to perfect ever more labour-saving and space-efficient devices. Combined ovens, fridge freezers, and integrated dishwashers have enabled us to cook up (and wash up) a storm in a matter of moments, giving us back our time and space for more pleasurable pursuits.

The extractor hood is something of an unsung hero of the modern kitchen. In the past, architects designed separate kitchens to keep cooking smells and smoke from the rest of the house. Today, thanks to these appliances, people can enjoy more of each other’s company in open kitchen spaces, either while cooking together or, better still, keeping the cook company while they do the work. Despite their near ubiquity, however, innovation in the design of extractors, both in technical and design terms, continues.

Throughout its 41-year history, Falmec has been at the forefront of this evolution from day one. Starting out as an artisanal enterprise in Veneto, Italy’s manufacturing heart, the company now produces over 130,000 items annually, offering both ventilation as well as cooking solutions. The company was founded as a family business by a mechanical engineer, who combined his expertise in both innovative fireplace and fitted appliances, creating the first built-in wooden kitchen with integrated ventilation.

Drawing on the region's long tradition of specialist manufacturing and ready availability of high-quality stainless-steel components, and close collaboration with leading designers has meant that even after more than four decades in the business, Falmec continues to push forward with its products, responding to, as well as anticipating, consumer demand for new forms and functions.

In the last few years, the company's in-house designers and researchers have concentrated on making their products more compact, quieter and even multifunctional. In 2016, Falmec was one of the first companies to launch extractors integrated within kitchen worktops with the Piano extractor unit. Earlier in the decade, Falmec introduced E.ion technology, in which ionised particles neutralise odour molecules to keep kitchens fresher and healthier. The company’s filters now use ionisation technology and zeolite particles to create long-lasting and sustainable extractors and air purifiers. This allows designers to create groundbreaking new types of products. These include Falmec’s signature ductless kitchen hoods, which are reminiscent of elegant pendant lamps for island units; as well as more slimline horizontal air filtration units which combine function with new aesthetics.

This longstanding approach to innovation means the company also regularly collaborates with Italy's leading industrial designers and architects. Gianni Pareschi of atelierP worked on the Mare, Spring and Marilyn E.ion pendants; and Francesco Lucchese designed Spazio, a new slimline filter hood with a natural carbon filter that doubles as an elevated storage shelf, an LED lighting system as well as a place to grow herbs. Launched in 2018, Spazio received Italy's highest design prize, Compasso d'Oro in 2020. Another prize-winning design is the ultra-slim Light, a suspended filtration extractor that won five different awards between 2021 and 2022 including German Design Award, Iconic Design Award, Good Design Award, and IF Desing Award.

Falmec's long-standing research to improve home comfort has also focused on creating quieter kitchens. The company's patented 'Noise Reduction Technology' features noise-absorbing materials and optimised air-flow pathways for an 86% decrease in noise levels. This spring, after a two-year pandemic-induced delay, Falmec was back at Eurocucina and presented a new product concept called 'Elements' where ventilation is totally integrated into modular systems.

At the same time, the company continues to respond to various consumer demands. Following the pandemic, the popularity in outdoor cooking and dining grew rapidly, especially in North America where the average consumer has more space around their home. Falmec has introduced a new range of outdoor extractor hoods, as even outdoors, exposure to smoke can have a negative impact on people's health, and long-term, repeated exposure can also damage the cooking appliances themselves.

Adjusting to a new normal does not need to be difficult. Especially when companies like Falmec dedicate time and energy to combining innovation with design, resulting in quieter, calmer, more durable and considered extractor hoods that improve people’s health and the quality of their lives.

© Architonic