MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2026: THE NEW LEIKEN VISION
Sculptural islands crafted from natural materials such as travertine and matt marble, alongside woods with deeply textured finishes. Retractable door systems and automated panels designed to completely conceal the kitchen within the living space.
Integrated AI for waste management and silent, invisible induction hobs with integrated extraction. A gradual move away from sharp edges in favour of rounded peninsulas and sinuous base units, opening the space to greater conviviality and responding to the evolving needs of contemporary living.
As every year, the Salone del Mobile in Milan marked an important moment of evolution for both Leiken and Valcucine, interpreting new trends through a refined and distinctive language where design, materials and artisanal excellence converge to shape a new vision of living.
In this article, we revisit the innovations presented during Milano Design Week by our partners Valcucine and Miele, alongside EuroCucina, the most important international event dedicated to the kitchen sector.
In particular, we present a preview of the new and innovative kitchen models that will soon become part of the Leiken collection.
Leiken, when the kitchen becomes an architectural project
System, a unique graphic signature
System is undoubtedly the new Leiken kitchen model that best interprets the design research developed around materials. Slim metal profiles frame the volumes and emphasize their geometries, creating a refined interplay of lines and depth. Available in Anodized Black and Antique Gold, these elements interact seamlessly with all the surfaces in the collection, allowing for endless stylistic combinations.
The result is a kitchen with a strong identity, combining elegance and character through a distinctive design language that creates a unique graphic signature.
Zefiro, the glass wall unit that surprises through lightness and design
One of the most striking elements soon to become part of the Leiken collection is the Zefiro glass wall unit.
If the steel of System, with its strong presence, defines the boundaries, here glass makes everything more ethereal. Once again, design enters into dialogue with the material, allowing it to become both signifier and meaning at the same time.
Light is reflected through the ultra-thin full-glass door, which opens completely with a simple gesture. An advanced lifting system, with concealed counterweights and hidden mechanisms, ensures fluid movement even in very large dimensions. Reaching up to 3 meters in length, the door opens with extraordinary lightness despite its considerable weight.
Quadro, a more classic interpretation of the kitchen space
Quadro is a framed solid wood door, custom-made and also available in a lacquered finish. To respond to different market needs, Leiken has also developed the Equa model: a framed door sharing a similar aesthetic to Quadro, conceived as an entrylevel solution with more accessible and contemporary finishes.
Crafting Forward, Valcucine’s project interpreting design as an evolving process
Valcucine — a protagonist of Milano Design Week 2026 with the Crafting Forward project presented at its showroom in Corso Garibaldi, Brera — further explored the dialogue between industrial innovation and contemporary craftsmanship.
Within this vision, the new Valcucine collections explore the relationship between materials, technology and architectural integration, shaping increasingly evolved and customisable kitchen systems. This research is expressed through tactile surfaces, artisanal processes reinterpreted in a contemporary language, and new elements designed to strengthen the dialogue between kitchen and living spaces.
Among the solutions presented, Genius Loci introduces new interpretations of natural stone and textured glass, while Artematica develops the concept of architectural continuity through surfaces capable of concealing and revealing functions. Archigraphica places the warmth of wood and the extension towards the living area at the centre of the project, while Riciclantica continues its exploration of lightness and visual suspension. Forma Mentis further investigates the relationship between material surfaces and architectural continuity.
Finally, with Logica Celata, Valcucine pushes the concept of integration to its fullest expression: the operational area disappears completely within the domestic architecture, transforming the kitchen into an essential and convivial volume, perfectly aligned with contemporary ways of living.
Miele and AI: kitchen appliances enter a new era
Not only design, but also technology. In a kitchen, every component is deeply connected to the others in achieving the highest level of functionality for the end user. For this reason, Leiken has chosen Miele as its trusted partner of excellence for kitchen appliances.
During Milano Design Week, the German brand introduced a new artificial intelligence-based assistant called CulinaryCoach. Integrated within the Miele app, this feature helps users identify the ideal settings for their dishes more quickly and transfer programmes directly to connected ovens.
The assistant transforms the cooking experience into something as intuitive as a conversation: users simply describe what they wish to prepare through text, voice or images. Drawing on Miele’s expertise in cooking and appliance technology, the assistant guides the entire cooking process, offers suggestions, answers questions and transfers optimal settings directly to the connected appliance.
The innovations presented at Salone del Mobile 2026 confirm an increasingly clear direction towards a complete design ecosystem. These new solutions will soon become available to Leiken clients seeking a trusted partner guided by a clear vision: bringing together design, functionality, innovation and quality of living within one coherent project.
Would you like to discover more about the latest additions to the Leiken and Valcucine collections?
Visit our showrooms in Lisbon or Quarteira, in the Algarve, and experience first-hand the combination of design, innovation and Italian savoir-faire that defines every Leiken space.
