Ok so you got me, Poggenpohl is not Italian. They are German, except when they're in Milan, then they're Italian. Good enough? I can hardly believe I’ve been home for over a week! Images and impressions are still swirling around in my head from the wonderful time I spent with Blanco and some fellow members of the Blanco Design Council in Milan. Design Week was not limited to the extensive exhibition at the Rho Fairgrounds but also included events all over town. We visited two memorable and cutting edge showrooms on our visit. The first was Acheo (pronounced AH-kee-oh), located in the Brera district. Brera is also known today as the design district. It is also one of the few really old areas of Milan which saw 80% destruction during WWII. Acheo opened it’s showroom there in 2010. Today they are a showcase of quintessential contemporary Italian design for the kitchen.They put on an impressive pre-dinner spread for us and the peeps from Modenus Blogtour Milan.All through our trip we saw many products not available here in the US. Some will become available, perhaps in other versions. One such item is this Durinox work top and sink (below) which is a part of the Blanco Steel Art collection. Think stainless steel on steroids!! Seriously, it is made with a finishing process used in the auto and aerospace industries so it is super scratch resistant and more than twice as hard as stainless steel. It is available, as shown, in Europe from Blanco in Germany. The sinks only will be available for undermount installation here in the US.We found that in Milan you could miss half the experience if you failed to look up! Look at these cool light fixtures at Acheo!The other showroom we had the pleasure of visiting during our visit was Poggenpohl. I think you could argue that they set the bar when it comes to innovation in contemporary cabinet design. As I mentioned, Poggenpohl is a German company and they claim to be the oldest kitchen brand in the world! Some years ago Poggenpohl teamed up with the Porsche Design Studio to develop the P'7340 line of cabinets. Both companies focus their concentration on the overall line as well as providing unsurpassed quality of product. Above is a Porsche Design Kitchen P'7340 by Poggenpohl. It's hallmark is the aluminum frame which surrounds each box. Originally designed with men in mind, it has evolved into a brand appealing to discerning contemporary design devotees of either sex. Chief Poggenpohl designer Manfred Junker was on hand to explain the intricacies of design detail that go into the product including their trademark, no handle, fronts. In fact, he claims, they are the first to offer touch control on the refrigerator and dishwasher. Here's what they have to say about that on their website: "Handleless fronts emphasize the clean, uncompromised lines of the kitchen furniture."Poggenpohl took care of our tummies too. After all, design spotting can work up one hell of an appetite! This newest version of P'7340 (see below) features a contrasting counter top inset made of solid New Zealand pine with a wire brushed finish.Next up: FTK (Technology for the Kitchen) This was the section of iSaloni featuring the latest trends and products in kitchen appliances.Click here for a peek at all my Milan photos!own and automatically completes the closing cycle

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