For some of us, the kitchen is a sanctuary for convivial conversation over a cuppa. For others, a frantic family breakfast every morning and remote office-cum-conference room in the afternoon.
Maybe your dream kitchen is a place of culinary experimentation to escape an otherwise chaotic household. Or is it an extension of your living space, an essential accessory to modern living: the hub of the boozy dinner party and a late night dance-off maybe?
As Autumn seemingly descended overnight this year, the kitchen will now doubtless become the room to where most of us will retreat, if we can lever ourselves out of the cosy sofa or from the comfort of the morning duvet, that is.
With such a well-used space, it baffles me that so few of us create the kitchen we actually want in life: as though unique or bespoke design choices are somehow impossible to find.
We asked some extraordinary designers how they would create this important space, with a little bit of fearlessness to inspire us as the nights draw in.
The Column kitchen by Inge Sempé breaks convention with unexpected integrated vertical handles, soft forms, and harmonious materials
Rasmus Dengsø
Tala Fustok Studio carves out a space for a bijou kitchen in a Bleeker St apartment in New York.
Isabel Parra
COOKIE CUTTER
One of the many potential pitfalls when investing in a new kitchen is seeing it as an isolated space. In fact, the quickest way to a rather disappointing, cookie cutter ‘teal-blue-shaker-kitchen-with-brass-hardware’ design as default, comes from relying solely on a kitchen supplier for the design without considering your whole home.
Accomplished interior designer Christian Bense agrees, “Don’t design it in isolation to the rest of the home, especially when opting to go through a typical kitchen supplier. A kitchen supplier is simply that; they wouldn’t necessarily consider the wider impact or cohesiveness.
“Make sure you have a clear idea of the holistic vision before you get pigeonholed into a design which ticks boxes but doesn’t do the overall design [of your home] any favours.”
By thinking about the day-to-day function of your kitchen, vistas to and from the space, and the overall ambition you have for the building, you can explore creative references that will broaden your horizons, informing and ultimately enhancing even budget projects, while maximising the effect of more luxuriant, higher budget installations.
Don’t design your kitchen in isolation to the rest of the home
BALANCING THE SCALES
Selecting a kitchen or briefing a professional can seem like a daunting task; just be aware that with the right support, there is no need to sacrifice functionality for form, or vice versa: durable and considered fittings and fixtures will ensure you can access every nook and cranny to make the most of the space you have available, and even allow for more theatrical focal points in doing so.
Beautiful design doesn’t have to be costly, and mediocrity isn’t the price paid for a lower budget. Modular kitchens offer exciting solutions with maximum flexibility, and for those with a keen eye for design, Reform offers beautiful solutions that are bursting with personality.
Reform’s costing process is transparent, too, for those of us needing extra clarity throughout the process. Its team balances creativity with functionality, with unique designs that are real standouts from the average kitchen specialist.
Tala Fustok Studio uses vintage furnishings and calming tones in a kitchen in Palace Gate, London.
Michael Sinclair
Reform’s Reflect stainless steel kitchen designed by Jean Nouvel transforms sterile stainless steel cabinets with textured reflectivity to create warmth and character.
MISE EN PLACE
There is a growing desire to create a more layered aesthetic within our homes. And it’s more than a trend. A way of repurposing materials, embracing character and expressing our personality, it continues from the home most naturally into kitchen design; reflecting not only the increasing multi-functionality we demand of the space, but also the need to encourage a place of visual and emotional warmth. We want room to create and store memories, bringing together the eclectic nature of our lives into one area of a house.
Tala Fustok Studio delivers a masterclass in layered materials with kitchens that blend so seamlessly into living spaces, they feel timeless. Everything is exactly as it should be. “Natural materials create a feel of serenity and calm. Working with our artisans we carefully select and layer beautiful materials to create our kitchen designs. Breccia Viola stone, blackened steel mixed with antique brass and fumed oak wood finishes make the kitchen feel alive, bringing the originality of nature into an urban home,” enthuses Tala Fustok, founder and creative director.
So, whatever your style, and however you use the space, think about a kitchen that truly reflects who you are. Whether bold or subdued, sleek or eclectic, make your investment count – and don’t be afraid to create a place you love, where lifelong memories are sure to be made.
For more inspiration, see henge07.com; christianbense.com; reformcph.com; talafustok.studio
