Kitchen Design Think Tank

And so behold the mighty hybrid kitchen; a shining example of what is to come and the epitome of style fusion.   This is a splinter cell approach to kitchen design, an amalgamation of opposing style tribes.     But as the conflict dissipates the impact of peace presents something beautiful! This design shows how contemporary kitchen designers are searching for a new avenue to explore and that in order to make progressive leaps forward some designers are actually looking over their shoulder.   They are reflecting on what has worked in the past and morphing significant design elements from each style generation to create a new direction.   It is simple really; by introducing classical elements like raised panel doors and beautifully turned posts, all finished in a high gloss lacquer this design reaches a whole new level.   Add to the mix sweeping worktop curves and this kitchen can be classified as a contemporary classic. Breaking a contemporary, linear desi...

This design is good but relatively unremarkable!   However the subtle introduction of vibrant colour makes you take a second look!   And when you look more closely you notice that this kitchen is actually an understated transformer.   The back panel of the peninsula has been cleverly designed to provide a trendy seating arrangement for unannounced guests or snacking family members.   This consideration adds the necessary social element to the design without the stools becoming spatially intrusive when not in use!   It is also wonderful to see how the citrus orange colour sits with the wenge veneer!   Great! Not sure if those stools look that comfy though, or if they would look just as nice or even be intact after the obligatory house warming party!  

This space is great, releasing powerful style statements and conjuring up feelings of warmth and safety all at the same time.  The island is not centred focusing the sight lines on the over-sized doors at the end of the room.  These doors reach up towards the ceiling giving the design an “Alice in Wonderland” appearance.  In this example the kitchen is used as an aesthetical channel of architectural focus.  Soft tones and light enhance the simplicity and effectiveness of the design. The kitchen is understated and consists of a very functional island with some free hung cabinetry along the back wall which helps to dilute the appearance of the kitchen.  The overall combination of architecture and kitchen is brilliantly spacious and delivers the kind of understated “wow effect” that everyone desires. Top marks!

By sailing into the West and ending up in the East Columbus may have been partly responsible for proving that the Earth was round and the popular notion about falling from the edge of the Earth was consigned to the history books.   At this stage in history popular culture had discovered the truth; that we were actually clinging onto a spherical mud-ball, shackled into an orbit around our closest star and hurtling through space! Heavy stuff! So who said we couldn’t have a kitchen like this.   This spherical transformer is a magical glimpse towards the far reaches of kitchen design, a shadow land which can expose the designer to professional danger and acclaim all at the same time.   A place where the imagination breads concepts and raises the bar of possibility!   But some designers, just like Columbus dare to question the accepted norms and parameters set out by their predecessors, and it is by doing this that kitchen design will develop into a fundamentally accepte...

To some this design may only be worth a second, nonchalant glance but The Mogul feels that this kitchen is quite noteworthy!   There is great use of contrasting materials and textures here with the design displaying some great contemporary features; but the real centre piece of this particular design is the stainless steel cooking zone. The stainless steel bridging element with inset domino hobs is chunky and masculine against the slender and arguably more feminine worktop being used along the sink run.   The thickness of the bridge is used to conceal the services but it also causes a dramatic step in the cabinetry as the kitchen gravitates away from the wall and moves towards the island.   Upon meeting the island the bridge again displays its dominance by embedding itself and dislodging a corner of the island!   This aspect is brilliant adding real aesthetic interest to the design.   The Mogul also loves how the bridge doubles up as an informal eating area, in...

There are several exceptional elements to this design.   Not only does it flaunt some fantastically trendy design features like split level, varied thickness worktops, the ever essential, zone busting open shelf unit and a very smooth social area, but it also presents a visual runway to the absolute show stopper. This kitchen is a tease, it tempts the eye to look further and just when you think you have gorged yourself to capacity on kitchen fantasy you realise that the sensual hotspot of this design, the ergonomic erogenous zone, is presenting itself to you at the end of the island runway!   It is so stylishly sensual that it is blatantly revealing itself through silky glass, inviting you to enter the hidden chamber!   And w hat a party you would have in there!   All that stainless steel and champers!! I think most kitchen designers would love to have clients who desire something like this! Great design!

The modern kitchen can no longer be described as being fitted!   It has become an important independent influence over its surroundings, becoming detached from architecture and a sea of interior design, the modern contemporary kitchen has actually become an island! And why not!   The popularity of open plan living has allowed kitchen designers to explore their imagination and discover new ways of providing functional style solutions.   Designing a modern kitchen is like creating a freestanding, independent sculpture of function, a quietly imposing statement of personal style and taste.   When you are not restricted by the architecture you can create anything....you can play with shapes, colours and lighting   allowing the building to become the backdrop to your creation, a stage onto which you have poured your knowledge and expertise for your ever appreciative clients. So the kitchen island now comes in all shapes and forms and this T-shaped design is certainl...

This design is elegant and simple offering uncomplicated functionality and an interesting formation of rectanges and textures.   Material contrast is used to subliminally showcase and separate each functional zone providing an understated but powerful affect! This kitchen is under-designed to create maximum impact!   The Mogul loves this!

Every maestro needs a stage and The Mogul feels that this one is set for a flamboyant entrance; a fusion of functional expressionism that satisfies artistic and musical tendencies! The islands of this design can double up as functional podiums designed to invite extravagant gastronomic indulgence and becoming the perfect hedonistic preparation zone for the previous night’s meat dress!   Every client is different and their individual requirements are built upon personal tendencies and idiosyncrasies.   If Lady Gaga decided to tenderize her meat dress she may not require a mallet, instead she may choose to climb up onto the third island (the piano) to gyrate and grind the meat into a pliable submission!   This unique preference is why the kitchen designer has specified the piano!   Watch you don’t slip! Music and fashion is art but so too is kitchen design and this kitchen does present an opportunity for Lady Gaga to add another string to her wonderfully outrageous bow...

Every kitchen designer must consider lighting and how the kitchen will interact with its environment at different times of the day.   The lighting here makes with space interesting and inviting, enhancing the user experience and giving the design a holistic layer!   Top marks!

This is fantastic!   A brave and bold statement which challenges accepted design boundaries and proves that deliberate style contradictions between architecture and kitchen work really well.   It is interesting to now see this type of conscious design juxtaposition becoming more common illustrating how clients and designers are being subconsciously chaperoned towards the evolutionary channel of kitchen design!  

Stepping from your Learjet onto the melting tarmac and moving towards your air conditioned limo you long to get settled in your high roller Vegas suite!   The Mogul believes that this is a fitting introduction for this little gem!   A kitchen that oozes opulence and a style that is more in keeping with a 1970’s mobster movie!   You can almost visualise the flared trousers, big lapels and scantily clad hostesses moving through this space!   There is everything here to impress, exquisite wood veneers, stainless steel, high gloss lacquers and mirrored panels, everything except thick cigar smoke and brandy!   The Mogul loves this modern “step back in time” design and particularly how the veneered walnut panels along the back wall drop at various heights to meet the arsenal of modern appliances.   This stepping feature is great and gives the design an extra layer.   Notice also how the kitchen moulds itself into the space with tall concave doors making t...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and sometimes real beauty can only be uncovered by looking beneath the surface.   Contemporary kitchens have been criticised for being cold and heartless but this little gem balances the scale, making us reflect on how the world was before high gloss lacquer and standard doors sizes! To those in the audience who believe that creating a bespoke kitchen involves introducing an off size wine rack into the design; please pay attention!   This is a truly bespoke kitchen.     The Mogul totally understands that this design will not appeal to the masses; in-fact The Mogul can almost hear the horrified gasps as your retina focuses on the screen!   But this is a kitchen that has been pondered over, a beloved creation that was inspired by the architectural structure into which it would be placed long before the teeth of any saw blade touched the drying sap of the alder wood!   Look at the detailing on the doors and appreciate th...

Okay, technically it’s not a kitchen but this accordion table certainly pushes the “chopping block” envelope!   The contemporary preparation zone is disguised as a ridged accessory, inflexible and relatively uninspiring but this is a common trait amongst kitchen transformers!   They like to keep a hidden secret. This fancy chopping board has the ability to move and twist like a human spine revealing functional accessories and compartments embedded within its functional cartilage, all designed to aid food preparation.   Designers are now focusing on smaller elements and zones within the kitchen and embedding micro transformers within the transforming kitchen framework! The Mogul thinks that this design shouldn’t just be a table; this should be a full scale remotely operated kitchen island!   That would be special!

Imitation is the best form of flattery, or so they say, well if this is the case then Mr Christian must be feeling pretty pleased with himself!   Not only has he managed to create a range of kitchens that are globally perceived to provide the ultimate in social snobbery but he has managed to spawn an epidemic of Corinthian Capital clad, super ornate imitations that are being flogged to the socially aspiring middle classes!   There is nothing says “I’m Loaded” like a Clive Christian! Where did you by yours at half the price!?!

Everyone dreams of creating an architectural statement that resonates with individual style and has the cultural presence of a cathedral, a timeless monument of who we are and an outward expression of how we react to the World around us.   It is therefore fitting that this building, which has been deliberated and planed for years, a dream which has become a physical reality, and is subjectively believed to be the “eighth wonder of the world” should be given a heart that pulsates to the rhythm of your needs. But has this architectural marvel been created to frame the centre piece of your home?   Is the architecture just an afterthought, built upon and embedded within the bigger picture, the one thing you have really wanted to become a reality....your dream kitchen?!   Here we see the kitchen becoming an island and the lines between kitchen and architecture becoming blurred.   Each element needs the other and the relationship is designed to be mutually complementary! ...

A white handle-less kitchen that has been absorbed into the surrounding architecture is nothing out of the ordinary these days but this concept will still encourage a double take! The tall units are completely non-obtrusive allowing the island to take centre stage and the bland colour scheme is given some real vibrancy by displaying a weighty cantilever.   This single design feature catapults this kitchen into a different league not only because it would be difficult to achieve but because it gives this design an artistic feel. This island could be described as a functional sundial born from a sympathetic understanding of our engineering legacy!   It projects the skill of human manufacturing techniques and our mastery of natural forces such as gravity while softly inviting the light!   It is also a very functional piece of kit! Nice!

Contemporary kitchen design can be seen as clinical, exuding a subconscious masculinity and empowering the type of social status that is usually associated with owning a super car!   It has even been argued that contemporary kitchen design has a commercial “look at me” attitude...a soulless presence! This design by Edwin Loxley claims to address the under valuation of artisan techniques by adding serious substance to contemporary style.   There are a lot of things here that identify this design as being English!   The clean clinical lines favoured in more Easterly locations have been softened and the geometry is very approachable, almost feminine!   The materials also encourage the user to get tactile and explore the intricacy of the design.   There is real craftsmanship here!   Design longevity is encouraged because this kitchen does not fit snugly into the contemporary, mass produced box!   There is a little soul in these veneers! The island is ess...

You disembark from your landing module in full body armour and laden with the latest, most sophisticated array of weaponry known to your species.   You are now 2 clicks from the crew’s quarters and the eerie silence is deafening.   Your mission is to re-establish contact with the crew and explain the lack of radio contact.   As you make your way into the building through docking hatch C you uncover evidence of a serious disturbance!   The adrenaline levels in your blood stream soar with anticipation as you come across the first body, Flight Lieutenant Smith’s body is heavily mutilated and you are only able to establish his identity by his tags.   As you move towards the mess hall you find the other crew members all in a similar state to Smith and buried in a 500mm deep layer of purple smoke!   As you move into the kitchen area you establish that the layout plan you have been working off no longer agrees with what you now see before you, the solid oak, rai...