Kitchen Design Think Tank

This is a really stylish small kitchen!   It is so good that the architecture is actually trying to absorb it!   The gentle embrace between kitchen and architecture is great with the designers taking care not to over design this space, instead simple abstract forms and contrasting colours create the impact.   The elevated detachment from the floor only emphasises the kitchens mutually beneficial relationship with the architectural alcove!   Truly brilliant!

Welcome to Dr Frankenstein’s laboratory!   An experimental and unconventional place where primitive looking mechanisms influence volumetric flasks and where functional enlightenment is occasionally allowed to bubble to the surface! This is the latest solution to the green living conundrum by Phillips.   A kitchen that is a self contained organic converter, an advanced experimental processer of food waste to energy!   The Microbial Home concept features this bio-digester which turn's organic waste into methane gas which is then used to power the cooker and also converts solid waste into compost. But unlike Frankenstein monster this creation should not be feared, after all, kitchen designers are not that scary!   This design should be celebrated as a huge step forward along the evolutionary path of kitchen design.

Enter an unorthodox translation of residential kitchen design.   A creation that is inspired by simplicity and has been adorned with a free hung underbelly of function!   This design is abstract and edgy and may have been inspired by the no nonsense approach needed in a professional kitchen.   No need for frills or complicated social layering, just a desire to get the job done! Arguably artistic, certainly commercially limited, this design is not for the faint hearted!   Especially considering the questionable extraction system which appears a little unrefined and clumpy for this particular approach.

Way back in September 2010 The Mogul featured Karim Rashid’s Origami kitchen http://bit.ly/szUtsR .   This design explores how 3D door profiles can create a fascinating visual illusion which disguises the primary functional role of the kitchen.   Functional kitchen art is fast becoming a new, trendy medium for artists and designers who do not normally operate within the KBB sector.   Their freedom of expression and unharnessed enthusiasm is changing the evolutionary path of kitchen design. Kitchen design is changing and The Mogul loves it!! Image courtesy of   http://www.dyk360-kuechen.de/blog

The kitchen you own and use can be seen as a reflection of who you are and what you aspire to be.   And just like receiving a tattoo, the permanence of this outward and artistic expression of self can be the result of a lengthy and considered design process.   Having faith in your style convictions will determine whether or not you choose a personally expressive kitchen like this.

This kitchen is compact and trendy conjuring up thoughts of hedonistic luxury and causing those with a soft spot for design to salivate with tactile anticipation.   The rich timber doors have been lovingly trimmed with stainless steel and the design is off set and brilliantly asymmetrical.    Using the machined splash back as a token balancer underneath the wall unit is great and creates the perfect spot for a decanter full of port!   The elevated hobs also give the slender stainless steel worktop a third dimension. The Mogul feels that this kitchen would be well suited to a hip London club, the kind of place that attracts affluent, upwardly mobile clientele, the kind of people who would call this kitchen “sick” by way of a street cred complement! This kitchen is cool....this kitchen is SICK!

This design is striking because it has potential to pale into insignificance.   There is a deliberate lack of contrast in this image that dissolves some of the best features so much that they are in danger of not being noticed at all. The kitchen itself is striking, creating an unusual blend of crisp linear lines and softer geometry.   The kitchen doors are thick and wide with a polished lacquer finish which gives the design a contemporary edge, but this edge has been blunted by the introduction of a scooped, raised panel profile which is reminiscent of a more traditional door shape.   Add to this some quadrant posts a curved breakfast bar area and splash back and the blended look is complete.   The Contemporary Classic style is emphasised further by the kitchen being framed with classical architecture and resting on a beautiful herring bone floor! If you look really closely you will see some really nice lighting above the island!   More contrast may be required...

It can be argued that those who have vision for change can see in the dark, an ability to stand on the precipice of acceptance, stare into the black abyss of the unknown and gain inspiration from what others cannot see. These inspired moments of insight are rare and the people and institutions that experience them are few but it only takes one inspired thought to wipe the slate clean and create a movement for change. The kitchen industry in one such area where change is beginning to occur and there is one company in particular that appears brave enough to invest in a new ideal.   Is it possible that premium appliance brand Scholtès could be putting its money where its mouth is and inciting a revolution within the kitchen industry?   Like many companies they claim to stand for professionalism and excellence but where they are different is in the pursuit of their ideals.   Instead of opening a flagship showroom they decided to open a “Centre of Excellence”, a space t...

The Mogul is sure that many kitchen designers have been in a situation where the client brief is a little hazy.   Many clients undergo a personal style struggle, the classic situation of wanting a contemporary, fashion statement kitchen for now but fearing that it will be prone to premature aging.   This design phenomenon has subtly created a new trend, a hybrid kitchen that creates a balance between design longevity and being stylishly hip!   This design is an example of a contemporary classic kitchen.   The lines here are linear and some fussy traditional details like cornicing have been removed, but the whole look has been softened by integrating a traditionally profiled door.   In this example we see the next level of integration as the door profiles are mixed allowing the design to be predominantly contemporary while tentatively dipping its plinth into traditional water! It is also interesting to see how the islands contrasting worktop has been cut short al...

There is a delicate contradiction occurring here.   At first glance we see a kitchen which has broken free from its traditional architectural constraints, a brilliant example of how kitchen design has become a refined art form.   This design mixes smooth finishes and stylish colours with trendy asymmetrical lines and also provides us with a rugged display of traditional carpentry. The breakfast bar is deep and chunky and its simple construction celebrates a legacy of traditional cabinet making.     This element provides an edgy and masculine side to the design while also giving the cook loads of space for preparation. It is important when integrating a divisional feature like this that the functional planning is perfectly correct and tailored to the clients individual requirements as there is potential that it may become a beautiful obstacle!

This glass worktop is a real statement piece and it is simply beautiful!   It is actually so cool it could be ice.   The Mogul approves!  

The Mogul is unsure about this design!   From a positive standpoint you have to see this as a bold and deliberate attempt to make kitchen design progressive, more artistic and generally more interesting.   The abstract breakfast bar shape casts a futuristic shadow against the compact and relatively neutral kitchen.   This significant design feature displays integrated lighting; surface orbs of various sizes which add a quirky interest to the concept.   All of this is brilliant and should be highly commended but is it possible that this fantastic feature and its particular placement could become a functional obstruction to the cabinetry placed above and below.   The Mogul will let you decide if a balance between artistic expression and function has been achieved!

This kitchen is really crisp and fresh.   The design is architecturally aware, embedding itself almost seamlessly into the back wall while still reaching out and providing us with an abstract and functionally artistic play with shapes. The Mogul loves this!   But look......!    That hob seems a little close to the sink!   Maybe the pots and pans automatically jump into the sink when they need a little scrub!   Kitchen automation, whatever next!

If you want to have a focused workspace, an area that allows you to command the room both functionally and socially then the horseshoe island is for you.   The island wraps itself around the kitchen user providing a near infinite amount of worktop area and the efficient movement between kitchen zones can be quantified in twists and shuffles instead of proper steps!   This kitchen allows the cook to become the main attraction surrounded by salivating tiers of family and friends, but this Roman amphitheatre kitchen has several limitations.   The tight curves can limit the use of base unit drawers and therefore the functional efficiency of the kitchen.   If drawers are used space can be wasted due to the parallel positioning of the runners.   A busy kitchen may also need a sous-chef but due to the functional focus of this design the second in command may end up treading on the chefs toes a little!   It also seems strange that in this instance the chef will nee...

This is a no nonsense approach to good kitchen design.   Good design does not need to be overly ornate; it doesn’t need to be aggressively flamboyant and in this example the necessity to scratch the age old kitchen design itch of providing acres of cabinetry has been well and truly avoided!   This is a very refined design providing an understated declaration of functional intent!   This on trend transformer is seamlessly integrated into the architecture with only a shadow line providing an insight into the functional capacity of the design.   It is also interesting to see how balanced the overall aesthetic of this kitchen is.   Not only is the front of the island evenly split between storage and sociability, clearly visible with the introduction of a dark contrasting timber against the light cabinetry, but the plinth is low set and appears to be of equal height to the stainless steel finger grip cavity.   The Mogul also loves how the darker, soc...

Kitchen design is certainly becoming more and more artistic!   Here we see an island which is formed by using simple shapes and the result is very dramatic.   The structure appears to float in mid air, defying gravity and repelling an architectural connection.   But the designers haven't quite pulled off an engineering masterpiece; this cantilever doesn’t float instead it is supported by using clear acrylic.   You can’t knock this design though as it has real visual impact becoming a real talking point at any social gathering. Interesting too that the model in the image is pregnant!   She is also creating a very naturally formed cantilever of her own. Love it!!

This is great!   There an amazing flow to this design as it stretches out in the middle of the room.   The usual boundaries between cooking and sociability seem to have been abandoned for a more liberal, and inviting approach.   It is as though the kitchen has become the main attraction at a private art exhibition, attracting admiration and gasps of surprise from family and friends as they schmooze around the room drinking champagne and munching on canapés!   The rich dark shelves contrast strongly against the camouflaged white storage area and the integration of these open shelving units allow kitchen and living space to merge into one.   It is also interesting that these shelving units have been constructed so that light and sight lines are not obstructed, allowing those mingling within the space to view the design from interesting and obscure angles through the shelves!   You can also personalise this art installation by placing your own possessions ...