Kitchen Design Think Tank

  Amongst the chaos there is order! And here we see a vibrant mix of functional art that inspires the onlooker to delve deeper into this design and realise the complex levels of thought that have inspired such a flagrant disregard for convention. Excitement can be conjured by the exotic, and this design by Gitta Gschwendtner for Schiffini floats the notion that functionality can become an artistic experiment.   To some this may just be a series of boxes but to others this could be seen as an attempt to deliver a functional revolution through artistic evolution. The Mogul approves!

To mediate is to broker agreement and here we see a kitchen becoming a style peacemaker.   The industrial architecture sets the contemporary scene aptly aided by the exposed ventilation system which has been laid bare through the calculating incisions made by an architect’s drafting pen.   Light is allowed to penetrate and contradict the industrial space through more classically styled windows, casting shadows that have been polluted by the traditional influence of Georgian frames. The kitchens detachment from the floor is aesthetically powerful but it also shows how we have become scientific in our approach to functional furniture design.   We have learned that it is difficult to reach things at floor level while standing up straight!   The introduction of layers, shapes and warm light helps to soften the surroundings without confusing the picture.   It can be argued that the kitchen designer has been sensitive to the architecture while providing a ...

Within every kitchen design there is compromise, an agreed armistice between conflicting elements that can only be brokered on a very personal level.   The battle raging between form and function can evoke some opinionated outbursts, but after consideration and reflection every design will find its natural equilibrium. Creating lines that deviate from conventional 90 degree angles will help deliver a strong aesthetic presence.   In this instance the unconventional approach is amplified by using monochrome accents that give this kitchen a futuristic feel.   The compromise for creating this look is the purposeful restriction of natural cabinetry size and the complications that will arise when placing internal drawer systems! Justification in the form of client satisfaction always repels criticism! The Mogul loves this one!

This concept combines the warmth of wood and the strength of steel by using artisan techniques to entomb brushed pine veneer in liquefied metal. The aesthetics are impressive with the shimmering finish exposing the beauty of nature, lusting after light with the onlooker being beckoned to experience a truly unique tactile sensation. Fantastic!    

There are some interesting features in this design.   Immediately the eye is drawn to an impressive cantilever which extends endlessly across the room only defying gravity by leaning subtlety on a supportive crutch.   This zero gravity feature of fantasy has also been given a shoulder to cry on, a functional support which is designed to take the weight off the burdens that everyday life can throw at us.   The low level storage area which supports the end of the cantilever has been given an extended gable that transforms it into a cosy snug, perfect for casual entertaining.   The wall units mirror this feature by including a high level shelf which meets an extended gable end. These features are impressive allowing this kitchen to traverse the void between kitchen and living space but do these elements dilute the functional capacity of the kitchen.   Is it possible that potential storage space has been replaced by fresh air and that the high and low level c...

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.

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...

Most humans are blessed with 5 natural senses that allow us to translate our surroundings in a way that is individually subjective.   This translation is given meaning though a history of personal experiences and our innate desire to understand new things.   Next level kitchen design attempts to reach beyond the functional foundation of the kitchen and give the user an experience that can enhance their sense of well being, giving them pleasure! This design by Jaehoon Jung, which is aptly named; Pond Kitchen is designed to be visually stimulating and gives the user an auditory experience.   The running water from the tap creates the natural sound of a stream or river against the specially moulded sink giving the design a new dimension and promoting calm throughout the space!

Throughout the course of writing this blog The Mogul has uncovered many different kinds of Shape Shifting kitchens, all of which are progressive and all of which are aspiring to the ultimate objective; the creation of a versatile and individually adaptive functional space. Concepts give birth to trends and this Electrolux H20 kitchen introduces us to the possibility that in only a few short decades’ kitchens as we know them today will become social artistic artefacts!   The future kitchen consumer will demand flexibility and customisation and just like users of modern technology today will not accept anything which is dated.   Imagine getting hold of your new I-Pad 2 and finding that you need to load the App’s by cassette tape..   Not cool! This H20 kitchen uses Claytronics to create a responsive, organic reaction to the user and its environment through the use of programmable matter. Claytronics is an abstract future concept that combines nanoscale robotics and com...