Kitchen Design Think Tank

It is said that opposites attract and here we see how contemporary kitchen design can become timelessly elegant though the sympathetic use of classically styled architecture.   The quiet respect is mutual with both architecture and kitchen benefiting from the relationship.   The kitchen brings a fresh, youthful energy to the space, delivering the required amount of functional and sensory impact expected of any new kitchen.   The architecture keeps the kitchen upstart in check, keeping the atmosphere grounded and bringing a tried and tested safety to the design.     This type of relationship is blossoming but cannot be reversed as traditional kitchens do not work well with contemporary architecture!   Or maybe we just haven’t seen it done properly yet!? Hmmmmmm!

This is the latest flamboyant kitchen contribution from Karim Rashid who literally treats kitchen frontals like an artist’s canvas! In this design paints have been replaced with high pressure laminates and aluminium legs create a supporting frame for the free floating artwork.  This type of design may be overpowering if used on an entire kitchen but would work brilliantly as a colour accent to a more simplified and subdued kitchen palette.

The Mogul loves this kitchen by Cesar as it doesn’t conform to standard kitchen design.   Standard door matrices are thrown out the window to create this look!   Or are they? The wall units are oversized in order to maximise storage and are carefully positioned so as not to interfere with the worktop.   The kitchen has multiple levels and when matched with the vibrant colours creates an immediate and interesting visual impact for the onlooker. The oversized glass doors used on the wall units also double up as a very handy splash-back behind the main cooking and cleaning zones giving the impression that the wall units have continued around the wall and become recessed.   The lower level red glass units on the back wall also give this kitchen a living room type feel as the space between them and the underside of the wall units creates a handy shelf/ alcove, perfect if you want to personalise this space! This kitchen is imaginative and could easily be created using stan...

Architecture is the purest form of art allowing human beings to become inspired and emotionally connected to their surroundings.   In the 21 st century the kitchen has become as important as the architecture that surrounds it allowing the user to gain pleasure from its aesthetics but also fulfilling a functional role.   The modern kitchen user can demand different things from a design as many people cook in different ways; pre-packaged, slowly prepared, on the run and in a social setting are all possibilities today.   It is also true that the aesthetics of a kitchen can mirror our own self image and allow a certain freedom of expression with some individuals allowing the artist within them to be exposed while others take satisfaction at the social acceptance a fantastic kitchen can offer. A well designed kitchen has the ability to encourage tranquility within a home offering the user an environment that caters for their own needs and idiosyncrasies and giving satisfac...