Kitchen Design Think Tank

This design shows how good planning can allow the kitchen to be absorbed into the surrounding architecture.   Yes...the architect will have to speak to the kitchen designer and the kitchen designer may have to listen to the architect!!! This idea could become increasingly more common as pre-fabricated kitchen pods are used to provide a quick and cost effective solution for contractors providing housing for our ever expanding population.   We are presented with a stylish concept here which is unobtrusive and well suited for contemporary open plan living.   The kitchen is neutral and the worktop shows off its 3D properties by wrapping the entire kitchen and becoming a wall!   Very Cool! Lack of preparation space and uneven door sizes may cause irritation for some though!

Who needs an architect when you have a kitchen designer?   A well designed kitchen can define any space!

This kitchen is simple and very effective.   It is a classic, contemporary set-up with a tall bank of units creating an un-obtrusive but functional back drop to the design.    The island takes centre stage as the main preparation and cooking zone, creating a highly effective and efficient work space!   Workflow distances are contained between the island and the bank of tall units - after all the Chief should never have to walk to the supermarket to prepare every meal!   Good designers consider kitchen zones, personal preferences and ergonomics to ensure that everything is just within reach, exactly when needed! The introduction of a low level, informal table area introduces a subconscious element to this design; inviting social interaction and helping to define the space.   A llowing the table area to encroach onto the main body of the island allows the eye to be drawn to the contrast in colour, it also brings the social and working elements of this design closer together encouraging

Open your mind to the possibilities of what your kitchen can and will become!  The clock is ticking on some fantastic ideas!  Kitchen design is maturing as a discipline.

This kitchen by Kitchen Culture oozes custom features which make it very special and a prime example of what an adequate budget can achieve.   The pale palette is bold and the sheer number of units (and handles) impressive but this kitchen design is made fantastic by the curves, custom extraction system and the metal work! The curve on the island is impressive and allows the kitchen to eat into the architectural expanse, which is made even bigger by the very high ceilings.   This ceiling height is distracted by the fantastic cylindrical extraction system which has been linked by layers of glass that follow the contour of the island beneath!   But the real show stopper here is the bespoke metal work which reaches from the island allowing the casual eating area to float effortlessly in the air. The custom metal fingers spread wide just like a those of a butler carrying a tray.   This feature is absolutely beautiful and captures the very essence of this design!   Opulent sophisticatio

This image is fantastic and looks like something from the set of Miami Vice!   You can only imagine that the person who owns this kitchen will also have another high value consumable parked in their garage.   And just like its four wheeled counterpart this kitchen is a high performance product with the ability to turn a few heads when you put the top down! The functional elements of this kitchen have been neutralised making the design appear more artistic and allowing it to fully complement the surrounding bricks and glass.   The cooker and sink are concealed inside the raised area on the island and in true “Shape Shifter” fashion it can easily show you what’s under the bonnet by raising the worktop up to create a splash-back and revealing a functional cooking and cleaning zone underneath.   It could be argued though that this feature should actually be placed on the other side of the island with the functional tall units behind as this would make everything more easily accessible with

The Mogul loves this kitchen as it is bold and challenges our ideas about kitchen design.   The concept by Tokyo Kitchen embodies how progressive designers are embracing the idea of functional kitchen art and are using social and cultural trends as an influence for their designs.   The design is scattered and un-fitted, building on the original concept developed by Johnny Grey.   The kitchen is free standing and dominant allowing it to become the centre piece to any surrounding architecture. This concept will also attract social adoration!   The attention to detail is brilliant and yet very subtle with a unique layer of cultural understanding being added though the introduction of uniquely shaped cabinet legs.   It could be argued that the addition of these individually styled cabinet legs reflects Japanese Amine or Manga cartoon Pokemon culture.   In 2011 we will see a greater appreciation of the true value kitchen designers bring into our lives.   Kitchen design has been long overloo

In 2011 we will see the kitchen becoming accepted as the defining feature of the surrounding architecture; all inspiring, with the ability to encourage a connection between concrete, steel and the personal attitudes that animate the space on a daily basis! Architecture is the purest form of art but kitchen design is an understanding of how human nature and personal experiences can paint many different pictures within this architectural frame. The true value of multi-level kitchen design has only begun to be explored!   The Mogul is sure that there are interesting times ahead and asks; is the modern kitchen now defined by the units that have become integrated into the architecture and cannot be seen?   If the answer is yes the modern kitchen is to become an island or peninsula, an anchor for function and sociability in an open plan setting. The Mogul wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year and will be back in 2011 to keep a close eye on everything...Oh yea...The Mogul

This design by Tokyo Kitchen epitomises what modern kitchen designers seek; super cool functional sophistication with a distinct undertone of artistic flair.   Owning this kitchen would offer serious social style gratification and allow you to wallow in the envy of others.   It takes something to impress The Mogul!.....NICE!   Absolutely love the inflatable taps, oversized and egotistical...perfect!

This kitchen strikes your retina at terminal velocity and imposes itself on the simplicity of the surrounding architecture.   The design is simple, linear and arguably unremarkable but the enthusiasm of the olive colour and the intellectual use of a contrasting recessed grip handle makes this kitchen reach out and grab your attention.   The black handle highlights the fact that this handless kitchen has in-fact got a handle and that the designer has been clever enough to use it as a fantastic feature, highlighting the simplicity of the design.   It is also interesting to see that the designers at Armony Cucine have not been tempted to go symmetrical along the back wall and have opted to off-set the ovens to the right of the tall section.   The mogul predicts that we will see more of this in 2011; asymmetrical design and vibrant colours!   Particularly orange!

This concept kitchen designed by Zivile Januskaityte may seem extreme but it tests the imagination about what the kitchen is now and what it may become in the future! There are some great ideas here that could be fine tuned and become more main stream in the not too distant future.   For example the induction cooker is actually the rolling ceramic panels that close over the entire kitchen.   This is a great "Shape Shifting" idea but it has its limitations when the surface is also being used as a worktop. Careful consideration needs to be given to reverse heat transfer.   Reverse heat transfer happens when the substance being cooked becomes very hot and transfers its heat energy back through the pot and onto the ceramic induction cooker!   This process is not an issue with standard induction cooking but it may become one if the cook top is not highly visible, the cook top can move and if there is limited preparation space!   The Mogul believes that any forward thinking

The kitchen is an inspiring room that can provoke feelings of security and safety.   It can be a personal space where memories have been made and intimate conversations have taken place with relatives and friends.   This can be felt even more strongly at different times of the year and especially during the Christmas holiday season.    The smells and atmosphere of a Christmas dinner can be subconsciously carried by people for years, enhancing the connection with the kitchen and the family members that used it. Kitchen designers have to shoulder a big responsibility as their creations will become the stage set for personal dramas and reflections over many years, helping to encourage a “Sense of Place”! The Mogul believes that any design, whether it is a super contemporary European special or something a little more traditional, needs human interaction to make the design complete!  

Okay, please desist from licking your computer screen as this serving from Aster Cucine is absolutely delicious.   This kitchen is a brilliant example of how kitchen design can be paralleled to automotive design, providing clients with an exceptionally desirable product that can make a strong social statement!   This kitchen is beautiful and has all the elements required to nurture envy and jealousy amongst your dinner guests.    The dazzling whiteness is matched by polished and hammered chrome with glass and natural wood veneers that just ooze quality.   You only have to look at the mirrored chrome finish that rips around the edge of the island to see the luxury.   Fantastic! This beauty is also a shape shifter.   Bi-folding sliding doors on the tall section of this kitchen allow the exterior units to become undressed, allowing the viewer to be tantalised by the impressive appliances and drawers!   Add Blum’s Servo-Drive electric opening support system for doors and drawers and the

Cool sliding doors offering flexibility of use to the owner!

This kitchen by Steve Morey was voted the best looking kitchen in 2008 by the New York Architectural Digest.   It is a very impressive architectural space and the kitchen does step up to the mark.   The Mogul absolutely loves the size of the island which gives the kitchen a real presence and matches the scaling of the space.   The thing that really makes this kitchen different though is the dry built stone wall which is framed by a smooth arch!   This feature works brilliantly with the down lighting!

The Mogul loves white kitchens as they are a welcoming canvas for reflective light and shadows.   This kitchen is brilliant as it is free hung from the wall allowing the plinth to be removed and a shadow line to be created....this shadow void is absolutely crying out for some subtle mood lighting!   This design also proves that you don’t need acres of wall space to create a brilliant kitchen...why not ignore the walls and place the kitchen in the middle of the room, handy if the architecture is tricky!  

A wonderful example of functional, artistic vision!

Brilliant...doors that appreciate all three of our worldly dimensions!   Adding a coloured up or down lighter to these doors will create a fantastic feature.   The Mogul would question the ergonomic planning on the island though!   Obviously the cook is smaller than the dishwasher and they never exchange roles! 

This kitchen embodies the classical contemporary style.   It is a prefect example of how individuals can find balance between a crisp, fresh kitchen design and something that is safer, offering serious style stamina!   Contemporary European kitchen design can be perceived to be fashionable but without soul making the customer wary about installing a statement kitchen into their home.   Instead they may want to tone down the drama and install a kitchen that offers more universal appeal.   This idea is particularly prevalent in the United States were full on contemporary kitchen design is kept isolated at the very top of the market, a place were affluent clients can afford to move with shifting design trends!   Middle America is much more cautious, constantly considering what other people will think of their new kitchen, and by other people The Mogul means other house buyers!   America appears to be a transient nation and re-sale value is a big consideration!   The Mogul absolu