I should be at the gym except my body seems to be reacting against working out. So stiff am I from yesterday’s shorter than short run that I am aching and groaning already! I digress lets talk about adding character to difficult spaces – like kitchens for example that are functional, often times open plan and somehow don’t seem to blend with the rest of our spaces. I was asked this question in Melbourne at my seminar and whenever I happen to be in the store I often get stopped and asked the very same thing. My advice is simple, don’t treat the space as a kitchen instead treat as you would any other room in the house, accessorize, add oodles of lighting, art and stuff. Do that and you get a truely inspiring kitchen just don’t do what I’ve done and get too carried away so that every time you want to chop, bake and blend you end up having to take an extra 20 mins moving flowers, books and who knows what else out of the way before you even begin.
Style is not about taking the easy option – if you want beauty then I guess like in all walks of life it takes a little work no? Photography Mikkel Vang
Here’s what I am talking about, yes its a kitchen but it feels incredibly personal, unique and fun - the kind of kitchen you just want to roll up your sleeves and get baking in.
So often times kitchens are open plan so accessorize them as you would any other space. Plonk vases on top of cupboards, heap piles of books on counters and of course add flowers. I am a big fan of the faux kind as you all probably know - in a kitchen where it is often times hot a big blousy bunch of faux’s will never wilt and always add the wow factor when you enter the space. Happy decorating. Talking of kitchens I am off to my favourite cafe Violet a few mins from home for a flat white. Claire Ptak worked under Alice Waters in Berkeley before relocating to London and opening Violet. Her and her team make the most amazing cakes – dark caramel with sea salt, icings with fresh fruit purees I could go on and on. Its all made on the premises so ordering my flat white every morning you get the most amazing comforting., homely smell of baking. Its the kind of feeling I want everyone to feel the moment you open the door - enveloped by that feeling of squishy, ,happy contentment.
Could you please advise on kitchen cabinets, I cant stand melamine but it seems impossible to find very plain wooden units cheaply,.
Something that I’ve done again and again for clients is to keep the kitchen carcass or buy a cheap Ikea carcass and then get the doors made up from a DIY store. They cut them to any size out of MDF – one tip is to cut them slightly longer than standard doors that way they tend to look more bespoke. Spray a fabulous colour and for very little money you’ve suddenly got a beautifully bespoke kitchen. I go on about how to make them in my book in way more detail. Hope that helps x
I cannot live in a kitchen with cupboards.
I need to see everything, and I want everyone to see what the need as they choose. Open shelves, stacks of bowls, plates, cups and straws, and bigger bowls of fruit, and jars of pretzels, and such. The entire counter cleaned off, and added back the stack of cutting boards, all wobbly and warped. Add art and a plastic patch of grass for our plug-ins and it’s all good.
Cheers!
P.S. Coffee before a work out makes for less pain the next day. Try it. ;p
Thanks for the coffee tip shall certainly try that one!
In Australia we so often have the predictable island bench, open plan style which although very practical and workable can be so aesthetically dull when presented in the usual minimalist way. I say bring back the separate kitchen or even better in an ideal world the ‘butler’s kitchen’.
I agree for the heartbeat of the home, we really should decorate it with the things that individualise our homes as much as any other space, if not more so. We spend so much time there.
I love art in the kitchen….although must be aware of conservation issues…..frypan splatter over art not good!
I agree the tendency for open plan ness doesn’t always work. It sounds crazy but I love small rooms, infact when faced with large rooms always try and make them smaller, and like you am not a fan of making everything open plan it really depends on the building’s bones as they say
Teri Wang, I have open shelves covered with cups, bowls and bright colourful things, I hate bland impersonal kitchens, I want a few cupboards to put in the things that I don’t want to look at like blenders and steamers. Also my kitchen is large with high ceilings and looks very busy with the aforementioned bright colourful stuff so I think the odd cupboard wd be soothing. Abigail, thank u for your sound advice, I do have yr book!