Kitchen Essential

The impact of the final surface finish in furniture and interiors can never be exaggerated. It is greater than it deserves to be. Using colour through paint not only provides a flexible and powerful way of determining the atmosphere and mood of the room, but also allows a closer involvement with the more emotional aspects of a client’s needs.

The irregularity and variations visible in a painted surface introduce a kind of waywardness and human element into a designed space that can provide a sense of relief and contrast, working against the sometimes intimidating quality of the perfect edge and flawless surface. Hand-made objects often have more richness than mass-produced, machine-made ones because of the evidence of the human hand. The kitchen is a space that needs poetic qualities as well as pragmatic ones. The beauty of preparing food, eating and conversation is real, although for much of the time it may be forgotten through haste or routine, so recognition of this in the design and decoration seems appropriate.

Choosing colours is one of the most difficult jobs a designer can do, especially if resolving differences of opinion between a husband and wife. Our experiences and associations of colour are so deep-rooted that they are often hard either to understand or explain. Subjection to any kind of scientific rule book or definable, objective criteria is impossible. It seems choosing colours is an emotional issue.

There are, however, a few guidelines that are helpful at a pragmatic level. Firstly, analyse the varying natural light levels at different parts of the room. Secondly, be aware of whether you are contrasting or working with other elements in the design. Both techniques work well for different reasons. Too much wood in a kitchen can be tiresome and light-absorbing. Colour can counteract this; its intensity affects our emotional response and there are ways of controlling this. For example, by applying several thinly pigmented coats of paint, the colour can be strong but not intense, whereas strongly pigmented colour increases emotional intensity. In large areas a subdued colour may be easier to live with. The alternative is to confine the rich intense colour to small areas such as bands or panels. This applies to using pattern as well which can also help to subdue large panels of intense colour.

Another major contribution of paint effects is their use in highlighting various parts of the design, by applying a skilled artist’s eye and hand to special panels or bands and friezes. This tradition goes back a long way, was revived by the arts and crafts movement and is an excellent way of bringing artists’ work into everyday life. I particularly like the compromise where the use of repetition and small panels produce simpler forms and strong shapes that provide resonance of a wide cultural context, with hints of abstract connections to other times and places. Over the years craftsmen have adapted ornament and pattern from symbolic or religious sources for easy repetition by simplifying them for their particular medium. For example, Persian carpets have complex and rich symbols. The patterns are derived from religious traditions to give meaning, shared messages and identification with their work. Lucy Turner and Felix Delmar, the artists I have worked with, are doing the same in a contemporary context, but with a wider range of references since our cultural life extends over an enormous area with diverse inputs. By re-interpreting these, adding their own imagination and painting skills, they bring a resonance that imparts subtle abstract qualities to the kitchen.

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