Kitchen Essential

Traditional or modern, useful labels or cliches. Most kitchens are marketed under one of these descriptions, and the results are predictable. A ‘traditional’ kitchen is made of aged or stained wood with raised panels, doors, a scattering of suitable mouldings, a bit of fretwork, china knobs throughout and brass-trimmed appliances. If it is expensive or up-market, a few extra luxuries may be thrown in. Its ‘modern’ counterpart will have a consistent melamine finish, probably white, chrome handles, stainless steel appliances, plus various special features related to whichever company’s products are on offer. The differences are only just perceptible.

However, I have always thought that such labels are stereotypes with little vitality left in them. It is possible to develop designs that go beyond these boundaries. For a start, the combination of the two in one piece of furniture makes for wicked good fun. A nice fat semi-traditional moulding adjacent to a stainless steel catering-style sink with dragged hand-painted cupboard doors below and giant cleat handles is my attempt in the kitchen illustrated opposite to combat these cliches. There are all sorts of other ways of going beyond them; for example, by giving expression to a fully developed idea that comes from an individual’s imagination. Designers in any profession are capable of this, some better than others. Through brainstorming and the free association of ideas, new thinking is born.

There are so many cultural connections possible that share the broad umbrella of the visual arts to which the discipline of kitchen design is affiliated. The most obvious are historical periods in art, architecture, furniture and household furnishing and in different cultures. The list of wider connections is endless, but could include anything from early Egyptian sculpture — their carving techniques were simple and effective and the lines simple and dramatic — to early twentieth-century gypsy wagons where the space was planned to maximum effect and the use of timber for ornamental purposes unparalleled.

If clothes designers cross cultural divides and mix different historical periods in the same garment, then there is no reason why the thinking behind kitchens cannot be equally dynamic. Decisions about furniture and interiors are of course subject to different criteria, primarily their comparative permanence. Because you expect to live with furniture for so long, this understandably leads to a conservative tendency (same as the grand-parents, please) but it is possible to go along with this and achieve a fresh approach at the same time.

There is so much opportunity in an area the size of a kitchen where there are several pieces of furniture to accommodate, to make subtle changes of style through shape, detail, colour and material. As soon as one works out how to translate the cultural references into three dimensions, it is worth considering what is happening during this process. On a surface level it is simply a question of what a person likes, dislikes, is interested in, or has been involved with in their lives. At a deeper level it is a search for the significance of the more subtle messages that lie in all man-made objects and for what makes one feel comfortable.

In dealing with my clients or patrons I have had many long enjoyable conversations where I have been trying to formulate in my mind a picture of what their ‘cultural umbrella’ consists of. Each time it is so different, reminding me of the incredible individuality of each human being.

During the design process I use this information to develop the design. I don’t remain a passive bystander. I add my own input because I believe that a designer is employed for the exercise of his imagination. A client appreciates being offered something a bit beyond their own imagination. A designer has to justify his or her existence too; it is his or her responsibility to question the brief to make sure it is coherent and answers the real needs of the client. Style is a difficult area because aesthetic judgements tend to be more intimate than other types of decisions but certainly where a one- off commission is concerned, it is a useful dynamic force behind the design and it is quite possible to go beyond the cliche of traditional or modern. If it is handled well, it can give the end result a quiet originality and a life of its own.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Kitchen Décor, the Question of Style and Beyond

• Conquering Clutter
• THE ABC OF COOKWARE Part 1
• Conquering Clutter (continue...)
• THE ABC OF COOKWARE Part 2
• Instant Kitchen Styles
• Spice up your Kitchen with Colour (Seaside Chic, Contemporary,Provencal Country & Industrial)
• A kitchen for entertaining
• Practical storage in the Kitchen, Pots, Pans, Bags of Groceries and Delicious Comforting Aromas continue...
• Kitchen Essentials AND Utensils Part 1
• Kitchen Renovation, relocate Cabinets and Appliances with U-shape Kitchen Design

Trackback URI | Comments RSS