Heavy Metal: 15 Kitchens That Rock Metal Cabinets
A bit industrial, a bit luxe, totally sleek—these stainless-steel, copper, and monochromatic metal cabinets celebrate form and function. Keep reading to see how these homes have incorporated metal for a futuristic shine.
Storage, fixtures, and appliances are all housed within the monochromatic steel modules in the McCourt Townhouse. "It’s all freestanding, even the unit with the sink in it," says homeowner Chris McCourt. "Two blokes unpacked and fitted it all in a day."
The acclaimed Italian designers Ludovica+Roberto Palomba carved a serene retreat out of a 17th-century oil mill in Salento, Italy, filling it with custom creations and their greatest hits. In their minimalist kitchen: sleek steel cabinet systems and the Kono range hood from Elmar. The multi-functional stainless steel island measures 20" deep and was designed by the couple for Elmar.
For their new kitchen, Michaël Verheyden and Saartje Vereecke incorporated a Smeg cooktop, oven, and range hood, stainless steel cabinets from Habitat, and personal accessories like a prototype goblet.
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Due to its location under a lower ceiling, the kitchen gets the least amount of natural light in the home. However, Kiev-based architecture and design studio 2B.group mitigated this problem by using stainless-steel surfaces, which reflects sunlight streaming in through the dining and living.
Two of chef André Chiang’s restaurants have appeared on the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. So it makes sense that at his new home in Taiwan, which he largely designed himself, the kitchen takes center stage. To outfit it, André worked with Vipp, the maker of everything from the black steel island and stainless-steel countertops to the faucets, cabinets, shelves, pendant light fixtures—even the tea kettle and trash bin.
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Typography guru Erik Spiekermann and his wife, designer Susanna Dulkinys, hate clutter. That’s why they love the super-sleek Berlin domicile they constructed to have just the right lines—and a host of energy-saving features behind the scenes. The stainless-steel Bulthaup kitchen "cost as much as a small house," said Spiekermann, though he did get a discount: Bulthaup is one of his clients.
Cedar Creek Residence in Texas sits on a seven-acre lakeside property much beloved to the client, who wanted a modern home that connects inside and out. "The goal of the design was to provide an artful and low-maintenance retreat that would blend in with the site," said Wernerfield Architecture, who worked on the project along with Emily Summers Design Associates. The stainless-steel kitchen system is by Bulthaup, and the countertop was fashioned by Brooklyn-based Wüd Furniture Design.
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The huge island is the hub of Andrew Dunbar and Zoee Astrakhan’s kitchen. Metallic cabinetry in the kitchen complements the white cabinets that connect the space to the dining area.
When a couple were seeking to simplify their lives and live with less, Seattle-based practice Suyama Peterson Deguchi turned that vision into reality with a beautiful 2,047-square-foot home. Corrugated metal siding was used for the outside of the Junsei House, while natural wood and plywood were used throughout the interiors. The metal cabinets in the kitchen mimic the home’s exterior.
A Taiwanese expat couple purchased a 1,352-square-foot apartment near the river in the Taiwan’s New Taipei City, and reached out to interior design firm KC Design Studio to help them turn it into a stylish, modern home. Industrial elements like steel, brick, and exposed concrete harmonize with vintage accents: in the open kitchen, wood-paneled sliding doors conceal dark cabinetry. These combine with a sleek, dark counter and a shiny, bronze-clad island for a luxe effect.
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Taking inspiration from barns, warehouses, Case Study Houses, and Japanese residential architecture, architect Marcus Lee and his wife, Rachel Hart—an architectural model maker—created a unique timber-framed home in Hackney, London. In the kitchen, the Corian kitchen island unit acts as a real hub with a television tucked away under the worktop. However, the kids sit at the island for breakfast and other meals, and when guests come, they end up sitting there and talking while the owners are cooking.
To bring their adaptive-reuse abode to life, a pair of former New Yorkers tapped local studio Emerick Architects, which had completed similar renovations, such as the nearby rehabbed Ford Model-T Factory. "Marrying practicality with craftsmanship, almost everything for the project was handmade locally by Portland artisans including cabinetry, steel work, railings, doors, stairs, light fixtures, and plaster," adds the firm. Stainless steel has been used for the kitchen counters, cabinets, and backsplash.
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Designer John Picard isn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty in the kitchen, or washing the sand off his feet in the bathroom. This ecological pioneer’s half-lot home is designed for maximum efficiency—and comfort. Opening onto the open-plan living and dining rooms, the aluminum Bulthaup System 20 kitchen with its nine-foot-long stainless steel island and Miele appliances has become a focal point of the house. Pressed in one seamless sheet of steel, the island, Picard says with the obvious pride of a satisfied customer, "is an amazing piece of engineering."
SysHaus, designed by São Paulo studio Arthur Casas Design, marries sustainable engineering solutions, state-of-the-art technology, and smart urban design to construct prefabricated, modular homes in less than 60 percent of time required with traditional building methods. Arthur Casas Design included a freestanding kitchen and cabinetry for the interiors, so if needed, the modules can be easily disassembled and relocated to a new site.
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Originally from Norway, photographer Torkil Stavdal and nutritionist Jeanette Bronée brought a slice of their native Scandinavia to the Catskills when they collaborated with architect Kimberly Peck to design their dream home. In the dining area, Danish modern chairs purchased at Circa Modern are tucked into a wood table from Restoration Hardware. The kitchen cabinets, counters and sink are from IKEA with faucets from Danze.
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