Last year, the owners of an acclaimed Danish design brand decided that it was time to remodel the kitchen of their vacation home in Vejby, about 31 miles north of Copenhagen. The residence, built in 1931, sits on a cliff with an arresting view of the ocean. The couple chose to maintain many of the charming elements that they had fallen in love with—stone floors, warm wood paneling on the walls, and large picture windows that frame the sea—however, the kitchen was in need of updates.

The couple decided on cabinets designed by Ghent-based duo Muller Van Severen for Reform, a Danish company that elevates IKEA kitchens with designer fronts. The bright, bold panels of the MATCH kitchen have a punchy, graphic look that pairs perfectly with the vibrant accessories the couple themselves design. As a plus, it’s also highly customizable, which was perfect for the vacation home kitchen and its slightly smaller footprint.

The homeowners chose the layout, adding upgrades in the form of custom, pull-out drawers, and dictated the order of the vivid panels that compose the MATCH kitchen. “It is possible to mix and match [the colors] as you like,” explains Reform’s co-founder, Jeppe Christensen. “You can use all five different color options—or you can also choose to have an entirely green kitchen.”

The panels are made from durable, wax-like, high-density polyethylene (HDPE)—a plastic traditionally used in cutting boards, and Muller Van Severen’s signature material. “We have always felt a love for polyethylene, with its powerful colors,” explains Fien Muller. “It is not a dead plastic with a cold and smooth surface. It has a soft and warm appearance that invites you to touch.”

By contrast, the countertop is luxe Calacatta Viola marble. The thick-veined, elegant material is a choice that adds more drama to the mix, as does the choice of on-trend brass sink and fixtures. “We wanted to bring an unexpected combination of materials,” explains Muller. “We wanted to use materials that have been used for a very long time and are fairly classic, but also work with new materials, bringing them together in a surprising way. It is a subtle exercise between contrast and harmony.”

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Project Credits:

Reform MATCH kitchen by Muller Van Severen for Reform