Collection by Meg Dwyer
Kitchen-spiration
Cedar planks and gray-stained oak flooring line the interior. A minimalist LED lighting strip by Systemalux runs through the kitchen area, enhancing the wood ceiling’s reddish tone.
A 12-foot “display island” gives this kitchen programmatic function—food and drinks are prepared here; cooking and cleaning are consigned to the back—and helps make it a welcoming space, whether homeowners Pacek and Roynon are entertaining or simply enjoying time to themselves. The soft green hue adds an inviting touch.
#gessato # catalonia #farmhouse
In the farmhouse architect Lucy Marston built for her family in Suffolk, England, she balanced off-the-shelf pieces, such as a velvet-covered sofa from sofa.com, with customized key elements, like the kitchen. The refrigerator is from Fisher & Paykel, and the tiles are from Topps Tiles.
While few design professionals in Spain are familiar with rammed-earth construction today, it was once a common building block in the Pyrenees, which is partly why architect Àngels Castellarnau chose it.
The new kitchen borrowed space and light from the original courtyard. The spirit of the courtyard remains with the buffer between the kitchen and the exterior wall. The cabinets are from Ikea, the countertops are quartzite, and the grill top is from Bertazzoni.
How does the shop support local artisans and makers and why was that an important element?
We’ve got a number of pieces from Brooklyn-based makers and craftspeople. Supporting them by giving them a platform to further get their stories and products out is one way of giving back. The other way is showcasing local artisans in the context of the larger world. Seeing local product alongside other pieces gathered from around the globe reveals the quality of the design that comes out of the borough.
How did you select the brands and designers to feature in the shop? Is there a particular sensibility that unites the collection?
We hand selected the products to be best-in-class design from best-in class-designers and makers with enough edge and wit to stand the test of time.
The residents incorporated speed racks into the cabinets. Typically found in restaurants, the racks offer chefs intermediate storage. In this case, the couple places food behind the cabinet until it’s ready to serve. After the meal is over, they can stow dirty dishes out of sight instead of interrupting the party with cleanup. To ensure trays slide in and out without catching the cabinet, King used hinges that allow the door to rotate 270 degrees.
Fabian and Dorothee Heine’s renovation began and ended with a particular kitchen system. Almost a year before finding the flat they would call home, the Hamburg-based couple decided upon a matte black Vipp kitchen that Fabian had glimpsed in the window of the company’s Copenhagen showroom. The island serves as a generous workspace for Fabian to prepare dishes with her son Morten.
© Vojteck Ketz courtesy of Marta Nowicka & Co.
