A home,” says Vincent Sagart, designer and owner of Poliform Washington by SagartStudio, “is where we come to unwind and be sincere.” The kitchen, then, is the homeʼs heart. The kitchen has become the hub, the social core. Itʼs where our rituals converge – coffee, breakfast, cocktails, cooking supper. Itʼs where we sip cappuccino, browse the morning paper, open a fine wine, or enjoy meals with family and friends. This centricity has elevated the design of the space. The kitchen has evolved into a focal point, an area for movement, energy, and display.
Part bar, part hearth, and part nook, todayʼs kitchen is no longer a hidden area where prep work is done far from view. Itʼs seen from other rooms – the dining room, den, study. Interaction is key – whether entertaining friends or keeping an eye on the kids, the person cooking needs to be able to perform several functions with ease.
Elements such as softly curved cabinetry, multi-planar work surfaces, and bold contrasts have a strong presence. Warm, exotic woods are being used everywhere, from deep chocolate wenge to rich teak. Lighting is useful, subtle, and natural. Walls are coming down and windows are going in. Kitchens empty into dens and dining rooms, and these areas flow into salons and entryways. Fewer sharp corners; instead, lengthened curves. Efficiency is imperative in the design, and simplicity reigns.
The Cuisine Scene
There has been a cultural shift in how people understand and use their kitchens. In talking with clients, Sagart has seen a sea change over the past 10 to 15 years. Especially in places with a strong international pulse – such as Washington – people are highly aware of international cuisine and innovative, simple meals inspired by those served in cafés and spas. Clients have become adamant about their health, Sagart says. “They eat less, but enjoy it more. They want to make tastier food. Suddenly, appliances really matter.”
Mark White of Kitchen Encounters in Annapolis agrees. “People are spending more money than ever on their appliances. They consider it a true investment,” he says. High-end appliances are being continually reinvented. Cooktops are restaurant-grade – Foremost Appliances sells top-of-the-line magnetic induction models by Diva and Gaggenau that emit no heat. Coffee and espresso machines are seamlessly integrated into storage panels. Temperature-controlled wine storage can be displayed prominently or concealed within cabinetry. Ventilation hoods, according to Amir Farazad of AAI-Poggenpohl, are becoming strong design elements – people are moving toward more commercial-looking hoods. The old stodgy, boxy refrigerators have evolved into a versatile feature, available in forms varying from simple bilevel drawer systems to tall, lean columns. Thermador and Liebherr offer sleek models reaching 7ʼ.
As people become increasingly conscious of whatʼs involved in the preparation of fine food and beverage, they want transparent, exposed kitchens that are integrated with the rest of the home. A sinuous, open kitchen promotes sociability, inviting guests and family members to peek in on preparations. Itʼs how we live now – this integration reflects our changing interests, our growing knowledge of gourmet, and our relentless need to multitask.
Form and Finish
In deciding what to conceal and what to enhance, each space presents a new set of challenges. Myrna Friedlander Smith, an interior designer living in Bethesda, approached Sagart with the task of creating a full-size eat-in kitchen in a small space with an open layout. Friedlander Smith and her husband, Gene Smith, had expressed a desire for an inviting, modern kitchen to adjoin seamlessly with the rest of their condominium. They wanted to capitalize on all the natural light from their broad windows, and create an illusion of enlargement.
The space is almost enamored with itself – so many reflective surfaces. But the resulting effect is not cold modernity. Rather, the mirrored plane of the bar and a matching backsplash enlarge the space and make it fluid. As you move about the kitchen, your lines are reflected, and so is the movement. The space captures the energy of its owners, and through the use of clean lines and rich materials it manages to be at once energetic, soothing, and sophisticated.
The kitchen is beautifully efficient, with an emphasis on materials and function rather than decoration. The dark chocolate tones of wenge wood contrast deeply with the cool steel and chrome. A flat plasma-screen TV is tastefully placed in a corner panel – a place where, a few years ago, a microwave would likely have gone. The space enhances and streamlines the way they live.
“This is not something weʼd be able to do if we had young children,” says Friedlander Smith, gesturing toward the impossibly smooth stainless steel countertops that are central to her Poliform kitchen. “But we can, and we love it.”
Color and Light
Natural light plays an integral part in todayʼs kitchen. As people become more comfortable experimenting with colors and materials, new, subtle lighting effects become possible.
Sagart designed another kitchen for an Annapolis home bright with windows and perched on the river. This high-ceilinged space uses a quiet pink-tinged hue for the walls and muted blue cabinetry, pictured left. The shy colors combine with the dayʼs changing light for an organic quality that canʼt be replicated with dimmers and fixtures.
Recessed lighting and pendant lamps are simple ways to enhance the natural light of an open, windowed kitchen. Although many homeowners are still tentative with color in permanent kitchen elements, the palette of materials is getting brighter and warmer. Stainless steel is everywhere, from appliances to countertops, but can be easily warmed up with wooden floors. Granite countertops remain popular, but new lines of quartz, synthetic stone, colored concrete, wood, and semiprecious cut stone surfaces offer a spectrum of colors, finishes, and textures.
Cabinetry, says White, is being seen in colors like barn reds, sage greens, and delicate yellows. Rich woods such as mahogany and teak are being used here as well, and many of Sagartʼs kitchens feature wenge wood.
“Materials speak for themselves,” Sagart says. And the kitchen is full of opportunities to enhance traditional or neutral color schemes even if you donʼt want to make sweeping changes. Island surfaces, butcherʼs blocks, and textiles are good places for bold colors, and can be changed out with relative ease.
The New Embellishments
As homeowners become more design-conscious and wary of “functionless” form, embellishment is being integrated into permanent fixtures. Dramatic wood grains can be incorporated in many kitchen surfaces. “Contemporary styling uses a horizontal grain,” White says. “It gives an Asian influence.” Snaidero and Poggenpohl offer custom storage elements available in walnut and zebrano woods that feature striking grain patterns.
Backsplashes are brightening up, using geometric mosaics and iridescent jewel-toned tiles. A curvilinear island can also be a tasteful embellishment. Sinks in organic, curved shapes and asymmetrical forms are now available from Kohler and Waterworks. Multi-level planes in the kitchen are being added, says White, as in a breakfast nook or island – these help to break up the space for the eye and convey a sense of movement.
Even the smallest touches can influence the look and feel of a kitchen. Self-closing drawers and cabinets, rectilinear drawer handles, and slender, goose-necked faucets are emerging trends.
Keeping it Simple
The most successful kitchens streamline processes and bring the home a sense of brightness, warmth, and sophistication. Multi-faceted and seamless, they flow perfectly into adjacent rooms. They blend natural light and integrated fixtures, and convey an overall sense of luxury with high ceilings, restaurant-grade appliances, and striking contrasts. They conceal their clutter and display their curves.
Above all, they feel simple, effortless. As Sagart puts it, complexity can be dramatic, but it is simplicity that at dayʼs end allows us to recharge and truly appreciate our time spent in the heart of the home.
