Big Concepts, Tiny Details

Written by Emily Lyons

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Cooking is an art that, when done well, incorporates all five senses. Sizzling sounds, robust smells, nuanced flavors, surprising textures, and appetite-inducing color. Simplicity and efficiency, although driving principles in design, are not quite enough to capture the convivial indulgences a kitchen makes possible. Beyond a clean, crisp design, there must be personal distinction and a sense of liveliness and pleasure. The new designs by some of the area’s most imaginative professionals are more spectacular than subtle, yet still give center stage to what makes the space important: the people and the food.

An Italian design house, Boffi, that’s currently at work opening an impressive showroom in Cady’s Alley, is known for taking accepted design concepts and pushing them further with the utmost attention to pure forms, clean layouts, and extraordinary finishing touches. As Roberto Gavazzi, CEO of Boffi, puts it, “Pleasure is incorporated in the design.” No less impressive but a little more homespun, Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, for example, uses details that are meant to endure, avoiding trendiness and calming the eye rather than catching it.

These are just two points on the spectrum. Maybe you’re ready to push boundaries with a bare-boned, avant-garde kitchen that’s all style. Maybe you want something exquisite but familiar and a little timeworn, finished in wood and stone. Maybe you’re somewhere between these ideas, or you have your own vision altogether. Regardless, a great kitchen is like a fine meal. The magic occurs when every detail is elevated.

What Hasn’t Changed

Natural beauty will never go out of style. Jennifer Gilmer knows this. While the designs of her kitchens vary depending on the lifestyle and preferences of each owner, her guiding principles are firm. “My goal is to design something that has longevity,” she says.

And she does. Her designs are familiar without being tired. She favors high quality stone work, straight paint finishes, interesting backsplashes, wood floors (“classic through and through,” she says), stainless steel sinks and appliances, and traditional elements that are authentic and one-of-a-kind such as carvings, doors, and hardware. She believes overly distressed finishes, farmhouse sinks, and some glass tiles are a bit trendy at the moment and will soon be outdated. Design elements that are newer but lasting are subtle Asian accents, such as the smooth Mizuki cabinetry by Premier shown above, the blending of indoor and outdoor spaces, and the integration of the kitchen with other areas of the home.

Gavazzi also believes in the timelessness of certain materials such as marble and steel. He says they gain character with age whereas vinyl and laminates tend to look sloppy when they show wear. “A stainless steel finish with three scratches looks bad,” he says, but after more use come many fine scratches that add to the look rather than detract.

What Has

Well-made synthetic materials, however, can be durable and exciting in ways granite and wood never will be. Snaidero’s new Venus kitchen concept by Ferrari designer Paolo Pininfarina features highly saturated hues of glossy red, a leather-effect Microtouch finish, curved surfaces, and deep-colored woods as a contrast to the subtle Scandinavian designs that have been popular in recent years. The kitchen is meant to be provocative, appetizing, and conducive to creativity.

Bulthaup has made strides in making the entire kitchen feel lighter and simpler. For example, the company creates countertops made of stone sliced at a thickness of one centimeter and backed by metal to reinforce the material. Cabinetry may be situated so it seems to “float” on the wall – giving no visual cues as to how it’s attached.

Storage has become more intuitive and ergonomic. Alison Tilley, showroom manager at Bulthaup in Cady’s Alley, says there are new ways of storing things in spaces that are easy to access rather than up high or down low. Backsplashes, for example, can conceal storage space ideal for cooking oils, spices, and stovetop utensils. The Bulthaup b3 kitchen concept whittles the kitchen down to its essential functions – the water point, the cooking point, and the cooling point – and minimizes the movements a person must do to reach each.

Transitional Spaces

If only one could be named, versatility might be the defining trait of the modern kitchen. It’s visible from other rooms, so the chef doesn’t feel detached from the group and the floor plan has fluidity. It promotes sociability, with plenty of room to mingle, sit, and lean. It endorses a clean, casual lifestyle, but dresses up beautifully for special events and gatherings.

In a rather simple and immediately pleasurable Potomac guesthouse kitchen designed by Vincent Sagart, designer and owner of Poliform Washington by SagartStudio, a quiet beauty was reached. “We did not obey any route,” he says, explaining that the entire design process was organic.

The result is an airy space where traditional and contemporary elements feel equally at home. The round window that charms the space and brings in warmth is reflected in a glass backsplash, rather than repeated as a “matchy” detail. The simplicity is enticing; it’s a space you want to fill with food and conversation. “It’s calm,” Sagart says, “but doesn’t insult anyone’s intelligence.” He continues that with more ornamentation the kitchen would not have been so exciting. “A few simple flowers give the space a mood.”