SEAMLESS STYLE
A kitchen expert reflects on a furniture-like Melbourne design by Hecker Guthrie.
The kitchen here is almost like a piece of furniture – is this something you’re seeing more of?
SIMONE STEPHENS Absolutely – as the kitchen has become the hub of the home, it has also absorbed the forms and elements applied to the other spaces, so it sits more harmoniously among the interior as a whole. Over the past few years in particular we have seen more of these beautifully crafted kitchens, with considered material selection and amazingly executed details. In this kitchen the cabinets really do appear to be extensions of the cabinetry furniture found elsewhere in the house.
How do you fit the practicalities of appliances into a beautiful space like this?
Designers prefer appliances to speak the same language. They want appliances with consistency in their looks and edges, which run seamlessly between different products so the eye isn't jarred by outof-line pieces, or those that blend behind cabinetry that matches existing hardware. Appliances with the same handles or glass features lend intention to the design, helping to pull it all together. Choosing appliances from the same design family makes this easy.
Integration has been around for a long time, but how has it been refined in recent years?
Integration has come a long way. Many years ago, having a wood-grain sticker down the strip of the fridge handle was a way to unify a white fridge with the materiality of the kitchen. Now we have much more sophisticated integration. Gaps have been tightened up, products offer more flexibility in heights, widths and panel thicknesses and with accurate product information this can all accommodate a myriad of bespoke designs – providing the ultimate design freedom.