Do you really want a kitchen
...or a living room in which you can cook? With ever increasing demands on our time, families seek ways to encourage a more sociable environment at home. In the 21st century cooking is different. Fast, slow, rote, healthy, pre-packaged, re-heated and done within sight of family. The room has changed with our behaviour and there is currently no dictionary definition for it.
Although we still refer to it as a 'kitchen', we deliver more than this word implies, perhaps best described as living spaces in which you cook. Much of our current work is adapting homes to meet the desire for light and create open plan living environments that unite social and practical functions into one multi-functional hub.
Happy kitchens
We want people to love being in their kitchens. By promoting sociability and a relaxed lifestyle we can make our clients feel good. We establish a 'sweet spot' that enables you to have views towards the table, landscape, entrance or fireplace while you are preparing a meal.
This is combined with a raised food bar or leaning platform so that company comes to you while you work. Eye contact with anyone else in the kitchen leads to easy, informal conversations.
Hardwired needs
We are inspired by neuroscientist John Zeisel and authors Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence) and Rita Carter (Mapping the Mind) and apply their insights to our design of living spaces in order to generate well-being in people's homes. We work with a clear understanding that humans have many hard-wired emotional and psychological needs.
People feel more comfortable if they can see visitors approaching; a hearth or fireplace induces basic feelings of sociability and comfort; and some of the smells of cooking such as bread baking and coffee evoke homeliness and pleasure.
Connection to nature
The garden may now often be viewed as the room adjacent to the kitchen. In many projects we begin by making the link between kitchen and garden stronger. Natural light and the sight of nature relax the brain and set one's body clock to the natural rhythm of the day.
We can bring the garden into the kitchen using French doors and adding a terrace for al fresco living. In addition, we will consider the arc of the sun's warmth when positioning a table or work area.
Eco mentality
Sustainable kitchens are not just about energy-saving appliances and green-sourced materials. We believe it is green to use creativity in making a place that people love being in and which will last for years. Durability and longevity are a major part of sustainability. By ignoring fads we remove the need for a replacement as it goes out of fashion.
By making our furniture to high standard of construction it won't need replacing because it is falling apart. By planning for a modern way of life we remove the need to replace it because it is not pragmatic. In short, our kitchens should happily see antique status!