We met Adrian at the MyKitchen Studio showroom, he came to visit with an appointment, but he was quite reluctant about dealing with a kitchen design studio following an unpleasant experience at our competitor’s kitchen furniture showroom.
He said we were neighbors, he lives a few numbers away, in a residential complex in Bucharest, Ferdinand I Blvd., in his personal 2-flat apartment. We asked him why hadn’t he scheduled a meeting with us in the first place, given we were his neighbors; ─ turns out he preferred to use the services of another kitchen studio due to the ubiquitous advertisements.
Over time, we’ve had our share of new clients coming to MyKitchen showroom after a tour of other kitchen studios. They are often greeted by sellers who try to make a sale at any cost, or inexperienced designers, or the required costs do not reflect the quality of the furniture. We proudly take on the responsibility of rekindling the spark of enthusiasm for kitchen design for “experienced” customers, so to speak.
- Andrei Gângă, Art Director MyKitchen Studio
Chatting further into our design session, he told us he was disappointed that the previous studio did not quite understand his requests, the designer had drawn the same kitchen configuration as the kitchen he wanted to change. He was obligated to pay an advance, he did not like the kitchen project, and the cost estimate was far too high to find the logic to continue.
The creative discussion started with difficulty due to Adrian’s reticence, but we soon reached some conclusions after analyzing the kitchen space and its challenges. Indeed, although the relatively small space required a certain type of approach for kitchen furniture, the real challenge came from the geometry of the walls, especially the 3 angles in the kitchen area that did not allow a linear configuration of furniture, including the presence of a window.
Adrian’s requests brought an additional note of complexity by the fact that he wanted to incorporate all the appliances in the kitchen – washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, and the small space with intricate geometry was already problematic.
Adrian’s original kitchen
*Click on images for a larger version.
How do we simplify a complicated project?
Our structural solution was to compensate for the kitchen wall angles with wall paneling to level the furniture horizontally and hide the water piping – sink and water supply for the laundry machine and dishwasher, including the hood exhaust pipe.
In any kitchen furniture project, the geometry of the space must be emphasized, regardless of the shape of the space, and sometimes it takes a little courage to develop solutions that redraw the line of the walls.
Our mission was to bring enough storage space for the kitchen inventory, to incorporate appliances, but still to have enough room for maneuver in the space.
The technical project for the new kitchen
*Click on images for a larger version.
The innovation of this project consists in compensating the space with wall panels and leveling the furniture one step ahead of the original walls. This structural intervention allowed us to “trick” a new simpler, linear geometry of the space, and to provide the necessary depth for which we featured a lighted shelf for Adrian’s collection of wine glasses.
The new kitchen in all its minimalist splendor
*Click on images for a larger version.
The first concept drafts included a snack bar area in the kitchen, but Adrian wanted a real table for the dining area, a table that can accommodate at least 5 people, suitable for board games and socializing.
Together we found a simple (and colossal) table in the Magis Design portfolio, made from a unitary slate countertop with natural grain, an element that brings weight to the kitchen configuration and allows seats for 6 people. Chairs were found at Bo Concept, including the chandelier above the table. Also from Magis, Adrian found a minimalist watch.
*Click on images for a larger version.
Adrian’s style is minimalist, and this minimalism is not only declarative but part of his philosophy of life – less is more – to reduce the objects and accessories that decorate your residential environment to the essentials, including, as well, to reduce the ideas or beliefs that occupy too much mental space. The choice for the kitchen fronts material – pure white – comes from this minimalist approach.
White brings light into the open space kitchen which is facing the inner courtyard, white opens up the space, white relaxes the gaze. Along with the naturally veined gray of the stone panels, the aesthetics of the kitchen impart a necessary calm for a minimalist.
Project file
- Doors: FENIX NTM Bianco KOS, Gola groove handle
- Worktop and wall panels: 20mm thickness Heat resistant HPL „Pietra Antracite”
- Slate table and wall clock: Magis Design
- Chairs: Bo Concept
- Multifunction oven with 7 heating functions, HIDE door opening: NEFF
- 3-zone induction hob, TwistPad control, stainless steel frame: NEFF
- Dishwasher with 3 drawers, electronic programming, InfoLight floor projection: NEFF
- Low Frost Combi fridge, volume 272L, LED lighting: NEFF
About Adrian
Passionate about travelling, Adrian worked in the financial field in Romania until he received a job offer in Dubai, a relocation that allowed him to visit Asian countries, more easily accessible from that part of the world.
The experience with Dubai opened new life perspectives – from the desire to live in a space that allows freedom of personalization, after 4 years of rent, to the understanding of cultural customs very different from the Romanian ones.
Returning to Bucharest, back in his own apartment given up for rent, he wanted to make some changes, to rebuild the “nest”, to transform the space into a personal environment, which reflects his philosophy.
We always greet each other when he passes in front of MyKitchen showroom (70 Ferdinand I Blvd.), he is one of our happy customers, a customer who understood the value of the process that leads to the desired results.
