This project is special, because it was completed by our colleague, Ilinca Alexandru, a recent graduate of the University of Architecture in Bucharest, majoring in Interior Design, as part of the learning and improvement program within My Kitchen.
This is not her first interaction with My Kitchen, as during her studies she did 2 internship periods with us.
Starting from the idea that the best method of learning is personal experience, we encouraged Ilinca to design her new home kitchen. In this way, she had to take the measurements of the space, talk to the family members to find out what their current needs and wishes are, outline the future project and finally draw the new configuration.
Thus, she became familiar not only with the process of buying a kitchen from the customer’s perspective, but also with the most diverse elements that make up a kitchen: the furniture, the worktop and wall coverings, the home appliances and fittings, the multitude of accessories and the lighting system and not last with design programs.
Of course, she benefited from the support and attention of the whole team to fulfill her dream: a gorgeous Binova kitchen, Bluna Model.
The text you are about to read is written by her.
From theoretical study to practical experience, from Ilinca’s perspective
Every day I thought of all kinds of possible configurations for the kitchen, and as an architect, it was a constant struggle between the existing inefficient space and the desire for a kitchen with a unified aesthetic that gave a quiet and comfortable feeling. The need to have an uncluttered space, which causes you pleasure when you enter it, determined the initiation of the kitchen project.
When you are faced with your own challenges, it becomes difficult to find a starting point and take ownership of any decision you make, because you end up being your own harshest critic. The whole dynamic changes the moment you as an architect become a client. You have the freedom to develop any idea you have, which is why it’s ideal to start with a design philosophy.
In the present case, it is based on two principles – peace and harmony.
The rethinking of the space started from a simple drawing on paper, which began to come to life precisely because of the constraints of the room. Trying to mask the various beams and voids of the space, integrating all the appliances, and including a social area were the real challenges in terms of design.
Peninsula, an ingenious solution in defining a welcoming atmosphere
Because the old kitchen suffered from a lack of space for socializing, it was necessary to think of an area that could bring people together and also create a place to eat.
This is how we got the final volume, with a peninsula located in the center of the kitchen. Even if it does not seem natural to the space at first glance, it streamlines the way to cook and move in the space, and becomes the room centerpiece.
The “surprise” element is the very one from which the mood-board started. The ghostly finish on the fronts of the wall cabinets, which has a metallic film and is perceived differently depending on the light, has fascinated me since I first came into contact with it. The rest of the finishes then followed naturally, since in the absence of natural light, the space required bright finishes. However, to give a graphic line to the whole volume, I proposed that both the horizontal ‘Gola’ type handle and the vertical one to be black.
Given that any composition needs 4 types of materials: opaque color, stone, metal and wood), I used the following finishes:
- for the front doors of the base units and columns ‘Laser PET’ – ‘Creta Opaco’,
- HPL ‘Pietra Grigia’ for the countertop to imitate stone,
- ‘Alutech’ – ‘Champagne’ for the metallic effect of the wall cabinets, and
- Bilaminato – ‘Noce Cantù’ for the wooden insert.
Lighting was decisive for such a small, yet high space.
Under the wall units, there are recessed spotlights instead of LED strips, precisely to generate a softer and gentler lighting. The height of the space also influenced the choice of the lighting fixture above the discussion area. In addition to its interior copper color, which brings warmth to the environment, the ceiling lamp distributes the light on 3 levels, making the whole space outstanding and eliminating the need for another light source.
Integrated design solutions
Because the architectural gesture of the project aims at visual tranquility, a specific detail of the arrangement consists in the solution with which we closed the pillar and beam located in the left corner to the hob. To provide continuity to the wall cabinets, we created an apparent, inaccessible unit, covered with the same metal material on the front. Despite the appearances, the storage space lost with this element is in fact almost non-existent due to the structural bulkiness behind it.
At the same time, the entire composition on the right side of the kitchen was designed with the aim of masking the niche dug into the wall, maximizing the storage space and the worktop, and simultaneously to create, in itself, a design piece that comes in completing the preparation area.
The warmth that this space brings is enhanced both by the wood panelling that forms a frame for the plants, and by the vegetation itself.
The base unit which was reduced in depth, together with the wooden top and the Open Space “Grid” modules form the perfect space for using kitchen robots and always having spices at hand, which also bring that “drop of color” to the environment.
Now, after the completion of the project, the kitchen has a completely different energy and has truly become the “heart” of the house, managing to generate a unique mood.
Project data sheet
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Model: BLUNA (BINOVA Cucine)
- Doors for Base units and columns: Laser PET ‘Creta Opaco’
- Wall cabinets doors: AluTech ‘Champagne’
- Worktop and wall cladding: HPL ‘Pietra Grigia’
- Wall panelling and wooden modules: Bilaminato ‘Noce Cantù’
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Appliances: Bosch, AEG, Whirlpool
