For us Generation Xers, who grew up with a key chained around our neck, home has a special meaning.
Beyond its utilitarian aspects and physical comfort, the house represents a construction of unique emotions, experiences and sensations, a separate, personal world that defies time and encourages dreaming and free spirit.
Personal property is actually ownership of one’s own spirit.
The present project, a new house, built on the edge of the forest, somewhere close to Bucharest, represents a special case study for us, as the beneficiaries of the project are clients for whom, almost 15 years ago, we carried out the complete arrangement of the duplex-apartment where they are still living, located in the center of Bucharest.
The reunion -after 15 years- with the P. family was a real pleasure. We experienced the feeling of meeting experienced travelers again, on a road known only to us. And we resumed the journey together, with a retrospective of what was lived and experienced in the house arranged 15 years ago, thus understanding how to better prepare for the journey ahead – and admitting at the same time not to set an exact destination but just to experience fully the unexpected roads that will show themselves.
A complete turnkey residential project
- We found the present house to be an architectural hybrid not yet defined, which combines elements of Brâncovenesc / neo-Romanian style with elements specific to Mediterranean Greece – loved by the owners for the tranquility it evokes.
- Peace and harmony are the goals of this project – the house being thought of as a weekend retreat space, with the possibility of becoming a permanent home when the daily schedule will allow it.
- Being at the edge of the forest, arranged on a slightly curious cardinal axis, the interior takes on special aspects depending on how and when it receives natural light in its various rooms; therefore, we concluded that a common design recipe cannot be applied, each room having to be treated individually and differently.
- The interior compartmentalization, although designed according to the requests of the owners, tailored to their needs, was still rigid and did not leave room for dialogue between the spaces and their protagonists – and here we had the freedom to imagine and their support to intervene with the necessary changes.
The kitchen really is a kitchen!
- As usual, any project starts with the kitchen (!), and in this case, the kitchen is particularly important in the life of the P family. It should be mentioned that the kitchen we designed and which they have used for the last 15 years it is still a current landmark, as it has demonstrated its functionality and its active role in family life.
- The possibility of an open-space kitchen was only slightly considered and just as easily discarded, given that the kitchen must function as a real kitchen, but we concluded that it should be in close communication with the living area.
As a project brief, the kitchen had to tick off a list of precise requirements in terms of functionality: fully integrated, unitary and above all in a harmonious way.
- The induction hob with a powerful WOK gas burner – especially for sautéed dishes – for which the induction hob cannot meet the requirements of a passionate cook.
- Powerful but invisible and completely silent hood, mounted in a niche configuration – which ensures precise control of air flow and propagated odors. The proposed hood is a recessed ceiling model, but integrated almost invisibly into the furniture – thus offering a complete field of vision and freedom of movement above the hob – and is equipped with an external engine mounted on the roof that ensures extreme performance (absorption of up to 2750 mc /h). Being equipped with an external motor, the hood remains completely silent – an attribute highly appreciated by those who are passionate about cooking.
- The sink integrated into the ceramic worktop, with a large bowl for cleaning trays and a drying space for cooking accessories, teams up with the pull-out shower faucet and individual control, which provides an additional path for filtered water (which can be equally delivered cold, sparkling or even boiled at 100°C).
- The combined oven with steam cooking functions offers cooking programs with adding steam as well as full-steam or sous-vid cooking, some functions being particularly useful for baking homemade bread, which is not missing from the P. family home.
- The ’round the clock’ dishwasher which is a model with quick wash and active Zeolith drying functions will have a full life with a busy schedule.
- The built-in refrigerator is as standard as possible in dimensions and aims at the careful preservation of quality food and not the capacity and volume, as it is only necessary for the correct and short-term preservation of fresh food. You’re probably wondering why there’s a handle – the only handle in the kitchen – next to the fridge; beyond its indisputable utility, we have created a kind of secret in plain sight, a touch of fine humor characteristic of the owner.
Wine and coffee area
We have dedicated an exclusive area, formed by an independent group of columns, to the Wine preservation and serving segment that incorporates the built-in wine cellar with 2 separate climat zones and the Coffee Zone, hidden behind retractable furniture doors (pocket-doors type), which respects extremely exact requirements in accordance with the setup of professional coffee machines, which only a true enthusiast or barista can understand and appreciate.
Mr. P. shares his wisdom about coffee:
‘After a lot of time dedicated to specialized reading, both as an art and as medical implications, I can say that the right espresso will always concentrate the minerals and oils from the coffee bean correctly roasted, correctly ground (as “cold”) and correctly extracted (time, temperature, pressure in the group, not in the pump). Correctly extracted, you can drink as much as you want without dramatic impact on your stomach or nervous system. But this, like everything else, is a matter of taste and as these are not subject of debate, I respect any form of consumption around me’.
The kitchen table
The kitchen table must be a true-sense table and accommodate the 4 family members, both for the proper serving of the dishes and for the family’s moments of social connection.
Once these objectives were integrated into a fluid volumetric design, the aesthetic design was defined by the finish of the wooden fronts of the columns, which present a pattern of rhythmic grooves (not to be confused with ‘ribbed’!) and give an appearance of fine panelling, which masks the real dimensioning of the modules.
The work areas, respectively the work front related to the hob and the functional island are made entirely of textured ceramic, with a natural earthy appearance.
The table is made of slatted wood, in the same tone as the columns, and supported by a central wooden leg, which becomes almost invisible from real points of view inside the space.
Living area – day-dreaming area
With the same approach and choice of natural materials, we continued the journey in the living area, which fluidly serves three or even four functions.
The fireplace provides the perfect setting for moments of conversation and introspection. The entire wall that integrates the fireplace is shared with the work front of the kitchen, and they fit into the joint column for ventilation of the hood and the fireplace piping. This artifice was the key point of the project, as it allowed both the placement of the fireplace and the necessary space for the island within the kitchen. For obvious aesthetic reasons at this point, for unity and communication of the spaces, the grooved wood finish with its boiserie effect plays the role of messenger. The fireplace burner works with wood and has been integrated into a classic, symmetrical construction, which provides space for family photos against a background provided by a unique slab of natural stone from the Anatolian area.
The library
It is based on a self-supporting and bifacial construction system, specific to the Italian design revolution of the late 60’s, and it completely flanks the interior staircase, thus excluding the need for a special aesthetic development of it (I never understood why the interior staircases, which have only a simple functional role, are given exaggerated attention and are treated like artworks, positioned in the foreground of the house).
The library integrates a Home Theater hidden by sliding doors, behind which is located the generously sized TV as well as the audio system, players and gaming console. We are glad that we still have the chance to design such a bookcase, a type of construction that is at the end of a long career, and which we will probably only see again in interior design textbooks and albums.
Dining area
Facing the courtyard and at the confluence of the interior spaces, the family dinner table plays an important role in extended family gatherings, especially during the Holidays, and for the Christmas period for which occasion we managed a space for the decorated Christmas tree – an important moment for the family. In order not to obstruct the natural light, the large table (when it is fully extended reaches 3 meters) is an extreme minimalist model and the chairs are really transparent, being made of textile cords on minimal black metal structures and have the advantage that they can be moved to the terrace, being an outdoor model.
The island sofa
In tune with the Mediterranean-island character of the project, the sofa provides space for conversation in front of the fireplace as well as space to relax in front of the TV, where the two children of the family also have the freedom to immerse themselves in the world of gaming. One of the main themes of the project aimed at enabling the family to spend as many moments as possible together. The island sofa makes it possible that during the time spent together, everyone can choose, to their liking, the place or activity they desire.
The project’s defining element is the absence of windows in the living area. To capture as much natural light as possible but also to create an infinite opening to the space, we kept the arches in their immaculate form and replaced the windows – which should have closed these arches – with a reflective glass curtain wall, built into the terrace.
This stunning approach redefines spatiality and solves the equation of light on the inside, and on the outside it clarifies the architectural stylistic confusion by proposing a completely new and yet non-invasive character.
How did we tackle the project?
The project is in full swing, the journey is far from over, and as we love to travel, we will experience the enticing side roads. In any case, we will not let ourselves be trapped by the beaten paths, because this house is a story about life, which will not take into account the honest empiricism of the times.
We promise to update with news from our trip.
→ Andrei Gângă, Art Director MyKitchen
Project details:
- Kitchen: Binova Model Woodline / Lab
- Appliances: NEFF Collection, Pando
- Home furniture: Saba Italia, Lapalma, DiTre, Kico, Calligaris
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