The owners of this loft desired a contemporary, yet warm and welcoming, subtle Asian aesthetic. To this end I employed a series of yin yang contrasts: dark vs. light materials, textured vs. smooth, horizontal vs. vertical elements.
The couple spends the winter in warmer climates, but wanted the design to subtly remind them of the winters they were missing when they were home for the summer. The cabinetry was designed to abstractly recall the leafless tree branches prevalent in a Minnesota winter. To achieve this, the cabinetry doors were stained dark grey. A branch pattern was then routed into their surfaces. Finally they were overlayed with a layer of sandblasted, black glass.
The materials are natural, quartered white oak cabinetry, sustainable warm-toned bamboo flooring, black slate and glass tile, black granite countertops and stainless steel. See the video interview or read the article at Trends Magazine.
This kitchen won first place, “Best of the Best” in Subzero’s coveted 2013 biannual regional kitchen design contest. It also garnered the 2013 RAVE (Residential Architects Vision & Excellence) award.
See more of my work at Bjella Architecture.