Leamington Kitchen

Written by

22 July 2020

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4 min read

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Pared-back Poggenpohl design allows kitchen to shine.

As anyone who has designed a minimalist aesthetic will tell you, it only takes one misstep for the whole scheme to fall over and getting something to look simple is often quite a complex undertaking.

When the owners of this property approached Poggenpohl designer Lara Farmilo to come up with a minimalist kitchen design, she knew it was going to be a tall order.

“My clients were downsizing and had built a development of three townhouses, one for them to live in and the other two as investments,” says Lara. “The living area in what was to be their townhouse is open plan and not very large. It is also an awkwardly shaped room, with the kitchen space acting as a backdrop to the living area.

“Because of this arrangement, the clients wanted the kitchen space to have a pared-back feel yet still also have a distinct identity.”

Designed by Poggenpohl designer Lara Farmilo, this award-winning kitchen features a palette of restrained yet sophisticated materials.
Designed by Poggenpohl designer Lara Farmilo, this award-winning kitchen features a palette of restrained yet sophisticated materials.

Homeowner Samantha Chen concedes: “It is not a large home. My husband and I are at that point where we’re looking to simplify our lives and a big house is no longer a necessity. However, functionality, even in a small space, is still as much a requirement as the aesthetics.”

Luckily, the space set aside for the kitchen also included a small scullery area, and it was into this that Lara placed as many of the appliances as was practicable so that the main space remained seamless.

“While it’s quite a modest size, I was able to incorporate the ovens, storage and additional bench space into the scullery. The refrigerator and dishwasher are fully integrated within the main kitchen space and a flush-mounted extractor is concealed within the oak cabinetry.”

When it came to the material palette, the homeowners were already sold on keeping the space neutral.

“We knew we wanted to incorporate grey tones into the space,” says Samantha. “And, we were keen for a limited material palette, so we were very happy when Lara suggested only three elements—lacquered cabinets, stone island and timber accents.”

Full-height cabinetry from Poggenpohl's +Segmento range, featuring push-release hardware, imparts a streamlined feel and allows for appliances to be fully integrated.
Full-height cabinetry from Poggenpohl's +Segmento range, featuring push-release hardware, imparts a streamlined feel and allows for appliances to be fully integrated.

“I knew we needed to make a bold statement to elevate the back wall, as this was going to be the focal point when viewed from the living area,” says Lara.

“Full-height cabinetry from the +Segmento range in stone grey was selected for a number of reasons, firstly so that the negative detailing would be seamless and secondly, because the range uses push-release Poggenpohl hardware, there are no handles to break up the continuity, which is a look that resonates with a lot of clients.

“I then suggested that for the island, splashback and hob benchtop we use a marble-look product from Dekton called Opera. The white base and grey veining creates a nice contrast to the cabinets. As a final detail, a touch of wood grain in the form of Classic Oak cabinets above the hob injects an element of warmth into the overall scheme. One of the usual mistakes people make when designing a minimal look is thinking that they can’t have texture, which is not true at all. What you do need to ensure, though, is that any texture is flawless.”

The combination of Stone Grey, Classic Oak and marble-look Opera by Dekton finishes answers the clients' brief for a limited material palette.
The combination of Stone Grey, Classic Oak and marble-look Opera by Dekton finishes answers the clients' brief for a limited material palette.

“Working with Lara was great,” says Samantha. “She really listened to what we wanted and was quick to offer suggestions when she felt that our vision wasn’t going in the right direction. Everything functions really well and I love the feel of the Poggenpohl product.

“My husband and I weren’t aware of the Poggenpohl brand prior to undertaking this project and we had done quite a lot of research and visited a number of showrooms before we came across Poggenpohl. Right from the outset, we were very impressed with the quality of their offering. I would definitely use them again.”

Learn more about Poggenpohl kitchens.