Ligneous Kitchens show us around one of their favourite projects

From its clean, sleek lines to the spacious island and luxurious use of materials, this kitchen belongs on your moodboard if you’re inspired by modern minimalism.

What was this kitchen’s brief?

The style was to be strictly minimalist contemporary and the client loved our design ethos with its German influence. We were asked to bring a sense of focus to the cooking zone, but with quite a different feel for the run of units at the side of the house. The client wanted a huge island with a sink but still enough space to entertain. The house was being fully refurbished and the interior designers were bringing together elements from all over the house, so they wanted a sense of flow into the garden that was accessible via a large set of French windows, beside which the family planned to eat at a large dining table. 

Which appliances did you use?

The client chose a full height fridge with an ice dispenser and full height freezer, all by Gaggenau. A Fisher and Paykel under-counter top drawer-style dishwasher was selected as it was in keeping with the contemporary theme with its stainless steel front, working beautifully with the gloss fronts of the cabinetry. The sink and taps are by Dornbracht, and two full size under-counter top ovens were supplied by Kueppersbusch, as were the enormous five zone induction hob with the wok pan indent, and a wine cooler which was installed in the island. 

What are the special features?

Much of the design focused around the central island, so a beautiful slab of Quartzite was found with deep red crystalline flecks that worked beautifully with the plum coloured elements alongside it. We wanted to keep the contemporary feel of the rest of the house, and good high-end contemporary design must use the very best materials that would work well with each other. The inset bar by the island contained some white/grey gloss cabinetry surrounded by plum coloured glass. This worked with elements that had been introduced in the study in the next room and a boot room off the main lobby where we had designed and fabricated door fronts in plum pony hair that were very bold design additions. 

What’s your favourite trend in kitchens right now? 

We feel that ceramics are the future of kitchen design. Ceramics produce a tough, beautiful, stain resistant and hygienic surface that will stand the test of time. There is a huge range of truly bold and eye-catching finishes and textures available and they can mimic much more expensive stones and marbles while benefitting from much greater tolerance to heat and chemical stains, being a sintered product.

To find out more about the team behind this kitchen and their bespoke approach to kitchen design, look them up on Instagram @ligneousdesigns or visit their website, ligneouskitchens.com

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