Open-plan kitchen with black glass backsplash and Poggenpohl Segmento cabinetry

Sometimes the constraints on a project can bring out the best in a designer. For example, working with fixed interior elements or limited natural light sources are just two issues that require thinking outside the box.

The owners of this house had built five years earlier, and now the time was right to create an open-plan kitchen to match the home's modern, light aesthetic, says Lara Farmilo, an interior design consultant at Poggenpohl Akzente.

"The kitchen is in an area that is dug into the hillside, so it could have been quite dark, even though there are skylights. However, instead of light tones, we specified a black glass splashback that extends around the walls. This surface reflects natural light through the space and complements the pine wood and the green cabinets.

"The owners had saved a brochure of the exact kitchen they wanted at the time they built the house the Poggenpohl Segmento," says Farmilo. "We tweaked the composition and layout of the design to allow for the stairwell. The cabinetry wraps in under the stairs, and we were able to put the services and plumbing into the toekick."

The cabinet units under the hob are elevated and suspended to highlight the cooking area, while the tall units are set at different heights to create a stepped effect and to accommodate the differing ceiling levels. Apple Green, an RAL colour, was chosen by the owners.

Part of the overall brief was to connect the kitchen with the scenic outlook, says Farmilo.

"We introduced a raised bar table set at right angles to the island. The seating creates a social atmosphere and provides views to the estuary."

A low sideboard softens the transition between the kitchen and living area.

Story by: Charles Moxham