Circling the globe

Globalization has resulted in a coming together of many cultures, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the popularity of international culinary styles. Pacific, Asian and European cuisine have even been mixed to form fusion cooking. But what about kitchen design? Has it kept pace with this taste for new cuisine?

When kitchen designer Troy Adams was asked to create a distinctive design that would also connect with the overall scheme of the house, he saw it as an opportunity to implement his trade marked Fusion Design.

"By drawing on multi-cultural influences and using surprising combinations of natural and artificial materials, you can create one harmonious, highly individualistic design," he says.

The result is a kitchen within a kitchen. The inner circle contains everything necessary for daily cooking such as a microwave, dishwasher and sink. There is also a teppanyaki grill for Japanese style cooking. The large round hot plate is set on blue lavastone from France an extremely durable, heat resistant surface that also provides a splash of color against the teak countertop.

This countertop, which has seating on the other side, is intended for meal preparation. The granite countertop opposite is used for washing up.

Above this inner circle is a round, stainless steel cage that is suspended from the ceiling to provide direct lighting for this part of the kitchen.

As the ceiling is 20ft high, Adams installed a soffit, made from a wooden frame and clad with copper. This soffit acts as a ledge for art pieces, and creates a more intimate, personal space.

The kitchen's outer rim houses large appliances, some of which are concealed behind cabinetry. There is also a computer station that controls the home security system.

"To create a kitchen that is unified with the architecture and interior of the home, we worked in close collaboration with interior designers Joel Wolfgang and Sandra Williams" says Adams.