KBB - September 2009 - (Page 50)

Favorites William Soﬁeld’s Top Product Picks While designer William Soﬁeld, principal of Studio Soﬁeld, is a self-admitted modernist, he also believes that “All good design starts with function and, in that way, designers are really behaviorists.” He noted, “You have to understand how people live, and I spend a lot of time making sure I understand how my clients live.” It’s time well spent. Soﬁeld’s remarkable portfolio encompasses several high-proﬁle commercial projects, including the much acclaimed SoHo Grand in New York City, as well as boutique designs for Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Boucheron. In 2004, he was inducted into Interior Design’s Hall of Fame. But Soﬁeld’s talent and vision are not limited to just the commercial sector. He has also undertaken furniture design and residential interiors, where again a balance of form and function is key. Soﬁeld said, “Because kitchens and baths are spaces that get a lot of use and wear, the products that we specify have to support the amount of use they are subjected to, but also have the right aesthetic. I tend to obsess about both.” So which products have caught Soﬁeld’s eye? In the kitchen, he looks for appliances that appropriately cater to the working function of the space. “I tend to like kitchens that look like they are meant to be used, as this is a space where most families congregate,” he said. Recommended for home chefs, Aga’s 36-in. Dual Fuel Range (3) offers a heat output of 850 to 15,000 Btu, is made from cast iron and comes in a variety of colors. Another of Soﬁeld’s favorites, featured in a kitchen that he recently designed, is La Cornue’s “Broche Flamberge” Rotisserie (2) or, as he described it, “the Bentley of spit roasting.” The unit has a natural gas output of 27,000 Btu and measures 30 in. wide, 30 in. tall and a mere 15 in. deep. When it comes to designing custom solutions for the kitchen and bath, Soﬁeld takes into consideration how a design should improve over time. The designer followed this principle more recently when he created Kallista’s Jeton Collection (4), a complete bath suite that offers multiple components for a wide range of traditional and contemporary interiors. “The line is all about timeless geometry,” he said. “We were fortunate enough to be able to develop the collection in some stunning ﬁnishes like black nickel and matte gold.” Incorporating timeless elements into the kitchen and bath has become one of Soﬁeld’s signature trademarks. For polished settings, he prefers a double-thick white Carrara marble countertop (1), available from companies such as Walker Zanger, while in casual environments, soapstone countertops (5), like those from Tulikivi, “are great because they wear to a beautiful ﬁnish quickly,” he said. “It’s also fun to play with color.” And for Soﬁeld, the fun never ends, especially at home. He considers his personal style to be more eclectic than people would perceive, “but if you would call me a modernist, it would not be far off the mark.” s —Matthew Marin + K BB September 2009 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - September 2009

KBB - September 2009
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Publisher's Note
Trends
Products
Profile
Design
Fine Balance
Something Old, Something New
Education
Editorial Index
Ad Index
Favorites

KBB - September 2009