KBB - May 2009 - (Page 84)

Education Designing the Good Life Five designers share their views on luxury kitchens What defines a luxurious kitchen? Over-the-top products? One-of-a-kind requests and customized solutions? K+BB asked a roundtable of pros in the know about their design approaches to and experiences in creating luxury kitchens for a high-end clientele always on the lookout for something unique. What are the latest trends in upscale kitchen design and products? Here’s what they had to say: K + B B : In your opinion, what are some of the best approaches a designer can take when designing a kitchen for a luxury-minded client? Jamie Kern, ASID, president of Design Theory Interiors: First of all, you need to understand the client’s lifestyle and know how they are going to live in the space. Secondly, a designer should be able to offer really great resources, new materials and state-of-the-art technological products. In the luxury market, you need to step up your game. Thirdly, a designer must stretch his or her imagination because luxury is opulence and indulgence. Designer Mick De Giulio brought together a mix of cabinetry styles, rich ﬁnishes and customAnyone who is going to invest in a luxury kitchen designed signature pieces to create this European-inﬂuenced kitchen in Chicago. wants to make a statement. K+BB: In your opinion, what truly makes a kitchen luxurious? William W. Stubbs, IIDA, owner of William Stubbs & Associates: People’s likes and dislikes can be so varied. I just finished a fabulous luxury kitchen for a client who loves to cook. She was passionate about every detail. It had to be very practical. On the other hand, I have another client who doesn’t cook but wants a stunning kitchen and could care less about how it functions. Those are two ends of the spectrum and I’ve got everyone in between. For one person, the kitchen is the heart of the home. For the other, it’s just something that needs to look nice. Jamie Drake, ASID, principal of Drake Design Associates: I think the best approach is to make sure you design very special spaces that offer unique solutions. The luxury client responds to products made especially for them. These could include custom cabinetry and specialized storage. Certainly, high-performance appliances are essential. Often, a luxury client has an abundance of square footage, which allows us to create multiple work zones with a variety of equipment. Stubbs: It’s all in the details and the ﬁnishes. Kitchens can be luxurious at any size. It can be a tiny kitchen, but the ﬁnishes and materials should be carefully selected and presented in a very sophisticated manner. A kitchen with a lot of square footage can look very basic if it doesn’t have a lot of detail. It’s really about the richness of materials and the intersection of different materials. Mick De Giulio, founder of de Giulio Kitchen Design: It’s about very good design. Good design means the best in function, beauty and permanence. I don’t think of luxury as anything that you would throw away. Going with the best ideas, overall approach and best strategy defines luxury first. Sometimes better ideas are not necessarily more expensive. It’s about identifying challenges and creating opportunities. Spending can be prioritized according to the overall budget. Drake: Aesthetically speaking, marble, recycled glass or other stone countertops matched with beautiful glass or specialized mir- 84 + K BB May 2009 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com Jully2004 http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

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

KBB - May 2009
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Editorial
Focus
Trends
Products
Profile
Design
Top Projects
Merit Projects
Cover Story - Clean Slate: A Spa-Like Bath Turns to Stone
Honorable Mentions
Practice
Education
Editorial Index
Ad Index
Favorites
Special Supplement: Tap into Taiwan

KBB - May 2009