Kitchen Installation - Part I

After some months, the office kitchen has taken shape. The main function of this loft is that of an architecture-studio. The kitchen, therefore, has to be on the ground level away from the upper-level private quarters because it will be used by employees and serve as a design showcase and entertainment area for visiting clients. The area under the loft staircase was chosen because it forms a natural alcove, is not in the way of the space designated for the office work space and is along the same wall as existing drain lines at the front of the loft. The first step in building the kitchen was bringing water and electricity to the area. We designed the kitchen layout and marked the final cabinet measurements on the wall to serve as reference points for placing the new water lines, drains, and electrical outlets.

Copper Water Pipes, Cast Iron Drain & Electrical Conduit

The second step was building a new wall/alcove perpendicular to the main wall to serve as a place for the refrigerator to rest against and as a visual boundary of the kitchen area. The alcove had to be a very specific width to accommodate the refrigerator, the required airspaces at the top and sides of the fridge, and the tall cabinets that would frame the fridge. Since we didn't have the fridge or cabinets yet it was important to consult the manufacturers' cut-sheets for exact measurements. The width of the drywall also had to be kept in mind when we set up the steel framing, otherwise the alcove would have been too narrow once the drywall and mud was on. 

New Fridge Alcove Walls (Ctr)
Plumbing and Electrical on Left

With the completion of the walls around the new kitchen area, we were ready to install the fire-engine red cabinets. While the choice of cabinets and appliances seriously strained the firm's budget, we felt it was a necessary business expense. The architecture studio is intended to showcase the firm's design sensibilities as well as display different kinds of materials, casework, and modern appliances. We need clients to be interested and inspired, and kitchens generate a lot of interest because they are a central gathering spot associated with entertainment and comfort. An architecture firm's need to exhibit examples of design sensibility as well as the business need to host gatherings, talks, and various client functions where appetizers and drinks will be served means a showpiece kitchen is a necessary part of our business. It is the main trade fixture expense we have incurred thus far, although we were able to negotiate trade discounts for various of the materials and appliances.  

Cabinets After Installation.
Countertops & Island Siding Remain to be Done

The modern, red, glossy cabinets are eye-catching and have a commercial look that blends into a professional office environment. We designed the kitchen so that the components can be easily dismantled and removed, and the electrical and water lines are surface-mounted to avoid causing damage to the existing structure. 

 Office Micro (Top) and Small Oven

The next step is to install the counter tops, backsplashes, facing materials, sink, cooktop and exhaust hood. 

Kitchen Design

Situating the Kitchen

Designing a kitchen from scratch is not as easy as you'd think. In a loft, there is the matter of where to situate it. In our loft, we want the kitchen on the ground floor so as to maximize our 2nd level mezzanine living space and to allow for employee use and business entertaining. While the ground level is spacious, we don't want the kitchen to impede foot traffic to the stairs or through the work space. We also don't want to take away from the open work space where we plan to place desks and conference areas. We could place the kitchen at the very back of the loft, but a kitchen has such potential to be a visually exciting showcase for design skills that we decided to place it halfway towards the entrance to the loft where clients can see it. The only space that met all these requirements happened to be practically under the staircase. To make things more difficult, 10 feet or so away from the underside of staircase is a giant concrete column. So we must figure out how to shoehorn a nice kitchen between the staircase and the column. There are several configurations that will work, but the elements that are fixed are the slim, horizontal upper cabinets, a large island for employees and guests to sit at, and an absence of walls other than a wall for the fridge to rest against.

The Design Inspiration

In our view, an architecture studio should be an open space plan and showcase design elements that illustrate the architect's familiarity with cutting-edge style and technology. This means staying away from traditional-looking cabinet styles, hardware and appliances. In our opinion, "modern" styles tend towards the shiny, sleek, and techno-looking - often incorporating alternative materials and unexpected, bold colors and textures. There are sources of inspiration to be found in magazines such as Metropolis, Dwell, Architect, etc. These sources provide ideas and guidance, but the ultimate look is up to us. After days of racking our brains to choose a look, we finally decided to take a cue from some of our favorite utilitarian items - things that we use all the time that we love the look of. After we gathered these items together we discovered that they all had major design elements in common.

Our first favorite item is our shiny red pepper grinder with chrome tightening nut.

The second item is our shiny, red tea kettle with chrome and black handle.

The third is the trusty red, black and silver Milwaukee impact driver that has helped us put up steel framing and drywall.

The last item is our awesome, red, black and stainless steel Craftsman tool chest.

Shiny, Red & Black

So, it is decided that our kitchen design will incorporate shininess, red, black and stainless steel. It just so happens that modern European kitchen designs often feature glossy, red cabinets. And there are some cool, black sinks, faucets, and phenolic resin countertops available. The countertops are the same as those found in high school chemistry labs, which is unexpected and fun. There will literally be a price to pay for not choosing traditional cabinetry and appliances. But we love to cook and entertain and believe an architecture studio should be held to a higher standard in order to showcase the architect's design sense. So we choose this approach knowing it is quite likely to bust our budget but also knowing that it will have been a worthy attempt.