Kitchen of the Week: Sensuous Curves in an Unusual Irish Kitchen
Sinuous free-standing furniture and warm woods weave a casual and harmonious spell in this fresh design
Sharp lines and built-in cabinets may be prevalent in kitchen design, but you won’t find them in this striking space. Instead, this kitchen in a new house in Ireland is a mix of free-standing furniture and pieces that seem to grow out of the floor, all with smooth, sensual curves that beg to be stroked.
It was designed by Johnny Grey, who — thanks to his interest in neuroscience and feng shui, and his years of thinking about what makes a great kitchen — has created a relaxed space that’s anything but traditional.
It was designed by Johnny Grey, who — thanks to his interest in neuroscience and feng shui, and his years of thinking about what makes a great kitchen — has created a relaxed space that’s anything but traditional.
The house is built on land that had been part of a golf course. Curved lines are something of a Johnny Grey Studios hallmark, but the designer felt that they were particularly necessary here. “The building is very angular,” he says, “so the last thing you want is more angles! You want some contrast.”
The central island is what Grey calls the “command position.” “When you stand there, you have three different views of the garden and can see people coming into the room too,” he says.
There is a neuroscientific reason behind why this feels pleasing, he says. “In order to feel relaxed, we want to be able to see people as they approach. We want to see faces and make eye contact. These are hard-wired needs.”
Cooktop: Gaggenau; fan: custom
There is a neuroscientific reason behind why this feels pleasing, he says. “In order to feel relaxed, we want to be able to see people as they approach. We want to see faces and make eye contact. These are hard-wired needs.”
Cooktop: Gaggenau; fan: custom
Grey is not a huge fan of fully built-in kitchens. “They’re always wall-based and use up all the corners and are inflexible,” he says. He also takes issue with the huge stretches of countertop that contemporary kitchens often feature. “I believe in having dedicated work surface,” he says. “With too much space, it can be confusing. You don’t know what to do with it. With dedicated areas, it’s obvious. You can walk in and immediately know how to use the kitchen. It becomes subliminal.”
One of the key food prep areas is on the island, which also has a raised section. This does more than act as an optional breakfast bar. “It’s a proper food serving bar — a platform to put food on,” he says. “If the island were all on the same level, it wouldn’t create the same sense of order.”
The platform also helps whet the appetite by drawing attention to the food. “Seeing the food here sends useful messages to your stomach to prepare for the meal,” he says.
One of the key food prep areas is on the island, which also has a raised section. This does more than act as an optional breakfast bar. “It’s a proper food serving bar — a platform to put food on,” he says. “If the island were all on the same level, it wouldn’t create the same sense of order.”
The platform also helps whet the appetite by drawing attention to the food. “Seeing the food here sends useful messages to your stomach to prepare for the meal,” he says.
Grey had the units made by a cabinetmaker in Melbourne, Australia. The dark veneer on top is Papua New Guinea rosewood. “It’s one of the few hardwoods harvested in small amounts by people the cabinetmaker knows personally,” he says. The pale wood is Canadian maple.
This section of the kitchen, with a glass backsplash behind it, works as a coffee- and tea-making station. “So if you just want to make a drink, you don’t have to go into the main cooking area,” he says.
This section of the kitchen, with a glass backsplash behind it, works as a coffee- and tea-making station. “So if you just want to make a drink, you don’t have to go into the main cooking area,” he says.
Grey loves to include free-standing cabinets in his designs. “This is how people always furnished homes in the past,” he says. “They didn’t think about building in. You could take everything with you.”
There are many benefits to using free-standing units. “A fitted kitchen blocks off corners, but free-standing pieces give a more relaxed feel to a space,” he says. “If you can have some part of the furniture open so light travels through it, the space feels less trapped.”
This piece is inlaid with walnut and boxwood.
There are many benefits to using free-standing units. “A fitted kitchen blocks off corners, but free-standing pieces give a more relaxed feel to a space,” he says. “If you can have some part of the furniture open so light travels through it, the space feels less trapped.”
This piece is inlaid with walnut and boxwood.
“I want the furniture to rise up out of the floor; to make it feel as if it’s growing like a plant,” Grey says. “It’s a bit different, a bit more fun. This kitchen is actually quite rectilinear, but the interpretation is very different and feels soft. This encourages everyone to linger in this space. People lean against these curves.”
When starting a kitchen design, Grey often asks clients to choose a painting they love. “This suggests the atmosphere, mood and sometimes the color,” he says. The sculpture hanging by the interior door was an inspiration for this kitchen. “It’s a primitive and beautiful mood piece,” he says.
The table is an original Eames design flanked by Cherner armchairs.
The table is an original Eames design flanked by Cherner armchairs.
The fireplace sits in the center of the space, between the cooking zone and the dining area and garden beyond. “There’s plenty of room to draw up a chair and just sit around the fire,” Grey says. “The owners tend to live in this space.”
Wood-burning stove: Focus Stoves
Wood-burning stove: Focus Stoves
The folding doors, visible from the kitchen island, invite the outdoors in. The soft curves in the kitchen offset their angles.
More
12 Kitchens That Flaunt Their Curves
The Kitchen of Tomorrow Is Already Here
More
12 Kitchens That Flaunt Their Curves
The Kitchen of Tomorrow Is Already Here
Location: County Limerick, Ireland
Size: About 646 square feet (60 square meters), including dining area
Designer: Johnny Grey of Johnny Grey Studios
Grey came on board when this four-bedroom house was just a set of plans. “This space was originally half the size, with a wall separating the kitchen from the dining area,” he says. “I pushed to have it all opened up, to create a connection with the garden. The very essence of a modern kitchen is to be able to linger here and feel connected with the outside too.”