Designing a kitchen is like deciding on a tattoo: What if you change your mind down the line? Founders of Copenhagen shop Stilleben, Ditte Reckweg and Jelena Schou, were obsessed with the idea of creating an updatable kitchen “to survive many styles and color trends.”
They teamed up with architect Trine Hjorth and cabinetmaker Ditlev Rahbek of HjorthRahbek to come up with a series of no-nonsense kitchens—practical and solid, but also fun. The kitchens are made up of a basic core design with hand-painted cabinets. The rule? “You must be able to repaint the kitchen at any point in a different color,” the designers say (obsolescence be gone). Here’s a look at the Stilleben Kitchen model in their Frederiksborggade 22 showroom in Copenhagen.
Above: Working with Stilleben Kitchen, clients can customize countertops, appliances, color palette, and more. The cooktop in the island is a Miele; “we like the understated design and warranty from Miele, but clients can choose their appliances.” The kettle is the Kalita Wave Kettle. Above: Over the counter is a framed vintage poster from the Centre Pompidou and on the counter is a large ceramic Midnight Blue Bowl from the Stilleben line of tableware and a Skagerak Edge Teapot on a Cassette Tray. Above: The stainless steel sink is from Blanco and the faucet is the Quooker Fusion Square Faucet. “We like to emphasize the kitchen as a modern place for modern people, so we chose a modern tap with a design that isn’t over the top.” Above: The Stilleben Kitchen Shelf is available to order a la carte for $466.32 at Stilleben. On the top shelf is Where to Drink Coffee from Phaidon, a stack of Stilleben Maroon Bowls and Stilleben Midnight Blue Bowls, a vintage glass pitcher, and an Iittala Kartio Pitcher. On the lower shelf are Stilleben Midnight Blue Cups and Stilleben Light Grey Cups. Above: Stilleben Kitchen offers different options for countertops. For longevity, the designers like Silestone, but their favorite is linoleum. Here the countertops are solid oak with a thin layer of dark blue linoleum. Above: Hardware is “old-fashioned chrome that cannot be worn out,” as seen here on the hinges. The simple drawer pulls are the same finish. The cabinets are hand painted. Above: Drawers are made of solid oak with dovetail joints, an enduring joinery technique. Customers can choose different colors for the cabinet interiors. Above: For more examples of Stilleben kitchens, see their completed projects with customized details.
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