What would the 16th-century English botanist and gardener John Tradescant make of the new, height-of-luxury kitchen system named in his honor? The design is the work of Lanserring, a partnership between British architect-creative directors Andrew Hays and and Kimm Kovac and fourth-generation Viennese cabinetmaker brothers Bernd and Johann Radaschitz.
The group specializes in making bespoke kitchens that reference past and present, and their state-of-the-art workshop is at the base of Riegersburg Castle in Austria (moat included). To help clients envision the possibilities, the four have come out with Tradescant, a kitchen filled with historical touch points. It’s available à la carte or in totality: Each piece is made to order and the designs are intended simply as a jumping off point.
“The kitchen is one of the biggest investments you make in your home, yet it’s not treated the same as other areas but thought of as a series of boxes,” Hays says. Thinking beyond the box, as you would expect, comes at a high price, but the possibilities include jigsaw-puzzle-style fitted utensil drawers, marble counters that mimic oilcloth, and your own in-house charcuterie. Take a look.
Above: Lanserring has showrooms in Vienna and London. The latter, located in a mews in Notting Hill, is shown here. It’s open by appointment and is also used as the group’s design studio.
Lanserring describes its components as “personalized, purpose-built kitchen furniture.” The paint colors are the company’s own shades: Inky, Lead Pipe, and Orchard.
The Sink Block
Above: Black walnut cabinets flank a butler’s sink of brushed brass framed by Calacatta Borghini marble.
Lanserring’s drawers and cabinet shelves can be lined with any material, such as linen, leather, and wood. Prices start as £15,000 for the sink block.
Above: Lanserring’s Hanging Rack was conceived for a client who was unable to install anything directly on his walls because of conservation restrictions. The design can be hung or used freestanding and is available in a range of configurations and materials. It’s shown here in walnut and brass over a pantry cabinet fitted with wooden trugs (see below). Above: One of the kitchen’s references to John Tradescant, the botanist and collector, is its cabinet-of-curiosities-inspired vitrine with glass corners and a gray interior of stained sycamore.
The Oilcloth Island
Above: Calacatta Borghini marble is “draped” atop the polished brass island, so that the richly veined stone looks like a luxe version of humble oilcloth.
The island is fitted with an Electrolux Grand Cuisine range and also serves as a dining table that can seat eight. The Blink Bar Stools by Yabu Pushelbergare from Stellar Works.
The Scullery Table
Above: Known as the Scullery Table, a red marble preparation island is kitted out with crystal spice drawers in two sizes. Made from 1920s German molds with pour spouts, the drawers are for regularly used dry foods (they’re not airtight, but can be put in a humidity-controlled pantry) and are backlit by a hidden LED panel that makes the contents glow.
The island’s push-latch drawers can be customized with built-in baking scales, bread bins, and electronics charging stations.
Storage Details
Above: Retractable brass “secret hooks” hold elevated versions of the kitchen essentials. Admiring the potholder? See 5 Favorites: Rugged Leather Potholders. Above: The hooks are integrated into the backsplash and can be finished to match any surface, so that when not in use, they disappear. For sink accessories, browse our Brushes & Sponges finds. Above: Lanserring’s Signature fitted drawers are cut from single blocks of wood and designed to snugly contain a collection of favorite tools. Known as the Foraging Drawer, this example was made for a client who is a mushroom hunter. Prices start at £2,000. Above: A refined version of the classic garden trug, Lanserring’s wood and brass baskets can go from garden to counter to fitted cabinet shelves, where they’re used as storage for perishables that don’t require refrigeration, such as apples, potatoes, and onions. (The showroom’s refrigerator, by the way, is in the pantry.)
The Charcuterie Cabinet, Wine Safe, and More
Above: Lanserring describes this pantry as “a nod to the original meat safe,” but notes that it can be configured to work as a coffee station or baking counter.
This example was designed for a client who requested a place to hang cured meats and keep out some cheeses (the shelf has a cooling element incorporated into it that chills the marble).
Above: Behind the sliding brass mesh door is a wine section detailed with Lanserring’s sawtooth shelf supports. It has bottle racks, leather-topped glassware shelves, and brass-mesh-inset shelves for ventilation. Above: At the far end, a walnut-lined corner cabinet makes the most of a compact space. See more at Lanserring.
Also go to our comprehensive Kitchen Guide to help you create your dream kitchen with our best picks on appliances, kitchen cabinetry, and countertops.
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