They're good-looking… but that's not all. Rooms for family living, they play on their layout and colours to mask their practicality. By Cécile Olivéro
Hardy Inside. Three features contribute to the success of “Vendôme” : cherrywood, aluminium and a lacquered pastel yellow Panama finish. What’s clever is that the sinks are positioned at the far end of the work surface and allow for storage ; one can then add drainers, bottle racks, cutlery containers… Hardy Inside, sales outlets 0 800 928 800.
Arc Linea. “Artusi” is a flexible, open-ended project based on free-standing elements. Each work unit remains autonomous and adds to the other functions. The star is steel, for hygiene and indestructability. Guaranteeing elegance, the doors have built-in handles and high legs for easy cleaning. Arc Linea, from Artes Domus, 112 cours Sextius, Aix-en-Provence (04 42 96 63 51).
Introducing “Modern Art de Luxe”, a kitchen of very pure design. Its façades with their olive-wood veneer (shiny lacquer and long horizontal veins) propose a warm Mediterranean feel, unexpected from this brand, but highly congenial. All surrounded by shiny lacquer in pale ivory. In terms of practicality, the surprise comes from the drawers. Two metres forty wide, they contain smaller drawers, home to a host of utensils, jars, cutlery… depending on your needs. The result : one almost wants to open them simply for the pleasure of admiring their contents and capacity ! Allmilmö Neyrolle Cuisines, 23 rue de l’Hôtel des Postes, Nice (04 93 13 44 73).
“+Intégration” takes a new look at the kitchen concept. Its esthetic approach banishes compromises in favour of optimized architecture and a new way of living, which incorporate the idea of a concert hall, cinema, library or study in the home. The room thus becomes a real place for meeting up, opening out to the rest of the house. All types of scenarios become possible, and the kitchen embarks upon a new era. Poggenpohl, Interior Future, 17 rue Gubernatis, Nice (04 93 62 07 21).
Pedini. In “Artika”, geometry gets a new spin, practicality and ergonomics are taken into account, and even flattered ! Doors made of European cherrywood, surfaces in Carrara marble, clever storage… Pedini, 5D, les Tourrades, chemin de la bastide Rouge, le Béal 2000, Cannes La Bocca (04 93 47 60 64).
For “Artematica Vitrum”, Gabriele Centazzo has given top priority to clean lines and noble materials (aluminium, glass and stainless steel). Valcucine.
“Zone Kitchen”, a modular system with sliding doors, sink area and cooking ranges, to be installed against a wall or island-style. Boffi.
