Fusion cooking
“I wanted an organic design with a handmade feel
rather than something that looked as if it was
made by a robot” – designer Leon House
When designer Leon House describes
the kitchen he designed for his own home,
functionality is obviously a key element.
But there’s another factor that was just as
important to him – unpredictability.
“I wanted an organic design with a
handmade feel rather than something that
looked as if it was made by a robot,” he says.
And the layout, size and scale, selec-
tion of materials and references to the past
all contribute to an end result that’s far
from predictable.
The kitchen is large, set against a wall
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running for 12m along the central line of
the home. Much of the service side of the
design – ovens, fridge, storage – is in the
pantry off one end of the kitchen. This is
only partially screened from the living
areas, so House has added a nod to the
past as a feature – a plate rack for 160 plates.
This example of building the kitchen
from individual pieces rather than having
one highly regimented look continues in
the open part of the kitchen.
“I didn’t want everything to be too
built-in, so it’s more of an unfitted look,
like the freestanding furniture pieces
in kitchens by English designer Johnny
Grey,” says House
The central island is a case in point.
At 5m long it could have over-dominated
the space. But by varying heights and
materials along its length and adding
furniture-style feet, it has a more balanced
scale and proportion.
“It’s using unfitted design without
drawing attention to it, so when you look
at each piece, it’s got its own character.”
The same approach was taken for the