Cooking by numbers: chromatic kitchen projects

Given the kitchen’s association with creativity and warmth, it’s no surprise to see a trend in colour-blocking bubble up.

By Gundry + Ducker and Peter Smisek

October 6, 2020 | 10:00 pm CUT

In the Klinker Apartment in Barcelona, designed by CaSA – Colombo and Serboli Architecture, a wide terracotta-coloured band delineates the kitchen and a small adjacent office nook. Photo: Roberto Ruiz

Interior design might seem to be more prone to sudden changes in trends than architecture, but this is no bad thing. After all, buildings that stand the test of time are those best able to accommodate the changing needs and preferences of their users. Colour blocking is one such trend, helping to enliven interiors across the world by highlighting the elements of people's homes in cheerful hues – from kitchens to living rooms, to hallways and bedrooms.

The colour blocking scheme in studio razavi architecture's Apartment XVII is used to accentuate kitchen cabinets and integrated storage space, creating an uncluttered and clean interior. Photos: Simone Bossi

Colour blocking is not just the preserve of contemporary buildings, of course. In Lyon, studio razavi architecture has completed a renovation of a one-bedroom apartment in a 16th-century building. The resulting Apartment XVII features the original ceiling with dark stained beams, white-washed walls and pale wooden floors. The main living space accommodates a dark mint green kitchen block along one wall, with recessed green niches and shelves on the opposite side of the room. More green accents can be found throughout the flat, indicating in-built and otherwise hidden storage.

AZAB's playful exercise in colour blocking in the Mixtape Apartment was achieved on a tight budget and created minimal building waste. Photos: Luis Díaz Díaz

In Bilbao, architecture practice AZAB has renovated an apartment from the 1960s. The so-called Mixtape Apartment features a lively colour blocking scheme, including pastel shades and mint kitchen cabinets along with baby pink walls. Peach, red, orange and crimson and off-white floor tiles in the kitchen strike a playful note while the red sliding doors separating the cooking and eating areas from the rest of the house are bright red, as are built-in storage cabinets along the hallway.

The use of colour blocking in the kitchen of the White Rabbit House by Gundry + Ducker alongside the use of the same accent colour throughout the rest of the home creates a strong sense of unity. Photos: ©Andrew Meredith

Colour blocking can be effectively used across several floors, as seen in studio Gundry + Ducker's White Rabbit House. Located in north London, the architects designed an extension as well as an interior for a 1970s neo-Georgian terraced house, introducing a number of classically-inspired features, such as arched doorways and tiled terrazzo floors. Most importantly, the open-plan kitchen and dining room feature forest green panelling with integrated storage. The same colour is also used for window frames as well as doors and hallways, and the slender spindles on the curved and airy staircase.

Striking colour blocking in the kitchen on CaSA – Colombo and Serboli Architecture's Klinker Apartment emphasises its role as the home's prime social space. Photos: Roberto Ruiz

A simpler, but equally effective use of colour blocking can be seen in the Klinker Apartment in Barcelona, designed by CaSA – Colombo and Serboli Architecture. Here, a wide terracotta-coloured band delineates the kitchen and a small adjacent office nook. The rest of the home has been accentuated using laurel green, which makes an appearance in the bedrooms, and beige which is used in the more public areas of the house.

Cooking by numbers: chromatic kitchen projects

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