There’s a lot to say about this highly individual, 4-year old kitchen by Baltimore architect Charles Bohl, but my first question was “OMG, what’s that floor?” Practicality aside, the color and texture makes everything appear to float on a shimmering lake – evoking water as a vital element  – with stunning effect.

That the floor upstages both a mammoth Mexican limestone farm sink and an Italian marble-slab kitchen table, with antique Danish Hans Wegner chairs from the ‘50s, speaks volumes about the power of color. And, ironically, the material is epoxy floor paint most often used to fancy up concrete slabs in garages. Bohl’s wife Barbara, a magazine editor, picked out the serene Matisse-blue hue from the vintage handmade V’Soske living room carpet (below) in the couple’s triplex.

One wall of the kitchen is dominated by the massive freestanding stone sink unmistakably inspired by a Tuscan villa antique. Counters simply overlap each side, “crumbsweeper” style. The integral backsplash is fitted with a KWC Vesuno faucet and flanked by a pair of neatly disguised Fisher & Paykel dish drawers seamlessly worked into the custom cabinetry. Two long shelves – rather than upper cabinets (see top photo) – helps keep the focus on the prize.

Many architects are fond of elliptical cut outs for cabinets, an element borrowed from mid-twentieth century Scandinavian furniture design that neatly dispatches the need for doors or hardware. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the down-to-earth function, ease of cleaning and casual look that feels very modern. It’s always surprising how few kitchens have cabinets in this style.

The floating range wall houses a stack of Viking ovens and warming drawer as well as a Viking gas cook top and downdraft ventilator, eliminating the need for a hood. That left Bohl free to built a cabinet-like bridge just below the ceiling to visually (and physically) link up the kitchen walls.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the kitchen is the mix of mid-century modern and traditional Tuscan elements and ideas. Since the former has a special delicacy of line, and the latter has mass, it can be a difficult balance. Here, it’s done with character and originality seldom seen in this era of movie-kitchen clones.  (Source: Metropolitan Home 3/05).

Tags: blue kitchen, Danish style kitchen cabinets, epoxy floor paint, Kitchens, limestone farm sink, no upper cabinets, V'Soskie carpet, Viking appliances, white Sub Zero refrigerator