Aluminum gray Bulthaup cabinets on the massive island establish the color theme
Perhaps it’s my architect’s gene that draws me to the cool aesthetic of this timeless Bulthaup b3, 400-square footer with its 20-foot long island. No transferware plate collections here – just a bold, yellow painting titled “The Pale Cook,” by German artist Henning Kurschner.
Looking across the mammoth island, note Bulthaup’s signature tambor pull-down door protecting a Kitchen Aid mixer [to left of the painting]. On each side of the stainless top on the work space are his-and-her integral sinks with a pair of matching Grohe Ladylux Café faucets. Modular Gaggenau Vario cooking set ups sit across from each other under the huge island hood. These combine different cooking appliances — on the near side (to the left of the sink) are two double-burner gas cooktop units with a stylishly covered grill in between. Opposite is a gas wok burner flanked by an in-counter steamer and a deep fryer.
The Midwestern couple who built this loft intended it to double as a gallery for their contemporary art collection. That dictates zero clutter, name-brand modern furniture, sleek surfaces and art-as-accessories, even in the kitchen since it’s open to the living and dining rooms.
The main block of white Bulthaup cabinets creates a monolithic storage wall that anchors one end of the view across the three rooms [photo above]. A pair of 36-inch wide Gaggenau horizontal convection ovens are centered above counter height, as flush as flat-screen TVs, and perfectly focused in the sight lines. The loft also features white Arne Jacobsen vintage Swan chairs reupholstered in ultrasuede, and molded-plastic Eames chairs, in red, around the dining room table. An engineered maple floor continues throughout.
