Blue Floor Kitchen

 ‘What’s that fabulous blue floor?’ was my first question on seeing this kitchen.

There’s a lot to say about this highly individual kitchen with a vivid blue floor by Baltimore architect Charles Bohl. Practicality aside, the color and texture of the Matisse-blue epoxy-paint floor makes everything appear to float on a shimmering lake – evoking water as a vital element  – with stunning effect.

The floor color even manages to upstage a mammoth Mexican limestone farm sink as well as an Italian marble-slab kitchen table with antique Danish Hans Wegner chairs from the ‘50s. That says everything about the power of color. And, ironically, the high-sheen floor paint is most often used to fancy up concrete slabs in garages. The architect’s wife picked out the serene hue from a vintage V’Soske living room carpet in the couple’s triplex.
One wall of the kitchen is dominated by the massive freestanding stone sink unmistakably inspired by a Tuscan villa. 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 [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 that neatly dispatches the need for doors or hardware. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the down-to-earth function 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 Viking oven stack, warming drawer, gas cook top and downdraft ventilator, eliminating the need for a hood. That created an opportunity 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 with rustic 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: Met Home)

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