At Extreme, we design kitchens and furniture for some of the UK’s most architecturally interesting homes; they can be something new with bold, sharp lines that stretch modern ways of working to the limit or something classical which restores some of our British Heritage. Whichever it may be, homes of this calibre demand architectural kitchen designs that reflect their individuality and custom nature. In this article, we explore architectural kitchen design and share examples of projects completed by our team.

contemporary kitchen in a bold architectural London home

Architectural design involves planning and creating functional and aesthetically pleasing structures. It combines art and science to ensure buildings meet user needs while harmonising with their environment. This process includes spatial analysis, material selection, following safety and sustainability standards, and turning ideas into detailed blueprints for construction.

Applying Architectural Design to Kitchens

Architectural kitchen design takes this concept further by focusing on the kitchen’s relationship with the building. This approach looks at the entire room’s layout, function, and aesthetics. It involves evaluating the position of walls, windows, and other architectural features to maximise the space’s potential. Aesthetically, it considers the home’s architectural style, history, and design language.

The Architectural Approach to Kitchen Design

Architectural kitchen design offers two main directions: harmonising with the existing architecture or contrasting it. The success of a design lies in how well it enhances the home, whether through seamless cohesion or bold contrast. A thoughtful design is sensitive to the architecture to create a space that feels congruent with the rest of the home. When done correctly, contrasting styles can create a dynamic and visually striking space, highlighting both the kitchen and the property’s historical elements.

Architectural kitchen designers are involved early in the process and work closely with the architect, property developer, and interior designer. These projects often have a long timeline, with 2-4 years between the design phase and installation, sometimes longer for new-built residences.

The design process must be unrestricted to achieve genuine architectural kitchen design. Our clients wish for their homes to be individual and often build their homes to achieve the custom style they seek. The kitchen and furniture design has to reflect this quest for uniqueness, responding to whatever creative and innovative ideas are in the building’s architecture.

These case studies showcase architectural kitchen design in practice and how responding to the architecture results in truly unique spaces.

Case Studies: Architectural Kitchen Ideas by Extreme

These case studies demonstrate architectural kitchen design in practice.

1. A Contemporary Kitchen for a Highly Conceptual Architectural Home

This contemporary kitchen design by Extreme features a bespoke kitchen island with structural columns and angles that mimic the home’s exterior impact and interior details. This unique property was a custom-built home by a private client with a highly individual architectural scheme. Key features include floor-to-ceiling windows and cement columns that protrude through the glass. These features flow through the kitchen design, tying it into the building’s language.

architectural kitchen design with timber cabinets and brass wall cabinets

2. A Kitchen That Harmoniously Blends Georgian Style With Modernity

This elegant kitchen by Extreme unifies the opposing styles of modern, linear kitchen design and Georgian architecture. Our clients built this home with Georgian-inspired features, so the building itself is a marriage of classic and contemporary architecture. The kitchen continues this theme with handleless timber cabinets in soft, neutral tones and classic marble worktops. This design is sympathetic to the room, not drawing focus away from the intricate ceiling and countryside views.

elegant glamorous kitchen with ornate Georgian ceiling

3. An Eccentric Kitchen That Synthesises a Bricolage of Styles

This eclectic kitchen both contrasts and conforms to the property’s architecture. The home is a converted Barn full of character and history, with exposed beams and brick walls. The Extreme kitchen design navigates around the room’s architectural features, leaving the beautiful rustic beams undisturbed to nestle into the space sensitively.

Although contemporary, the kitchen incorporates rustic materials such as reclaimed timber and a rare weathered bark finish. The oak island breakfast bar, bronze cup handles, and taps are all quintessentially classic design details used here to juxtapose the contemporary style.

Rustic Country Kitchen for a barn conversion

At Extreme, our design approach is rooted in architectural principles. We create kitchens that are part of the fabric of the building and resonate with its unique character. Clients often come to us because they feel frustrated with being tied down to a set design range. Whether blending in or standing out, the property is the stage, and our role is to do it justice.

To discuss architectural kitchen design for your home, arrange to meet with an Extreme designer.