Modern White Kitchen: The Elegance of Urban Minimalism

Modern White Kitchen: The Elegance of Urban Minimalism

In the heart of an urban setting, where modernity meets practicality, a kitchen has emerged that embodies the essence of contemporary design. This modern and white kitchen stretches across two sides, captivating the imagination with its timeless elegance and impeccable functionality.

total white kitchen

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

The kitchen has been conceived to optimize space and address the challenges posed by an out-of-square old wall. Based on the project of Arch.Haidy Nicotera, on one side, columns of varying depths have been created, providing space for refrigerators, ovens, and spacious shelves. These columns also feature doors that conceal practical pantries and a small storage area, contributing to maintaining order and cleanliness in the environment. These columns have been harmoniously enclosed by a suspended ceiling that completes the modern and minimalist look.

column overture

On the opposite side, the kitchen takes on a lighter feel, with a base that follows the wall’s profile and tapers with an oblique cut to reach the French doors. Here, the oblique silhouette of the kitchen becomes a prominent aesthetic detail. The lower cabinet door, in particular, follows the countertop’s design with clean lines and offers internal shelving for small useful items. The wall cabinets, on the other hand, remain linear, with internal shelves and upward-opening, high-performance aventos. They are also backlit, adding a touch of light and style to the environment.

kitchen overture

MATERIALS AND COLORS

The choice was immediately directed towards a “Total White” palette. All components, from the furniture to the work surfaces, are crafted in matte white lacquered MDF, creating a clean and luminous effect. The Krion countertop, also in an optical white, blends seamlessly with the rest of the environment. The only exception, where a hint of color remains, is found in the rear of the kitchen, where a slightly veined gray tile adds a contrasting touch to the surrounding light colors.

top details
details door
aventos detail

The kitchen’s shell, like most of our creations, is made of melamine-faced chipboard. This material embodies functionality and durability, being resistant to both scratches and aggressive detergents.

 shaped door
internal shelves
 dustbin drawer

Here are two more all-white kitchens, a delicate corner kitchen, and a modern kitchen with a peninsula and a snack bar for guests.

FLOW AND FUNCTIONALITY

At the heart of this modern white kitchen, as planned, a central round table will be positioned to accommodate 6 to 8 diners and become the focal point of the space. Contrary to what one might think, this central element does not disrupt the workflow in the kitchen; it instead perfectly blends conviviality and comfort.

Indeed, thanks to meticulous planning of internal flows, cooking from one side of the kitchen to the other is seamless and convenient. The spaces have been carefully designed to maximize efficiency and practicality, ensuring that everything is within reach.

Furthermore, to add a touch of elegance to the space, a central chandelier will be installed, providing soft and focused illumination over the table.

project kitchen

CONCLUSION

This modern white kitchen is an extraordinary example of how the elegance of urban minimalism combines with intelligent solutions for space and materials management. It is a place where aesthetic beauty harmonizes with practicality. With its palette of light colors and well-thought-out design details, it is ready to inspire new projects.

lateral white kitchen

Cozy and Versatile Oak Kitchen: A Symphony of Design and Functionality

Cozy and Versatile Oak Kitchen: A Symphony of Design and Functionality

Nestled within a verdant enclave away from the urban hustle, a welcoming and versatile kitchen comes to life in a perfect harmony of Oak, subtle gray, and thermotreated larch.

entrance functional kitchen

The Context and Colors

Inside a modern villa complex, the lush ambiance of tree-lined gardens and green hedges envelops this small oasis, located just steps away from the vibrant heart of Brescia. Here, nature takes center stage, with the greenery of the outdoor surroundings defining this tranquil haven.

As you step into the apartment, you’re immersed in a unique environment where design and nature blend seamlessly. The kitchen, with its well-defined rectangular layout, immediately captures attention with its Alpine green-toned flooring. This soft yet decisive hue establishes a visual and sensory connection with the green of the outdoor spaces.

Balancing the green, the walls are adorned with a delicate tortora gray. This shade is also chosen for the kitchen’s bases and columns, creating a visual continuity that embraces both the functional and aesthetic elements of the space.

Adding a touch of warmth, wood has been thoughtfully incorporated to provide a natural and welcoming feel. Natural Oak graces the overhead cabinets, kickboards, and side panels of the columns. It extends to the kitchen’s terminal and open shelving, as well as the side riser of the countertop.

Within this context, the kitchen becomes a symphonic composition of colors, materials, and shapes that combine to create a sense of balance and beauty.

front kitchen in oak

CHOICE OF MATERIALS

The softness and delicacy of Oak and lacquered MDF come to life in the front panels and vertical sides, enveloping the space in a cozy embrace. These noble materials not only provide a sense of warmth but also elegance.

A clever design choice resides in the internals of the cabinets and base units. Here, practicality and durability are paramount, leading to the selection of a textured laminate with a fabric-like effect. This material, in addition to offering high resistance to scratches and aggressive detergents, seamlessly blends with the external tortora hue, creating a visual equilibrium that extends from exterior to interior.

inside wall units
inside back of the kitchen

At the heart of functionality lies the countertop, crafted from white Krion, an advanced polymeric solid surface. Majestic in its simplicity, it proves virtually indestructible. Its resistance to impacts and chemicals surpasses that of natural stone, while its smooth and homogeneous surface is exceptionally easy to clean. Minimal maintenance and the ease of repairs transform the countertop into a long-term investment, in perfect alignment with the project’s sustainable approach.

To make the dining table the focal point of the kitchen, a different wood has been chosen – thermotreated larch. Its regular flame patterns and slightly darker tones infuse character and depth into the table, adding movement to its ample surface. This unique treatment endows the wood with natural beauty enriched by more pronounced shades, breaking its linearity and infusing it with a dynamic aura.

In another project, a thermotreated larch table graces a contemporary loft space.

Krion top
table in tehrmotreated larch

The Cozy and Versatile Kitchen

Space optimization is the defining feature of this kitchen, where every inch has been maximized to ensure functionality without compromising the overall design.

opening versatile kitchen

A prime example is the expanded depth of the kitchen, allowing for a rear kitchen area. Clad in Lacobel (back-painted glass), this space features five sliding doors. It emerges as a precious zone, with dedicated internal shelves providing storage for spices, small appliances, and essential food preparation tools.

The same added depth is found in the drawers of the base units, achieved through non-standard guides, resulting in expanded capacity for plates and pots. The lateral columns housing ovens and the refrigerator follow suit, offering even more usable space.

spice rack lacobel oak
 deep taupe drawers

A practical addition to the niche is the equipped extension on the left side. This not only provides additional shelving for food storage but also hosts the dining table at rest.

This table is truly multifunctional, adapting to various needs. For daily use, it remains nested within the base. However, when the occasion calls for accommodating more diners, the table can be moved to the center, becoming the convivial heart of the kitchen.

Here’s another example of a retractable table.

central table kitchen

Completing the kitchen’s layout is an office module situated beside the entrance to the kitchen. With wooden central sections accommodating books and personal items, it strikes a harmonious balance between function and style. Swing doors offer additional storage spaces, thus rounding off the functional aspect of the entire room.

mobile office versatile
details wood
shelves detail
internal LED

CONCLUSION

In summary, this kitchen emerges as a harmonious symphony of intelligent design, exquisite materials, and functional solutions. Every corner has been crafted to maximize efficiency and comfort, without compromising aesthetics. The amalgamation of practical and versatile solutions renders the kitchen cozy and fitting for everyday life.

Guide to Materials in Interior Design: From Solid Wood to Laminate and Melamine-Faced Panels

Guide to Materials in Interior Design: From Solid Wood to Laminate and Melamine-Faced Panels

When entering the world of furniture, one comes across many technical terms related to wood that can be difficult to interpret. With this article, we hope to dispel any doubts and help you discover how this material has evolved in this specific industry.

SOLID WOOD

Many people still believe that furniture is mainly made of solid wood, meaning actual pieces of logs with the required thickness and specific wood type. However, this perception is no longer entirely accurate.
In recent years, the use of solid wood in furniture has decreased due to its heaviness and its extreme sensitivity to moisture, temperature variations, and direct exposure to sunlight, which in some cases can cause the wood to warp.
Solid wood is still used for special woodworking techniques, such as curved or round shapes, where veneering becomes difficult or for specific requests.
Additionally, apart from technical limitations, there is an economic limit that discourages the use of panels made entirely of wood.
Lately, the trend has been to use solid wood with its outer bark and tree shaping, treating only the surface.

Sliced  wooden table with bark
Sliced  wooden table with bark
Sliced  wooden table with bark

VENEERED WOOD

Solid wood has been replaced for about thirty years with much lighter panels made of wood fiber, which surpass it in quality and durability and are subsequently veneered, meaning glued and pressed, with thin sheets of wood (down to a minimum of 2 tenths of a millimeter).
These are called veneers and are obtained through the rotary horizontal cutting of logs. You can choose the wood type, grain, or backing, but only the outer part represents the true essence of the wood. Inside the panels, there is a sandwich of wood particleboard.
Among the most common materials are high-quality chipboard (generally made of poplar), MDF (medium-density fiberboard), fire-resistant or waterproof MDF (for humid environments or specific regulations in the hotel industry), and plywood (made by overlaying multiple layers of wood).
This makes the structure lighter and stronger and, from a technical standpoint, it does not overload internal elements such as hinges, lift-up doors, or sliding mechanisms, allowing for greater size variety.
The term “veneer” is often improperly used to indicate any non-precious wood covering, but it is not the case.

heat-treated oak veneered wood
 heat-treated oak veneer detail bookcase
 heat-treated oak veneer detail bookcase

There are types of veneers that are not obtained by reducing a precious wood log into sheets but through the gluing of various sheets of colored wood (usually non-precious) to recreate a fake log, simulating the rings, grains, and patterns, and subsequently cutting it into sheets.
This type of veneer is called engineered veneer, and like veneers and solid wood, it can undergo tonal variations due to sunlight. However, this natural phenomenon is significantly reduced since the woods used in production are specially selected.
Engineered veneer also allows for creating imaginative wood essences or, more commonly, recreating exotic, rare, or protected woods using less precious woods from plantations or certified forests.
A famous Italian company that produces engineered veneer is Alpi Wood and here a sample of their production.

alpi wood

MDF

The materials present in veneered panels can also be used individually. The most well-known and versatile material, ideal for creating matte, satin, semi-gloss, and glossy lacquered furnishings, is MDF, which stands for Medium Density Fiberboard.
This material, without undulations that could compromise the final result of the object, guarantees a smooth and uniform surface.
The raw material used for MDF includes various types of wood, mainly softwood, which are shredded and subsequently dried or mixed with water (similar to the paper production process).
The result is lightweight and compact wood panels in various thicknesses, thanks to the process that exploits the thermoplastic characteristics of the naturally present lignin in wood.

 kitchen in matt and glossy lacquered MDF
 lacquered mdf shaping
 inclinations lacquered MDF
 shaped and lacquered MDF detail
 shaping glossy lacquered doors

Some particular processes in matt and glossy lacquered MDF.

LAMINATE AND PLASTIC BILAMINATE

Starting from plywood, chipboard, or MDF panels, they can be covered with laminate sheets instead of real wood. Plastic laminate is a sheet obtained by pressing various layers of paper impregnated with plastic resins (phenolic or melamine).
It is a highly wear-resistant material, resistant to aggressive solvents, acids, ammonia, and abrasion.
This makes it highly appreciated for creating worktops in kitchens, bathrooms, floors, parquets, and desks.
It is an economical alternative to natural stones and steel.

Mountains one bedroom apartment
 plywood and laminate

The term bilaminate refers to a panel coated on both sides with a very thin laminate.
This is an ideal solution for kitchen structures and internal shelves that come into contact with substances and liquids and therefore need to be easily cleaned.
If durability is required, bilaminate can also be used for external kitchen doors, cabinets, and furniture.
It is not possible to create special workings such as handle grooves or shaping, but if linear panels are expected, the wide range of colors and finishes of laminates can satisfy every taste.

Among the most famous companies that specialize in phenolic and melamine laminates, we find One World, Abet e Polyrey.

green and wood kitchen
detail of green door hollow handles
gas hob detail
Selvino Shop
detail textured finishing

MELAMINE-FACED PANEL

Melamine-faced panels refer to a particular type of material derived from wood veneering, but with a substantial difference: veneered wood has a thickness of only 0.5-1 mm, while melamine-faced panels have a thickness of 0.2-0.6 mm, obtained through digital printing of melamine or phenolic papers that replicate the essences, colors, and textures of different materials.
This allows for obtaining highly resistant, practical, and easy-to-clean surfaces.
Melamine-faced panels are widely used in modern and contemporary furniture for their versatility, durability, and ease of maintenance.
Among the many available textures, many wood-effect ones have a truly realistic appearance.

 Attic bathroom

CONCLUSION

In modern furniture, solid wood is increasingly less used and replaced by lighter, durable, and versatile materials such as laminate, MDF, plywood, and melamine-faced panels. These materials offer a wide range of colors, finishes, and textures that allow for creating customized and high-quality aesthetic solutions to meet every need and furnishing style. In addition to aesthetic considerations, it is important to also evaluate the technical characteristics of the materials used, such as resistance to moisture, temperature variations, and sunlight, in order to ensure optimal durability and functionality over time.

Corner kitchen with peninsula: shades of grey and wood

Corner kitchen with peninsula: shades of grey and wood

A corner kitchen with peninsula takes centre stage in an open-space obtained from the renovation of a flat. Different shades of grey marry the wood of the snack top and wall units, which is also echoed in the detail of the shelves compartment communicating with the living area.

corner kitchen with peninsula animation small opening

Conformation of a corner kitchen with peninsula: between snack top and double-sided use

Before the renovation, the kitchen followed a corner shape within a confined room.
A separate room with side access, adjacent to the main door.
By knocking down two of the partition walls, it was possible to create an open space with the advantage of generating a brighter and visually larger room.

By following the existing electrical and plumbing arrangements and making only a few changes to the systems, the new kitchen has thus taken shape, expanding its development to embrace the living area.
Starting from the original corner shape, it then added a peninsula part that houses a hob and snack corner for a functional and youthful kitchen.

Corner kitchen with peninsula open drawers snack top
Corner kitchen with peninsula closed drawers snack top
Corner kitchen with peninsula shades of grey oak wood open compartment

Column ovens, built-in refrigerator and pantry column are located along the side wall, from which the peninsula with double-sided access then develops.
Adjacent to the ovens is the lower base unit, which also embraces the adjacent wall with a window and ends in the entrance storage wall. Next to it are the built-in dishwasher and the doors with fitted sink and pull-out corner.
The narrow 30 cm wide door on the other side is nothing more than a front pull-out for storing spices and condiments.
The upper wall unit with lighting underneath acts as a visual closing element providing additional storage space.
Completing the oven column is a storage drawer and door with a push-open top.

The larder unit with its large depth is accessible from the living area, making it more practical and functional.
The peninsula is structured in the same way with double access, with drawers of different heights on the kitchen side and doors with small glass shelves on the living area side.
The open compartment facing the living area is instead arranged centrally.

internal composition of under-oven drawers
removable inner composition front spices
interior composition door shelves
extractable internal composition front spice detail
Corner kitchen with peninsula oak grey tones
double-sided opening peninsula pantry 01
double-sided opening peninsula pantry 02

Materials, finishes and colours: between shades of grey and light wood

Elegance and freshness are expressed through a colour palette of neutral tones of grey, anthracite for the kitchen top and ice for doors and shells, combined with oak-effect inserts to convey a sense of naturalness.
Different shades emphasise the volumetric development of this corner kitchen with peninsula through a series of combinations and joints.

The top in Lapitec Anthracite with Lithos finish gives a uniform yet textured appearance, which is matched by the undermount sink in Stilgranit Blanco
Also in dark anthracite tones is the essential structure of the snack top.
The latter features an oak-effect laminate top with a warm and cosy feel, which is also used for the wall unit with drop-down opening and the open compartment in the peninsula.

A refined detail is the overlapping of the snack top with respect to the worktop, which creates a visual detachment and also acts as a supporting element for the top itself.
Completing the colour choice are the appliances and accessories. The ovens and gas hob in black ceramic glass echo the Falmec island hood and mixer tap.
Different materials united by the same total black aesthetic line.

Added to these is a delicate hanging lamp positioned above the snack top that provides functional lighting while respecting its minimalist aesthetic impact.
Minimalist visual lines with 45° shaped door and drawer grooves complete the whole.

Corner kitchen with peninsula in shades of grey lacquered doors oak wood top anthracite
materials and colours Lapitec top anthracite grey undermount sink
materials and colours Lapitec anthracite grey top
materials and colours open compartment wood oak effect 02
materials and colours open compartment wood oak effect 02
materials and colours gas glass ceramic hob black
materials and colours glass-ceramic ovens black

A corner kitchen with peninsula is recognisable by its elegant and youthful aesthetics through refined attention to detail. Functionality and openness become the keywords for a renovation that turns the aesthetics of the house upside down.  See more kitchens in light grey: a contemporary-style basement and a contemporary attic with glimpses of the past.

A Minimal Kitchen to optimize the living area

A Minimal Kitchen to optimize the living area

To optimize the available space, in a small two-room apartment in Milan, we have created this minimal, discreet, bright and elegant kitchen.

Minimal white Kitchen

ALL LIVING ROOM

As we wrote in this article dedicated to the Kitchen Snack Table, in contemporary kitchens the living area and the kitchen increasingly merge into a single open space.
There are no more partitions even at the entrance to the apartments, the door opens and everything we can have in a Living area is revealed in front of us.
So the kitchen, dining area and living room become a single room, just like in this article dedicated to a functional kitchen.
To give harmony to this triptych, the kitchen must therefore lose its “operative” spirit by hiding ladles, pots and groceries and becoming a more discreet element, which is revealed only when necessary.
Much more storage space and doors closed from view, while maintaining everything needed to cook, serve and enjoy food.

minimal kitchen lateral
minimal kitchen lateral

​PHYSIOMY OF A MINIMAL KITCHEN

This kitchen, designed by Artecasa studio, optimize the most of the available space.
It develops in the niche of the side wall at the entrance with an equipped part and a front island that acts as an additional storage space and snack table for quick meals.
What can therefore be seen from the entrance are two horizontal gray stone floors, which develop parallel.

gray minimal kitchen countertops

In the equipped part in the niche there are all the appliances needed in a minimal kitchen: a refrigerator column, a dishwasher with a two-bowl sink, a hob with an oven and a tall microwave.
In the island, lots of storage space, drawers for cutlery, pots and crockery and the top that extends towards the living area becoming a snack top to accommodate at least 3 diners.

details drawers
The atmosphere is convivial, and the lights are skilfully designed to amplify this feeling of intimacy and warmth.
Three ceiling lights descend punctually on the Kitchen Snack Table, the backlit wall units remain at the service of the kitchen while a track with adjustable spotlights illuminates the relaxation area.
The colors are light and glow in the light from the large windows at the back of the room.
minimal kitchen lateral

On the ground a natural oak parquet that matches well with the gray veined stone chosen for the countertops and the back of the kitchen and the light-colored furniture.
Here another minimal Milanese kitchen with similar combinations.