Designing a kitchen is arguably one of the most important tasks facing any homemaker but often, the balance struck between efficiency and organisation and beauty and character is too tenuous. The conversation pieces that always get knocked over, that place for the chocolate you swore no dog could reach, the dream kitchen can quickly collapse in noble disarray.
Not so the kitchens of Austrian, Martin Steininger. Eschewing wood, melamine or steel, he makes his collection of cabinets, cooktops and workstations out of concrete, that often despised but incredibly versatile material. In it, the inventive designer, whose work with interior settings has always stressed extravagance and simplicity, saw the perfect fusion between pragmatic design and cosmopolitan élan.
“For a long time, concrete has been underrated, but it is now being used more frequently for innovative interior design solutions,” explains Simone Hörschläger, assistant manager at Steininger Designers.
As it turns out, concrete is ideally suited to kitchens. It’s heat resistant, optimal for food safety and less apt to absorb adherent substances that wreak havoc on laminated surfaces. While natural stone materials like granite and marble have become increasingly popular in kitchens, the technical challenges posed by concrete have usually deterred designers from incorporating it into their work.
Manufactured from ultra-thin 8mm panels, Steininger Designers’ Concrete Kitchen is handcrafted to a sleek and precise finish that verges on the futuristic. Combining natural durability with ultimate refinement, the concrete is paired with stainless steel details and high-quality wood surfaces. Adding additional elegance are fixtures from high-end kitchen design companies like Boffi, Living Divani and Porro. The final result is open-plan and airy, regimented ranks of cabinets, Mondrian-eque in a monochromatic fashion, a kitchen that is as much a pleasure to work in as it is to look at.
“Alongside practicality, we aim for a high level of design with minute detail and accuracy,” Hörschläger continues. “Manufacturing is technically very demanding, but we use concrete to fulfil both aesthetic and practical needs.”
This elusive balance the Concrete Kitchen has struck has not only won Steininger critical acclaim, it also earned the company a prestigious Red Dot design award this year. Singled out by the 30-member panel for its pure and impressive design concept, the Concrete Kitchen earned top honours in a competition that featured 4,515 designs submitted from around the world.
Understandably, Hörschläger is proud of this accomplishment. “It gives encouragement and approval for our work and design principles.”
WHAT Steininger Concrete Kitchen
MADE In Austria
PRICE starts at 75,000 USD
WHY Not only does concrete withstand heat, resist scratching and clean easily, it also looks fantastic in a kitchen especially when combined with elements of natural wood.
