The French Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of a home. Here meals are prepared, and so much family time is spent: so, a lively and friendly room must be perfectly organized to be fully and pleasantly used. Often, the question of design raises many issues: how to choose the layout of the elements? Which materials to choose? We asked a Parisian interior design studio to enlighten us.

Raphaëlle Levet and Bénédicte Pierens are at the head of BR Interior Design. From a great Parisian hotel to the renovation of apartments, they collect beautiful projects and delight us with their good ideas and their delicately refined tastes.  For their projects, they think kitchens down to the smallest detail. True adepts of contemporary spaces, they know how to keep and enhance the charm of the old, while playing with original blends of materials, and imagining custom-made furniture that will perfectly adapt to the places and pace of life of families. In this article Bénédicte will share some of their secrets with you.

Can you describe your ideal kitchen?

 

In my house, the kitchen is the most important room in the house. It is the true headquarter of the family: we meet there for breakfast, we prepare meals together, we receive friends. The kitchen is open to the dining area, it is above all functional, friendly and relaxed.

This requires some organization to keep it clean and tidy at all times. The dishes are washed as the meal is prepared, like in the great restaurants. We enjoy setting a pretty table with a tablecloth, flowers and candles, change the service of plates according to circumstances. In our kitchen-dining room, the meal is a special occasion, we like to meet with our family around good meals every day.

How do you think this space through for your customers? Is it in line with the project as a whole or is it more of a separate piece?

  

For our private clients as for the hotels or offices we renovate, we take particular care to make the kitchen a room in its own right. The layout of the kitchen and the brightness of the room are very important criteria. Isolated or open - according to constraints or demands - the kitchen must remain practical but refined. Every detail has its importance: the credenza, the handles, the electrical appliances, the mixer tap and the worktop will enhance the furniture, whether it is lacquered or melamine.

  

  

What are your favourite materials?

 

Our preferred materials are those that traverse time: granite or terrazzo for worktops, brass for handles and mixers, wood.

Exposed or hidden appliances?

 

Today, household appliances are very often built in. It's easy and there are no surprises. 

We also like to show them when they are imagined as objects, like the KitchenAid Iconic Fridge with its retro look.

 

 

Is there a detail you like to focus on? Tell us everything!

 

With Raphaëlle Levet my partner, we attach great importance to light and all the small details that will give the kitchen a unique character. 

Are you in the middle of renovating your kitchen, or do you simply wish to refine your decoration? Here are some ideas to remember:

1. Play on smart storage. Many kitchen designers now offer elements that can be integrated into any type of space, from the smallest to the largest: there are small drawer cabinets, shelving systems that can be fitted, but also worktops with recessed niches. Remember, it's the kitchen that has to fit you, not the other way around!

2. Make the right choice of materials. Natural stone and raw wood have a cost: that of durability over time.

3. Above all, do not neglect attention to detail. On the contrary, you have to bet almost everything on it! Once the layout is complete, you need to focus on what will add charm to your room. Pretty door handles, a beautiful light fixture, a stylish dish drainer, beautiful taps... Sometimes all it takes is a tiny little thing to make all the difference

Now that you have all the keys in hand, you can offer your kitchen a designer look, both stylish and personalised! https://www.brdesigninterieur.com/