At Papilio, we design luxury kitchens with character. We take inspiration from our client’s wishes, iconic design and decades of experience.
One design style that is increasing in popularity for handmade kitchens is the mid-century style—known for simplicity, function over fuss and elegance. It is synonymous with Scandinavian modern style and Danish modernist furniture design. The use of streamlined and contrasting materials is prominent in the design aesthetic, while linear and paired-down finishes took centre stage. The beauty of mid-century style in its day was a juxtaposition between modern and natural materials. Today, the mid-century style embraces the retro look, is highly collectable and can boast either low-level or floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, reeded glass, natural wood such as teak or walnut, paper cord, vinyl, contrasting ceramics, soft angles and feature colour sections.
The Frome Kitchen in Somerset is a beautiful example of classic modern and mid-century style. The design for the handmade kitchen was inspired by Scandinavian design and the architecture of the Edwardian Manor. Key details include a solid brass trim and fluting detail on the striking black kitchen island, while the worktop deliberately contrasts the solid black of the form. In addition, the perimeter cabinets were tinted red to imitate the redwood throughout the property by our master makers. The use of reeded glass created a nostalgic accent to the wooden cabinetry, and the result is a truly unique luxury kitchen that is both functional and beautiful.
For our new Mid-Century Inspired Kitchen in Somerset in the heart of Bath, we designed a kitchen that boasts two kitchen islands, a living space, and a dining area with steel, powder-coated floor-to-ceiling glazed sliding doors, and floods of natural light. We pulled inspiration from our client’s existing mid-century furniture and their large, curved, glazed antique cabinet. We designed low-level cabinetry with golden tones of American black walnut, topped with cool Carrara marble to fit along the perimeter. The second kitchen island adopted a more industrial and utilitarian feel with a metal framework and black cabinetry clad in untreated copper, which will intentionally patina over time. The mid-century aesthetic continued with cut-out detail handles within the drawers and full-height cabinets in walnut finished with a red tint. Central to this piece of furniture are doors that fold back neatly into a recess to reveal the walk-in pantry. The result was a sizeable striking kitchen that permitted natural materials to shine with ultimate function at its beautiful heart.
