As bespoke kitchen designers, we have a lot to consider when creating the perfect luxury kitchen. Working with our clients on every aspect from start to finish, lighting is often one of our favourite talking points. Of course, you want the most innovative appliances and the most show-stopping cabinetry and the sturdiest worktops, but what about lighting?
When contemplating a handmade kitchen, illumination is worth a considered conversation. Should it be purely functional, or should the lighting be evocative? Do the light fittings become a feature, or are they to serve a purpose and appear understated?
As kitchen designers, we believe that the choice of lighting is as essential as the style of your chosen kitchen finish. Over the years, we’ve created and built stunning kitchens, some of which have included drawer and cupboard lights with motion sensors and cabinets with lights above the work surfaces. Of course, it’s always fun to create an element of surprise, but it’s also crucial that we design a kitchen that is illuminated with style, function and heart.
At Papilio Kitchens, we are HUGE fans of DCW éditions Paris. They produce iconic and beautiful lighting and furniture designed by contemporary designers for those who love design.
For our Richlite Kitchen project in a large country manor house, we selected the Les Acrobates De Gras lighting designed by Bernard-Albin Gras. The dynamic and fun lighting was ideal to complement the feature oak island and black limestone worktops with hints of antiqued brass. We love the acrobatic lighting because it can be placed anywhere – on walls or ceilings and can add colourful touches to a luxury bespoke kitchen.
When designing a contemporary Scandinavian-style kitchen and breakfast room in The Georgian Manor House Kitchen in rural Somerset, we wanted the golden oak veneers to shine. Adding the iconic In The Tube, 360° light, designed by Dominique Perrault & Gaëlle Lauriot-Prévost, above the handcrafted kitchen island, was a considered statement. Hung horizontally, the LED and aluminium light is industrial in its aesthetic yet delicate and warming. Perfect for prep work, this iconic light is beautiful and functional yet makes a bold statement.
In our Contemporary Kitchen project in Somerset, simplicity and optimum functionality prevailed. Our design team selected the Mantis light by Bernard Schottlander to hang gracefully over the central Turkish Lilac Marble kitchen island. The beauty of the Mantis light is its sculptural engineering. Counterweights and strong yet flexible metal bars create elegantly lengthy limbs that craft adjustable metal-work lights.
At Papilio, our design team get really excited about lighting. Not simply because it’s essential, but some lights are real works of art. A luxury kitchen can say a lot about its owner, and a perfectly illuminated one allows light to shine on its luxuriously handmade and considered design.
