{"id":2249,"date":"2024-04-30T22:57:17","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T14:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/2024\/04\/30\/kitchen-of-the-week-a-cost-conscious-plywood-design-homemade-backsplash-and-moveable-island-included\/"},"modified":"2024-04-30T22:57:17","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T14:57:17","slug":"kitchen-of-the-week-a-cost-conscious-plywood-design-homemade-backsplash-and-moveable-island-included","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeofmaterials.com\/fr\/kitchen-of-the-week-a-cost-conscious-plywood-design-homemade-backsplash-and-moveable-island-included\/","title":{"rendered":"Kitchen of the Week: A Cost-Conscious Plywood Design, Homemade Backsplash and Moveable Island Included"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Jannah Field and Rik Vannevel found their house on the real estate equivalent of the discount rack. Located in the Belgian city of Kortrijk in West Flanders, it dates from 1936 and has a well-preserved Art Deco fa\u00e7ade and \u201cbushy garden\u201d that they love. The interior, however, had been stripped of its historic detailing in recent years and its previous owners had embarked on a remodel of that remodel\u2014but didn\u2019t finish before deciding to shift plans.<\/p>\n

When Jannah and Rik stepped in the place was kitchen-less, which suited them\u2014they welcomed the opportunity to add their own imprint. The couple have three young boys and are both creatives: Jannah is an illustrator and fine art printer who recently took up ceramic art; Rik runs the education department for the contemporary art platform Be-Part. Operating on a tight budget, they initially decided to install Ikea cabinets with custom fronts.<\/p>\n

Then they happened upon the Instagram account of Pieterjan Dehaene and Louis Seynaeve, a duo of trained architects who are hands-on builders. Based nearby in Ghent, Atelier Dehaene Seynaeve (@atelierdehaeneseynaeve) collaborates with architects and also creates their own designs. After seeing what Jannah describes as their \u201cpractical and at the same time aesthetic solutions,\u201d she and Rik began dreaming of a custom kitchen. \u201cWe have some pet peeves about traditional kitchens,\u201d she continues. \u2018We really wanted a kitchen with modular elements: Rik loves to mix and match and reorganize every six months. I love an open plan and wanted to avoid closed cabinets that look like a big block in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pieterjan and Louis listened enthusiastically\u2014and got to work. \u201cYes, our kitchen cost a bit more than Ikea,\u201d says Jannah, \u201cbut their contemporary approach and quality materials, plus the good conversations that made this happen were more than worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photography by and courtesy of Rik Vannevel.<\/p>\n


Above: \u201cTo keep costs down, we decided to use radiata pine, the plywood commonly used for construction but usually left invisible,\u201d Pieterjan tells us. \u201cWe went with a simple, straightforward design that reduced the hours needed for making the whole thing.\u201d The large island is composed of two equal halves so it can be put to different uses. <\/p>\n

The green metal framework came out of Rik\u2019s parents\u2019 music shop\u2013they\u2019re from a no-longer-in-production shelving system called Tixit; the couple asked that they be incorporated into the design as a \u201cnice memory from Rik\u2019s childhood.\u201d The plan was initially for neutral-colored wheels, but Louis surprised\u2014and delighted\u2014them with red. The tall, skinny fridge is a Severin.<\/p>\n

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Above: Jannah knew she wanted a backsplash of \u201csoftly colored terracotta vertical tiles,\u201d and after not finding what she envisioned, she decided to make them herself. \u201cThe color to me was more important than the form,\u201d she says. \u201cMy results are not all flat\u2014some are even bent or curled. It was a bold move to use imperfect tiles and a challenge to put them up.\u201d To mask the irregularity, Pieterjan and Louis added a bar of wooden trim on top. <\/p>\n

The thin white counters and island tops are a solid surface by HIMACS\u2014\u201dagain, very simple to reduce labor hours and big costs,\u201d says Pieterjan. The Bakelite Electrical Outlets and Round Black Ceiling Lights were sourced from Zangra.<\/p>\n


Above: The range hood is a nod to a triangular counterpart in Belgian architect Juliaan Lampens\u2019 1972 Van Wassenhove House\u2014Rik previously worked at a museum that has an artist residency in the villa and says, \u201cLampens\u2019s kitchen designs were an important reference for how wood can be used on its own.\u201d Warping, a plywood hazard especially of doors attached on one side, is avoided here: \u201cThis design actually allows for a bit of warping without the project starting to look sloppy,\u201d says Pieterjan. <\/p>\n

Admiring the toaster? See Compact and Colorful: Three Good-Looking Countertop Appliances from Hay.<\/p>\n

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Above: Jannah made the tiles from a red clay that she sprinkled with white granules and glazed a satin white. The plywood is sealed with a super-matte water-based varnish\u2014\u201dyou don\u2019t really notice that\u2019s it been sealed at all,\u201d says Pieterjan.
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Above: Green Pan Greenlife Utensils hang from the rail.
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Above: The room has a large skylight that was in place and opens to the backyard. The lime washed green cube contains a bathroom. The floor is eco-friendly, linseed-oil-based Marmoleum.
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Above: Pieterjan and Louis created a new plywood top for the family table. The Tripp Trapp \u201cchairs that grow with the child\u201d are among our favorite high chairs.
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Above: The islands halves are simply pushed together or apart, and can be moved out of the way for dinner parties. <\/p>\n

Thinking of building your own plywood kitchen? Read Remodeling 101: A Plywood Primer and 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Plywood.<\/p>\n

Here are three more standout plywood kitchens:<\/p>\n