Oftentimes, here on the Remodelista editorial team, one design discovery leads to another, and another. Case in point: A few weeks ago, Julie stumbled upon Coquo, a Montreal-based company revolutionizing modular kitchen systems, which in turn led us to Witness Apartment, just a few blocks south of our New York offices, in the heart of Manhattan’s Flower District. (N.B.: We’ll be writing more about Coquo itself in another post; stay tuned.)
Though the name (and Google searches) brings to mind something more sinister, Witness is a rentable apartment on West 30th Street—a “curated lifestyle shop, creative incubator, and design space,” according to their site—complete with a kitchen, dining area, bed, and bath, and available for photo and film shoots, weddings, and events. The kitchen—recently overhauled with Coquo’s modular kitchen furniture, a Smeg fridge, and black KitchenAid appliances—is, the site says, “perfect for turn-key dinner productions:” one of the most design-forward kitchens we’ve seen this the summer, ready for a sophisticated midsummer soiree in the middle of the city. Take a look (and contact Witness Apartment for more information).
Photography via Coquo and Witness Apartment.
Above: The apartment’s “Test Kitchen” was recently overhauled, and the existing white cabinetry and butcher-block countertops (visible here) replaced with Coquo‘s modular kitchen furniture, tableware from Italian brand Seletti, a Smeg fridge, and large appliances from KitchenAid’s Black Stainless Steel line. The new, monochrome update made its debut during this year’s New York Design Week.
Above: The kitchen, with Coquo‘s modular kitchen elements, including the Radix Appliance Kit (at left; for fitting around a dishwasher; from $679), the Voltaire Cabinet (on the back wall, holding wood serveware; $1,279), the Braccas Island in midnight black-stained oak with a black Fenix countertop ($1,279), and the Radix Three-Drawer Cabinet (at right; from $1,699 for the smallest size).
The Montreal-based company’s mantra? “Furniture should last a lifetime and change with your life.” In other words: Kitchens should be flexible and customizable, able to shift according to need—not the clunky, built-in, long-term commitment of traditional kitchens. Their kitchen furniture is made of materials made to last—solid oak and powder-coated steel, in three colors—and the mix-and-match pieces are suitable for full-kitchen overhauls or smaller, partial updates.
Above: Coquo’s Radix Cabinet ($1,279) serves as the base for the matte black sink. Alongside is Smeg’s Retro 1950s-Style Fridge in white.
Above: The black vases are “wet vessels” by Brooklyn-based ceramicist Aviva Rowley (we’ve admired them before on Gardenista; see our post at Objects of Desire: Wet Vessels by Aviva Rowley). The oven is the KitchenAid Single Wall Oven with Even-Heat Convection in a black stainless finish; $2,599.
Above: Coquo’s glass-fronted Voltaire Cabinet (from $2,889) keeps tableware at the ready for dinner parties with chefs and Instagram-worthy pop-up events. The plates are from Seletti’s Estetico Quotidiano line.
Above: The duo-tone tiled table was a DIY affair. (Interested in trying your hand at something similar? See DIY: A Summery Side Table by Two Young Paris Architects for step-by-step instructions.) The Optical Pendant Lights are from Lee Broom.
N.B.: To inquire about bookings, click the “Contact” button at the bottom of the Witness Apartment site.
Here are a few more of our favorite kitchens in urban spaces:
- Kitchen of the Week: A Glamorous Kitchen in San Francisco, Ikea Hacks Included
- Kitchen of the Week: An Architect’s Own Custom Kitchen in London
- Kitchen of the Week: A Closeup of Jess Thomas’s Crowd-Pleasing Brooklyn Kitchen
