K+BB
Kitchen and Bath Business
August 2005

Chain Reaction

Background: For designer Laura Birns, ASID, it's all about making a connection. Not just with her clients—with whom she forms strong bonds in an effort to understand their very specific needs—but with the design itself and with all of the elements that comprise it.

Challenge: The homeowners entertain often, so it was important to create a space that was interactive so that the cook was not isolated, guests could participate in the food preparation and all could enjoy an evening together.

Solution: "One can be anywhere in this kitchen and feel connected," said Birns of this 27-ft. x 13-ft. "casual yet sophisticated" space. "There is enough room to perform various independent tasks while still being part of a larger group, which was an essential requirement for this particular client."

A kitchen table in the form of a banquette, seats six comfortably and is built right into the design. "The dining area is just as much a part of the overall kitchen experience as the prepping area," said Birns. "After all, that's where you get to relax and enjoy all of your hard work." And in the absence of friends, family and ensuing conversation, there's a TV in the adjacent room angled to entertain the lone chef.

So how is all of this made possible? "Movement is key to the flow of a kitchen," said Birns of the premise that drove her design, "and in this kitchen, the origin is open space and a serpentine design," which complements an existing curved glass-block wall at the entry. "People love walking in curves; it's an unlimited sense," theorized Birns. "Not to mention, it softens the overall look of an otherwise linear space." The curved countertop and reverse curve of the banquette allows people to flow and gather. Natural movement from one area to another becomes effortless, giving rhythm to the space. "No matter what end of the kitchen you start from you are always at the beginning," said Birns.

But while creating the ultimate entertainment kitchen was central to the overall concept, it certainly wasn't the only request. Other design criteria included updating the kitchen, modernizing the appliances, adding more workspace to accommodate multiple functions and people, increasing storage capabilities and creating a low-maintenance and easily accessible environment.

Oh, and did we mention color and texture? There's plenty of that, too. Hey, just because something works really well, doesn't mean it can't look good, too. Or as fashion magazines like to always remind us, you don't have to sacrifice style for comfort. You just need to make the right connection between them. And Birns knows that better than anyone. "Form really does follow function," she said. "And while I design all of my projects to be beautiful, it's not just about aesthetics. It really, first and foremost, is about the tasks at hand." The result? Various textures and colors mesh into one another creating what Birns calls a "functional tapestry." Said Birns, "the kitchen reads like art. Individual parts are discovered with an 'Aha!'"

From purple accents to textured glass insets on the wall cabinets—the "bamboo ribbon" pattern subtly reinforces the flowing theme—to varying cabinet heights, one immediately discovers that there are a lot of different materials and shapes. "But it's what I call a 'design moment' when you see that all of the individual parts blend together to form a cohesive design," said Birns, whose background is art. "Coordination as opposed to a redundancy. I like things to pull together beautifully so that the composition works and it's balanced. Like sculpture or painting." "

And speaking of color, for this West Coast designer, it's not just about good design. It's about "green" design. Said Birns, "knowing that the space is also created with sensitivity to the environment adds additional pleasure and satisfaction." She added, "As a designer, I feel the responsibility be conscious of material selection and its affect on our environment, and creating a 'green' design to accomplish a beautiful space is extremely rewarding. I used an abundance of natural light sources, in addition to low-VOC paint. Low-voltage and fluorescent fixtures were standard, and all lighting was put on dimmers. The wenge on the cabinets is a veneer. The maple used was from a managed forest. Local labor created the cabinetry. The bamboo flooring is a renewable resource.

"This kitchen is beautiful to look at, but still accommodates needs, whether the client's or the environment's," explained Birns. "The husband told me he wanted to make his wife terribly happy. She said she wanted the most fabulous space she could ever think of. In the end, she's ecstatic. So they both won." And with an overjoyed client, I suppose you could say Laura Birns is the ultimate victor.

Designer Quote: According to Birns, a properly defined space can be likened to a linked bracelet: "Each link is connected yet is separate and complete within itself. One does not know the beginning or end.”