Following their article in January on How to Make Your House a Home, in this article, interior designers Paul Cuschieri and Malcolm Abela Sciberras from Rebirth Design Studio share their views on what it takes to design the perfect kitchen so many of us dream of – whatever your personal design preference or the size and shape of your home. 

At Rebirth, we love designing kitchens, and no two kitchens we create are ever the same. Arguably no other place in the home offers quite as much value to our lives or is as central to our daily activities. In fact, we believe that a pleasantly designed, comfortable kitchen is as nourishing to the soul as the food prepared inside it is to the body.

As life gets busier and the days roll into one another – with little breathing space between different tasks – our homes must also adapt to accommodate us as we rush from one to the other, often in the same space. It’s no wonder that so much is invested in kitchens as the places where we cook, eat, meet, work and more.

Ultimately, whether a kitchen is big, small, separate from the rest of a home’s living space, or part of an open plan layout, the basic criteria for good kitchen design remain the same.

Layout

One of the first considerations for designing a fully operational kitchen is to prioritise multifunctionality. This is why, at Rebirth, we always start every project with a spatial study of the area, long before we even think about aesthetics. This helps us understand exactly how the space is going to be used. Then, we work on a number of potential layouts to challenge the design proposed by each, and finally arrive at the option that is best suited to our clients’ needs.

Whenever space allows, a breakfast area is a feature we love to introduce in our kitchens. This serves as a dedicated space for all things breakfast, tea and coffee, and can be embellished with serving trays and other decorative items.

Additionally, a property with access to external space also affords the opportunity of extending the kitchen into the outdoors, creating a terrace area that is perfect for al fresco dining, entertaining and socialising. This mirrors the growing trend of bridging indoor and outdoor space, which has gained popularity over the past few years.

Composition 

Our experience has shown us that a show-stopping kitchen can be achieved in any space and layout, given the right choice of composition materials. The composition of a kitchen is determined by the combination of materials used in the manufacture of its various furnishings. This includes the choice of flooring, worktops, lighting, soffits, handles, internal finishes and accessories, colours and textures, as well as appliances, which we ensure integrate seamlessly into the design and function of the room.

One example that stands out is the industrial-style kitchen we designed for a residence in Valletta. We opted for a design that maximised the limited space available while respecting the room’s unique architectural features.

Minimalist brass cabinet doors complemented with marble-style quartz worktops and concrete floors served to elevate the overall look, while bold black accents in the appliances, plinth, extractor, light fittings and metal legs on the island completed the composition. The joinery design, style and materials were intentionally chosen to complement, enhance and elevate the architecture.

By contrast, a more dynamic example is the three-tone kitchen we designed for another property, which brought together walnut panelling, white lacquered top units, a green island with a ceramic surface resembling marble, and matte tops for the rest of the counters. A marble mosaic on the kitchen backsplash added depth by pulling different shades of white, creating visual interest that would have been missing had a one-tone material been applied uniformly throughout the kitchen.

The shaker style bottom units on one wall contrasted with the flush storage doors on the opposite to vary the design of both sets of walnut doors. Finally, brass handles used throughout tied the room together, while traditionally patterned cement tile floors added a final touch of complex composition.

All these decisions taken throughout the design process provided the functional space with character. Nowadays, function alone is not enough to take a project the distance, and a project like this proves that the end result is far greater than the sum of its individual parts.

Lighting 

Good lighting is key to using a space well, and different levels of lighting are the most effective way to transform a room from mono-functional to multifunctional. Adequate lighting allows you to prepare food comfortably or to work uninterrupted at an island or peninsula, while dim mood lighting better suits the ambience you would want to create while entertaining, or when discreetly sneaking into the kitchen for an impromptu midnight snack!

In the end, our kitchens – probably more than any other part of our home – should feel like extensions of ourselves. However, given the diversity of personal taste, particularly when it comes to design style, there is no single formula for achieving this. This is why, at Rebirth, communication with our clients is essential – from the start of a project right up until the very end. Especially when designing a space as central to our homes (and lives) as a kitchen.

Ready to design your dream kitchen? Get in touch with Paul and Malcolm at Rebirth at https://rebirth-design.com/, and stay tuned for our next article about how to make the most of your home’s living areas!