Spotted on Dezeen: a low-cost kitchen by Tank Architects of Tokyo, designed for a couple with a passion for cooking but a limited budget.
The homeowners of House K wanted a kitchen with enough space for serious culinary experimentation. The solution? Humble materials like concrete blocks and larch plywood topped with polished stainless steel countertops, which add a finished note to the otherwise rough-looking space. Here are some ideas for recreating the look.
Photography by Eric Bossic.
Above: The kitchen's minimalist elegance makes a virtue out of an economical building material.
Above: A stack of concrete blocks creates a slim counter that divides the space.
Above: The polished stainless counters bounce light into the kitchen.
Above: Oldcastle Concrete Block is 16 inches long; $1.14 at Home Depot.
Above: Stainless Steel Counter Tops are available in standard sizes from A Best Kitchen; a 24-by-25-inch length is $388.
Above: The architects used larch plywood for the shelving, which can be hard to source in the US. One alternative: Birch C-3 Plywood in a 3/4-inch thickness for shelving; a 4-by-8-feet panel is $44.97 at Home Depot.
Above: Elements of Design Single Handle Faucet in polished chrome; $193.17 at eFaucets.
Above: Smeg Classic Design 24-Inch Gas Cooktop; $620 from AJ Madison.
Above: Nutid Free-Hanging Extractor Hood in stainless steel; $1,199 from Ikea.
Above: The exposed light sockets can be created using a Standard Porcelain Lamp Socket; $6.99 at Aubuchon Hardware.
For more ideas with concrete, see our post, Concrete, from the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory. And if you prefer concrete for outdoor paving instead, see Gardenista's post: Eco-Friendly Paving Solutions for porous concrete.
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on February 21, 2012.