The winning kitchen: A collection of inspiring kitchens

The kitchen in the apartment in Givatayim, which moved from the back area to the front, was given a central place in the heart of the house overlooking the treetops, one that even gives the feeling of a country house with a private garden. The new location of the kitchen created one of the main challenges and it is a relatively small kitchen space, which required precise and careful planning. The ambition was to design a minimalist and clean looking but still very functional kitchen that takes into account all the functions required in the kitchen and with a lot of storage.

The kitchen is designed with two R-shaped sides, one side includes tall cabinets in which a refrigerator, microwave, oven and other electrical appliances are integrated. The other side is for storage and a work surface and the stove, sink and dishwasher are integrated into it. In the center of the kitchen is the island that sits around an exposed concrete pillar, which is a reference to the old apartment that stood here before the renovation. The part of the island facing the kitchen is intended for work and included drawers that contain all portable electrical appliances and lots of storage. In the part facing the living room - a seating counter. The entire kitchen is designed in a neutral tone with matching marble which allows a stage for the nature outside to burst in.

To create a uniform and clean front of the tall cabinets without a protrusion of the refrigerator, we make a point niche in the wall, in the area of the refrigerator, in the depth of the refrigerator. And the rest of the front is at the 60 cm depth required for the cabinets. Additional options are the use of an integral refrigerator or a refrigerator in line 0. If there is a limit to placing sockets and circuit breakers on the kitchen walls, they can be placed on the sides of the woodwork, for example in this kitchen the sockets and circuit breakers were placed on the side of the island, thus resulting in sockets that are dynamic which allowed the island to be a work surface. In order for the island to function as a work area, we usually place all the portable electrical appliances in a deep storage drawer, which makes it possible to pull them out for use on the island and store them back immediately. For an aesthetic and continuous look, we usually use the same material for the work surface, It is important to say that it not only gives an aesthetic appearance but also super practical and comfortable.

"The kitchen is one of the central places in the house and it is very important to carefully plan it. It is very important to maintain the "golden triangle" in the kitchen and create easy access between the refrigerator, the sink and the stove, so you don't get tired in the kitchen. If the kitchen is open to the living room, it is very important to plan so that the cooks in the kitchen face the for the central space, as well as to plan and center a high wall for all the electrical appliances and the pantry, and on the other side to plan a place for a spacious work surface with storage," says designer Ofra Lewinkron-Tiero. "In the kitchen shown here, I made sure the color palette would match the central space and the modern style chosen for the house. I put wood in a kraft unit like in the central space to create a common language and warmth. I made sure to have work surfaces in the marble area and also on the island so that it is very convenient to cook on the stove on the island and also to turn it into a work surface for everything.

"Choose wisely the raw materials for the kitchen, facades adapted to the needs of family members, high-quality ironwork, work surfaces that do not absorb stains, are easy to clean and do not scratch. All of the above choices will affect the longevity of the kitchen."

"When I approach a new project, I think about the next thing, the different and the unusual, with the aim of differentiating the project from the existing design abundance," says Ella Morgan, "my professional knowledge, understanding, creativity, experience and courage, all of these allow me to provide an extraordinary product With a twist that will always be identified with me and a unique design that cannot be seen anywhere else. In this case I was asked to create a breathtaking kitchen. I used a special texture and a deep green shade, a winning combination in terms of design and at the same time practical and practical In a golden tone and everything together created an extraordinary result. "In my work I make sure to surround myself with a permanent team of professionals and together we have been collaborating for many years. The craftsman carpenter, who is also my partner, allows me complete creative freedom and brings to expression in the production any pattern, shape or color I request. The customers participate in the production process of each piece of furniture and feel part of it."

"During the design process, I am happy that my clients believe in me and give me a free hand, when they gain more confidence and become more involved, for me it is a winning combination of forces, thus creating a house that is perfectly adapted to their profile."

This kitchen was designed as part of a fully renovated Tel Aviv apartment, where the chosen design concept of the apartment was an eclectic design style of a New York loft, while using temporary materials such as iron wood and concrete. The designer Shiri Heller Schwartz says: "As a designer, it was important to me to create a warm home for the client that would incorporate an eclectic and intelligent design that would allow for all the elements and materials that the client likes. It was clear to me that the dosage in the choice of materials and the careful coloring is the key to the success of the project. Despite the very monochromatic coloring of the apartment , the color of the kitchen was chosen after a lot of deliberation. We decided to bring in the green trees of the adjacent Tel Aviv boulevard, which can be seen directly through the windows of the kitchen and the adjacent living room. This is how we created a continuity of what is happening outside the kitchen space But the shade chosen was the most similar to the shades of the green boulevard trees outside and thus we created harmony and a connection between the outside and the inside.

"The kitchen was designed after a needs diagnosis process that was done with the client and it was decided to create an island for him that would not take over the entire kitchen space, but leave an open space next to the island for a future dining area, which at that time the client decided that he did not need it yet. "The kitchen carpentry was designed in a European style with A rustic touch with elements of frames on the fronts of the kitchen. In an in-depth process and a careful diagnosis of needs made with the client, we distilled all the elements and values within the design in order to create a unique character for the kitchen in particular and for each and every space in the apartment, which produces a home with a soul that tells a story."

In the planning phase, which is the initial phase for me that comes long before the design process, the most important thing is an accurate diagnosis of needs from which I as a planner understand and learn first of all who the client is in front of me. Is the kitchen used by the customer for cooking frequently, or is it more a customer who orders mostly takeaway. Is it a client who hosts a lot for meals or is hosted more often? The answers I receive obviously affect the planning of the kitchen. I go down to the resolutions that I want to understand the work process in my clients' kitchen. How do they usually work, what appliances or special electrical products do they have, for example, so that I can create a place for each appliance and product so that my clients will find it comfortable, simple and easy to work in their kitchen and so that I can really allow them a maximum user experience on a functional level. In the design phase, I touch on the materials and colors that integrate with the design concept of the rest of the house and give emphasis on values and a story that we are interested in creating, in order to try to bring out the character of the client also in the design of the kitchen, which will express him and his life patterns. The goal is to try to stay as far away as possible from creating a generic or trendy kitchen that will get tired after a while. And the most important tip in design in general but also in kitchen design, don't be afraid to dare, be brave because that's the only way to get the best results. Don't be afraid to express yourself and who you are and certainly don't be afraid to use color. If you chose to go for a colored kitchen, choose a color that you feel you will be able to live with in peace even in a year or two, one that you will not get tired of and that will make your eyes and heart pleasant every day.

This kitchen was designed as part of a renovation project for a contractor's apartment in Neve Monoson. The designer Ofir Hellman says: "The clients are a young couple with a small child, who purchased a new contractor's apartment without the possibility of making any changes or choices in it at all. The apartment was standard, cold and gray, and they are people of nature, material and spaces. We decided to embark on a renovation that included changing and adapting the infrastructure as well as planning Carpentry and full dressing for the apartment in order to adapt it to their needs and tastes. "The kitchen was new and its location actually suited the existing space, so as part of a limited and not large budget, we decided to leave the kitchen in its current location, use the existing kitchen body and change the appearance of the kitchen by replacing all the existing facades . In addition, we designed some key details that completely changed it. We added a working and eating island that stands at the entrance to the kitchen, solid wood shelves that add a lot to the design and are also used for hanging cooking aids and decorative items.

"It was important to me to create a contrasting atmosphere in the space, which would give a feeling of calmness, harmony and connection to nature. Therefore, the materials chosen are quiet but ones that introduce a lot of character: the kitchen fronts were replaced with brick with a delicate but significant grandfather stick frame, we added surfaces and shelves of bulky and natural wood The small but significant upgrade - we added special vintage tiles that we fell in love with at a very early stage of planning, they dictated the character of the kitchen, completed and enhanced its appearance. Therefore, in this kitchen every detail is carefully chosen - starting with the handles, the tiles, the lighting and the finishing materials in order to achieve a precise and harmonious result."

This kitchen was designed as part of a project to build a private house in Kibbutz Mishmar HaNegev, in the heart of the Negev. "The clients, a young couple and a sweet baby, bought the house on paper and were looking for someone who would imagine and realize it with them. It was impossible to miss the uniqueness of the place and the people who dreamed it up. "I entered the planning process after the division of the space and the infrastructure could no longer be changed, therefore the great strength of the work Mine was in planning based on the existing space, through the correct position, carpentry planning and dressing. I wanted to design a house for them that would blend in with its surroundings and still be special. A home that will be fun to stay in and return to, a home that expands the heart.

"My inspiration for the design was clear - the Negev, the desert. I wanted to create a space that provides a feeling of pleasant simplicity, freedom, ease and calmness and I molded it into a functional and comfortable design. The calm color palette, which consists mostly of the color white, is rich with a variety of materials and textures that add depth and interest while still maintaining A feeling of ventilation, cleanliness and coziness. To all of these I added touches of natural materials, including oak and bamboo furniture, which contribute to the natural and simple feeling I was looking for. "For me, the design of the kitchen must be in complete synergy with the rest of the house. The large and spacious kitchen, located immediately at the entrance to the space, speaks the same language with the rest of the space in which it is located, both in terms of the eye contact and the open look created between the spaces, and also materially. All of these contribute to creating a mass atmosphere and peace in the space, which directly affects the experience of cooking and spending time in the kitchen."