When Moscow-born architect Ekaterina Voronova relocated to Dublin, Ireland, she needed a home office in addition to guest quarters—two luxuries that, in a small space, are often mutually exclusive. In her remodel of the 20-square-meter building set in the garden behind her house, Ekaterina came up with a novel solution: an architect's office by day, and sauna/guest house by night.
Here, we've dissected her kitchen and come up with the key elements, with a focus on a similar palette of plywood, black pottery, and stainless steel.
Above: The multi-functional setup required a kitchen, and not just any kitchen, but a compact, under-the-stairs kitchen with decent lighting and smart storage. Ekaterina's design combines black laminate countertops (made modern with a plywood base with edges left exposed) and pale wood cabinetry, wall storage, and stair treads. To bone up on countertop considerations, see our Remodeling 101 post: Five Questions to Ask When Choosing Your Kitchen Countertops.
Above: Voranova designed a pair of different sized open-box shelves and installed under cabinet lighting in the lower of the two.
THE BASICS
Above: The Grohe 32 170 Essence Pullout Spray Kitchen Faucet is $453.60 for a chrome finish and $589.40 from Faucet Direct.
Above: The small Blanco 440237 Supreme Single Basin Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink is $255 at Faucet Direct.
Above: Ikea's Numerar double-sided laminate countertops are available with a white or dark-gray laminate top and a wood effect edge; prices start at $79 for a 74-inch length.
Above: The Miele 12-Inch Natural Gas Double Stainless Steel Burner is $999 from Abt. A less expensive (but less attractive) option is the Verona 12-Inch Gas 2-Burner Stainless Steel Cooktop for $349.
Above: The Wandregal Eichenholz (Oak Wood Shelf) is 90 centimeters wide and includes a steel rack for hanging pots and kitchen linens; €240 from Manufactum. For something similar, see the Universal Expert Beech Wood Shelves ($40 at West Elm) or Ikea's two-tier Molger Wall Shelf ($34.99). Or make it yourself—see DIY: Wooden Kitchen Shelf with Rail.
Above: Voronova installed two lights on the underside of the lower mounted wall shelf. The Tritech Halogen Undercabinet Light is available in stainless (shown), white, and copper, and sits flush against the wall; $98 each from Y Lighting.
ACCESSORIES
Above: The Medium Geneva Sound System is a bookshelf-sized single cabinet with an iPod/iPhone Universal dock and digital radio; $699.95 at Horne.
Above: The Felix Pitchers are $24.95 from Crate & Barrel.
Above: Voronova's ceramic pieces are reminiscent of Colombian Chamba pottery. The Mug is $18 from Zuku Trading and modeled after an English teapot, the Tairona Chamba Tea Pot is £24 from La Chamba Imports in the UK.
Above: Small French Wood Dipping Bowls are handmade from Mediterranean olive wood; $16 each from Spartan.
Above: Ikea's Small Bladet Vase is ideal for a collection of short branches. The small version is 11 inches tall with an opening of 7.75 inches at the widest part ($14.99), while the Medium Bladet Vase is 17.75 inches tall ($19.99). For more good options, see our post on Gardenista: 10 Easy Pieces: Simple Glass Vases Under $30.
Above: David Mellor's Small Knife Block is made from birch plywood and finished in a satin lacquer. The block stores up to 11 knives and is a slim four inches wide; $70 at Heath Ceramics.
Looking for more tiny kitchens? See our previous post 10 Ingenious Space-Efficient Kitchens. Interested in plywood? Visit 10 Favorites: The Unexpected Appeal of Plywood.