In many homes, the kitchen is a place for gathering, but in this project near Poznań, it has become much more than that. The investor – a passionate cook and former head chef at a Berlin restaurant – dreamed of a space that would not only allow him to cook freely, but also define the character of the entire home. The architects from PL.architekci took this wish literally, transforming the existing developer’s layout into a design in which the kitchen becomes the true centre of home life.
The initial interior layout was not conducive to such a vision. The kitchen was planned as a walk-through room, located on the entrance-living room axis, with a classic, closed layout. For someone who treats cooking as a creative passion and at the same time values minimalist harmony, this solution was definitely insufficient. The renovation project therefore began with a radical move: moving the kitchen to the living room area. The former kitchen was replaced by a dining room, and the new kitchen island was given space that allows it to function as the focal point of the home.
From the outset, the architects knew that the island should be made of stainless steel – a material characteristic of professional catering kitchens. At the same time, they wanted to avoid the coldness typical of restaurant back rooms. The solution was a classic Italian design: the Poliform PHOENIX kitchen. Its brushed fronts subtly reflect light and surroundings, creating delicate reflections that add lightness to the interior. The tall part of the kitchen conceals an additional worktop and a professional convection oven. All this is hidden behind sliding fronts, so that the appliances only appear when they are needed and remain in the shadow of the minimalist composition on a daily basis.
The living room has become the perfect place to relax. In its central part stands an icon of Polish design, the FUKU table designed by Salak Studio. From this room, you can easily access the terrace, which will reveal its green face in the spring.
The house was built using CLT technology, which is why the architects decided to partially expose the wooden ceilings. The division of the slats and the colour scheme of the wood were transferred to the wall cladding and furniture, creating a coherent material narrative. The interior is not a collection of random decisions – all the lines of the built-in furniture and suspended ceilings are at the same height, which is determined by the height of the windows. This gives the space clarity and visual order.
The flooring throughout the ground floor, including the terraces, is made of cast-in-place and polished concrete with a terrazzo effect. Although this material could be associated with coldness, here it takes on a softness thanks to its combination with a palette of beiges, deep reds, browns and natural textures. The interior is minimalist but not ascetic. It is a space that combines design precision with homely warmth, creating the perfect backdrop for family life and the host’s culinary experiments.
The PL.architekci project shows that a kitchen can be not only a functional workplace, but also the focal point of everyday life.
architecture and interior design: PL.architekci
team: Bartłomiej Bajon, Katarzyna Cynka-Bajon, Agnieszka Jurenko
photos: TomKurek
Read also: Flat | Interiors | Single-family house | PL.Architekci | whiteMAD on Instagram
