UK bespoke design studio SplinterWorks wants to revolutionize the way we think about the kitchen. They seek to “develop work that re-thinks how we prepare, cook and experience food.” Hence, their kitchen re-designs “bring the activities of the kitchen out of the grid shaped room at the back of the house and into the living areas.” The idea is to integrate the interactive nature of cooking and eating into the social fabric of everyday life. If everyone at a party ends up in the kitchen, why not shift and deliver the kitchen to the party?

Dime Kitchen. Designed by SplinterWorks.

Futuristic Kitchen Pods

SplinterWorks’ Dime Kitchen does just that. The preparation, storage, and cooking pods attach to the walls, turning everything associated with the kitchen into an activity that’s easily within reach—something you can do while having a pleasant conversation with friends or family. Akin to a beautiful liquor cabinet hidden beneath a silver dome, Dime conceals its culinary accoutrements behind gloriously designed millwork. The semi-circular cabinets open wide and retract so that they’re flush with the wall, creating the outline of a perfect circle. Granite countertops and curved drawers maintain the sleek appearance when Dime is open, as do the gentle arcs of the shelves.

Whether people are ready for a complete overhaul of the way we design kitchens is open to debate. The important point here is that SplinterWorks is making us think about the value of food in our private lives. If we consider eating to be a communal activity, then it might be time to ponder how the kitchen works in a home’s space. Culture is invisible; as a cultural practice, design is also invisible–unless we question it.

Via Dornob.

About the Designer: SplinterWorks is a design studio located thirty minutes south of London. Created in 2009 as a collaboration between Miles Hartwell and Matt Withington, SplinterWorks produces mostly commissioned pieces. The goal is to “create functional sculpture that unites conceptual, visual, and practical fundamentals to create engaging and inspiring pieces.” All of the firm’s pieces are handmade.