For a while now, when I go to restaurants, I prefer to sit where I can watch the kitchen. There seems to be a special reason for the impact of open kitchens on me. Remaining indifferent to the activity there seems impossible. Kitchens, which have the potential to become magical places that dominate the rest of the space, work like a beehive with a team, irresistible aromas spreading throughout the venue, and a harmony that appears chaotic but reveals the intricacies behind the portion on a plate. There were times when I got so absorbed in the kitchen’s organization that I even heard people I went to eat with saying, “We didn’t buy tickets to a theater; we came to eat.”
What do you think is the effect of feeling like a chef in the kitchen? If you’re curious about what makes this magical feeling of feeling like a chef, let me take a step back and share my thoughts on the concept of the kitchen.
The kitchen is a special place that we encounter in our homes, restaurants, hotels, and even offices. The kitchen, the most public space in the home, is a stop that everyone visits at least once a day. This function shows how important it is. The kitchen is like the center of organization. Even when cooking at home, it hosts small organizations such as knowing which ingredient should be added in what order. In the restaurant kitchen, this organization is manifested on a larger scale. There are lines, and the touches of the chef, who performs each dish like a theater play, take it to a different dimension.
The Chef’s Stage
The kitchen is now a stage. The chef steps into the kitchen and the performance begins. In restaurants, this stage is adorned with stainless steel kitchen countertops. Stainless steel has often become an indispensable material for the kitchens of restaurants, hotels, and factories. However, there are those who want to break these patterns due to the nature of the design world. Stainless steel has now started to take the stage in kitchens at home. When you step onto the stage in a kitchen equipped with stainless steel, you may feel like a chef.
The Soul of the Space
With the momentum that increased with the pandemic, many of us discovered the passion to be a chef within us. Like in The Bear series, which tells the story of a chef trying to run a family legacy restaurant on his own in Chicago, stainless steel has been used as a fundamental element of the main space in many movies and made us feel the warmth emanating from the silver screen. Some of these films include the unforgettable film by Fatih Akın, “Soul Kitchen” (2009), “Mostly Martha” (2001) where we watch the ambitious and romantic struggle between two chefs, and “No Reservations” (2007) portraying the passionate journey of a two-Michelin-star chef chasing the third star, nearly all of which take place in the kitchen and emphasize that the soul of the space should not remain behind closed doors.
Small Living Kitchens
Let’s also look at noteworthy examples of stainless steel kitchen designs. Arclinea designed this collection in 1988. In this design, a organization revolving around the kitchen stands out. The kitchen island is covered with walnut wood doors, offering a different interpretation of the open kitchen concept.
The kitchen designs called “Small Living Kitchens” by the Falper brand are also remarkable. These designs consist of different modules and can be combined according to the user’s needs. This creates an elegant and functional usage option in homes where square meters are decreasing.
In conclusion, the feeling of being on stage with stainless steel and the sense of being a chef are entering our lives a bit more. Although its technical reasons and durability are the forefront in kitchen designs, its aesthetic appeal and the feeling it creates make the design more attractive. This material allows us to feel the touch of chefs in kitchens and provides a healthy, durable kitchen experience.
Hope to meet in stories and places where we feel like chefs…
References:
Arclinea Stainless Steel and Wood Kitchen with Island
Scene from A Chef’s Voyage film
