Design Dissect 6 - Casa Fantastica (Kitchen)
AD (May 2022) - Astrid and Eddy Sykes Design
User Bio -
A young family in Mexico City was inspired by the Peacock Room and Astrid and Eddy Sykes were assigned the task of turning that inspiration in to cohesive interior design. A young family inevitably needs functionality in their space and also bouts of whimsy to spark young children’s imaginations. They will also need plenty of space to entertain, a kitchen to serve as the heart and soul of the home, and nooks and crannies throughout for the family to personalize.
This apartment is a pied-à-terre in an urban area of CDMX. Meaning it won’t be the family’s area for lodging the majority of the year, so they can take more risks without facing more consequences.
The Peacock Room (inspiration for the home pictured on the right) contains a hint of mystery, bright colors, romantic lighting, and an intentional and practical use of metals.
Architectural Bio -
Mexico City is known for its bright colors and history and culture embedded in an industrial hub. The beauty of a city center in a culturally rich place is that no matter how many high rises go up and new retailers come in, the bones and whispers of the past remain. The space is modern, in the way Mexico City is modern but has the mystery and depth associated with Mexican culture and heritage as well.
Lines are major motifs in this room. The cabinets finished in gold can only be seen by their outlines, and the skylight as well as the ceiling panels add another geometric element mirroring skyscrapers and buildings in downtown Mexico City.
Materials Bio -
Brass is notably the metal of choice for the kitchen. It smartly lines the pantry and also the ceiling. It feels like you’re in a gold box with light dancing around you during the day and in an exclusive restaurant at night.
I’ve always thought of marble as a grounding element. Most stones have this property in a space. Black marble was a perfect choice here because it doesn’t fight the splendor of all of the brass finishes. As a cooler color, it quite literally evens out the energy from tones of colors in the space and from a practicality standpoint, it minimizes any kitchen mess. The marble island has a topographical mountain range that serves as a divider that separates the stove top from the counter top. Pause for effect because this is honestly my favorite feature in any space that I’ve read.
The kitchen’s brass ceiling, marble island, and brass pantry were designed by wrinkleMX and fabricated, respectively, by Materiam, Taller Fraga, and Herrería Rojas. Pendant lights by Studio DavidPompa; vases by Arte Ananås.
- Mayer Rus for Architectural Digest
“An island of pieced Tikal green marble from Guatemala, with a topographical mountain range separating the cooking surface from the counter; an elongated architectonik sink of coarse travertine; a bravura ceiling of folded brass planes that cascades down into a wall of faceted brass pantry doors; and a floor of swirled tiles of colored concrete and marble dust, designed in collaboration with Pablo Kobayashi and handmade on-site.”
Color Palette Bio -
The modernity of Mexico City wouldn’t be felt without the gold finishing in the appliances and black marble of the island. The history of Mexico is in its colors, so the multi-colored tile mural adding vibrancy to an otherwise neutral kitchen stands to remind you you are in Mexico. Although not a color inside the room, the green from the outdoor plants is felt as you wander through the kitchen. The green complements the gold finishings given their analogous relation.
Without fine-tuning the use of cool and warm colors so precisely, the kitchen could have easily gone from elegant to overwhelming.
Lighting Bio -
The custom pendant lights over the island adds a hint of peripheral lighting that is necessary in a room where a wall is made up entirely of windows and there’s even a sky light. The row of single lights over the sink also adds necessary lighting at night when so much of that natural sunlight is gone. During the day, everyone is surrounded by light for their breakfast and lunch. At night, I can imagine mysterious sepia tones or faint yellows coming in to the room from overhead. The kitchen welcomes you with sunny open arms during the day and hides your midnight snacking at night.
Overall Impressions -
As I’ve said before, Mexico City and its people are carriers of its rich, historical past. Astrid and Eddy Sykes did Mexican culture and art justice by incorporating color, mystery, and texture so effortlessly in this Casa Fantastica. This kitchen is unmistakably in Mexico City and I’d kill to one day experience it in real life.
