Kalamaja – a kitchen with a depth of flavour
Tallinn’s Kalamaja district is a busy network of streets lined with historic timber houses that once served the workers of the fishing industry along this area of the coast. In many ways this location offers the best of both worlds; quiet enough for a peaceful existence yet just ten minutes walk from the city centre and Old Town. So now these noble houses are redefining their purpose as modern homes for those that seek to enjoy city life.
It is with this context in mind that the design for the kitchen evolved; seeking to reflect something of it’s surroundings but moving forward and elevating them. So bringing the timber into the room seemed a natural choice, with the vertical staves echoing the horizontal slats of the neighborhood. Moreover, staggering their sizes and positions mimics the streets of the district where there are rarely two houses the same. This all creates a pleasing depth of texture from the abundance of solid wood arranged so playfully.
Then as a relief to this are the solid marble counter tops and splash-backs; huge stone slabs that cap the scattered timber with calm. These bring their own subtle depth with their veins and sweeping movement; but on a grander scale that establishes the timber in the role of rich backdrop.
The pitter-patter of the timber subtly absorbs gaps and breaks, leaving the kitchen free of the punctuation imposed by normal cupboards and doors. Hidden too are the built-in appliances, which when opened emerge with a fun sense of theatre from the timber weave.
Within the apartment the kitchen is located just off a large main room. The design takes the timber slats and extends them around an adjacent wall to both increase the visual impact of the kitchen and to begin to draw you into the space. Here again the staves are rendered back to back drop by using this wall as an artwork display space, creating a feature wall worthy of the name.