A functional kitchen under the stairs to make the most of space without compromising on design

Seasoned veterans at major international design fairs, regulars in the best interior design magazines (Elle Decor Italy listed them among its 30 young talents in the world of design in 2020) and even professors at renowned universities. They are none other than Erica Agogliati and Francesca Avian, of the young practice Flatwig Studio. Their goal? “To offer timeless design solutions.”

This is evident at first sight in this kitchen located in a mid-20th century building in the De Angeli neighbourhood of Milan. “Our customers needed a kitchen that would allow them to make the most of the space available under the stairs, which leads out onto a wonderful terrace with a 360-degree view”, they say.

The fortune of living on the eighth and last floor of this building became a challenge when it came to designing the kitchen, given the complexity of the area generated by the presence of the stairs. To address the challenge, the studio created a range of bespoke furniture to suit the space, as well as a central island. “The neutral white furniture blends in visually with the walls that frame it, while the island is reminiscent of a green monolith”, they say.

“As the flat features neutral colours such as beige and cream, used in combination with oak wood furniture, we wanted the kitchen island to be a distinctive element. For this reason, and thanks to Erica and Francesca’s good advice, we chose green, as it fits in very well with the tones used throughout the flat and allows us to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere”, say the customers, a young Italian couple.

To achieve the desired effect, the studio decided to place a worktop in Dekton Zenith, a Nordic white with a clean, matt finish, in the space under the stairs. As for the island, with its eye-catching rounded shapes, the colour chosen was Silestone Posidonia Green, a serene shade of green, full of light and elegance.

“Cosentino materials allowed us to achieve the desired final effect, both functionally – in terms of their thicknesses – and aesthetically – in terms of their colours –. It was exactly what we needed to meet the needs of the customers”, the studio says. “We have already used them for other applications, so we are well aware of the performance of the surfaces that we have chosen for this project: their functionality, durability and design are the features that have led us, once again, to choose these materials for use as a worktop in a domestic kitchen.”

According to Flatwig Studio, the kitchen is one of the most important spaces in the home, “an intimate area in which to experiment and also to share.” And they go on to say: “When preparing dinner for friends, everyone stays in the kitchen to chat and lend a hand: someone slices the bread, while another cuts the salami. So it has to be a very functional space, but also capable of responding to emotional stimuli. Cosentino materials have allowed us to imagine this kitchen as a space for sharing and celebrating”.

The most interesting thing is that, after some time living in the flat, the customers use this very unique space for much more than just eating. “The surface of the island is not only the kitchen worktop, but also a living area for everyday use. That’s why we decided to choose Cosentino materials that are modern, plain, sturdy and, at the same time, easy to clean”, the couple says finally.