Bruce Bolander's Colorful Kitchens - Design Bureau

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Bruce Bolander’s Colorful Kitchens

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

The recent Museum of Modern Art exhibition, Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen, inspired us to look at the work of architect Bruce Bolander through the vibrant colors of his kitchen designs. A focus on kitchens as a place for energy and experimentation is the logical complement to the living spaces that they flow into.

"The kitchen tends to be where people gather both at home and at work," Bolander says. "Calling that out with a color seems appropriate.  Like brightly colored,  fresh food creating an appetite." Color is the key element in the modern context of Bolander's architecture, who has once even included glow-in-the-dark paint to this effect.

In his designs, the cabinet layouts are assuredly convenient, while minimal detail and fascia applied to select appliances results in blocks of continuous color, releasing great energy into the atmosphere. "I don’t consider myself an advocate for or against color, but do feel like using it shouldn’t be a terrifying experience for people," Bolander says. "I also don’t think that one grows tired of a particular color any more than one grows tired of white. I have quite a few colors in my own house — probably over 20 on the walls. I worried that I would tire of them, and almost 15 years later, is it quite the opposite. I have made some changes, but have repainted a few times using the same colors as we originally chose. That has  been a surprise to me."

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