Designing your Poggenpohl Kitchen

A recent trip to the Poggenpohl Kitchen showroom in London has changed my mind about kitchen design. There are times when as an interior designer one has to just admit that after 120+ years, outfits like Poggenpohl know a thing or two about kitchen design and customization!

Established in Germany in 1892, Poggenpohl is today a leading luxury kitchen cabinet purveyor with showrooms all over the world. Committed to design, research, quality and innovation, they come out with an updated kitchen concept about every other year, and with over 70 cabinet fronts to choose from, one can jointly design a smashing kitchen with them – either classic or contemporary.

The process in working with them is the same as working with your interior or kitchen designer:

1)   You share a spatial representation of the area (photos and drawings)
2)   You discuss your style
3)   You discuss your needs: cooking, entertainment, storage
4)   You select finishes

The final price really depends on the cabinet fronts and finishes you pick and there are roughly 6 price groups:

1)   laminates
2)   laminates with an aluminum edge
3)   lacquer – the most popular finish which they introduced in the 1950s
4)   wood veneers
5)   glass – back painted
6)   exotic woods, stainless steel, aluminum, raised panel

As in everything, the more sybaritic your taste, the more you have to pay. Isn’t that a curse!!!

While inspecting the Poggenpohl kitchen, one thing I learned is that it’s as exquisite on the inside as it is on the outside. Its impeccable drawers and pull-outs are made with some of the finest materials and the joining and finishes are immaculate. The pull-out doors come with LED’s that automatically activate when the door is opened. It’s these things that make it the Bentley; sorry they’re German so … the Porsche, of kitchen design!

One last thing. The Poggenpohl kitchens are versatile and adaptable enough to sit in a palatial estate or fit into a 6 foot NY city apartment. And that’s an excellent thing to know because I always assumed they turned up their nose at small spaces. So they’re not snooty. Another good reason to consider them for your next kitchen project.