Kitchen(s) of the Week: Ogling the Offerings from 5 Boutique European Real Estate Sites
My fellow Americans, if, like so many of us, you’ve been contemplating jumping ship and leaving the country, consider fleshing out the fantasy: browse the websites of our favorite real estate agencies in Europe.
These boutique outfits have great taste, are commendably selective, and embrace variety. In other words, the personalized, lived-in looking listings they present are the antithesis of the anodyne quarters seen on just about all other property sites, especially on these shores. The distinction is particularly notable when it comes to kitchens: rather than the familiar white boxes, they offer setups that are far from cookie-cutter, and often filled with fresh design ideas. Here’s a look at some current listings; warning: there are no bargains.
The Modern House in the U.K.
Founded by two former journalists at The World of Interiors and Wallpaper, TMH showcases standout 20th century architecture all over the UK. We’ve been hooked for years: many of their properties have appeared as Remodelista features.
Above: Walmer Yard, one of four interlocking concrete houses arrayed around a courtyard, is a RIBA award-winning project by architect Peter Salter in London’s Avondale Park, between Notting Hill and Holland Park.
“The structural cast concrete is left bare to the majority of walls as just one of the many evidences of craftsmanship throughout, achieving a monolithic sense of permanence and a surprising warmth,” writes The Modern House. The kitchen and dining areas are divided by “a threshold” of Gio Ponti concrete tiles; £2,750,000
Above: Another standout on offer, Schreiber House by James Gowan was built in the early 1960s on the edge of Hampstead Heather. “The kitchen has its original glass and bronze cabinetry, as well as some sensitive additions which the owners have ensured are completely in keeping with the original design. The cabinetry is topped by a worktop of limestone from a quarry in Spain.” Asking price: £9,500,000.
Above: Who’s coming to the cottage? Converted from a pair of artist studios. Coningham Mews in West London has a marble-detailed kitchen with a pitched skylight. Alas, it’s already sold, but if this is what you’re looking for, The Modern House will send alerts when similar properties become available.
Inigo in the U.K.
An offshoot of The Modern House, Inigo sells “Britains most marvelous historic homes.”
Above: Crooms Hill is a Grade II-listed, 18th-century house that architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner described as “a picture of Georgian symmetry.” It overlooks Greenwich Park in London’s SE10 and has a new deVol kitchen with its original Delft tiles preserved; £2,975,000.
Fantastic Frank in Europe
Founded in 2010 in Stockholm with a goal of “treating every property as a work of art,” Fantastic Frank now has 18 offices in Europe (its locations are not the expected: none in France or Italy, but several in Scandinavia, Spain, Germany, as well as Lisbon and Amsterdam. The lone US outpost is in Denver, go figure). “Our properties,” they say, “all share one thing in common: a charm that is uniquely their own.” To make sure that charm is obvious, Fantastic Frank sends in a skilled team of stylists.
Above: Can a Sol in Palma de Mallorca’s old town is a three-bedroom, three-bath historic stone house newly renovated by an unnamed Norwegian designer. It’s for sale furnished and accessorized. Shown here, the travertine-topped island that faces the sink and stove; €1,590,000.
Above: In the town of Porto Cristo on the eastern coast of Mallorca, Casa Coral, named for its pink stucco exterior, is situated “three minutes from the sea.” The townhouse was remodeled by Lina Kjellvertz of Dusty Deco, the Swedish design studio and emporium of vintage and new, which has a Palma de Mallorca showroom.
The fully shored-up kitchen retains its original Spanish cement tiles; €540,000.
Above: Located on the top floor of a five-story, midcentury building in Lisbon’s Arroios neighborhood, Almond is billed as a calm family apartment. It was designed by local firm Arkstudio and has a kitchen with a richly veined marble backsplash and a Lacanche range; €950,000.
Above: This bespoke Reform kitchen—with wooden cabinet fronts and a brushed steel counter—is part of a three-room apartment named for its location on Prenzlauer Allee in Berlin’s Pankow borough. Designed by Max Gosebruch, the listed building dates from 1898 and has high ceilings and white-painted wooden floorboards; €697,000.
Historiska Hem in Sweden
The Stockholm-based firm zeroes in on houses and apartments with “historic character.” That ranges from 1970s studios to centuries-old villas. “With our interest in building history, we focus on the enduring values of the home, the lives that have been lived there, and the legacy that will be managed,” they write. Interior designers and set designers skillfully go to town before the firm’s photographers arrive.
Above: The Mellanbergsvägen 21 apartment in Hägerstensåsen, a southern suburb of Stockholm, occupies the top floor of a 1940s, three-story. brick house. “The kitchen boasts nice period-typical furnishings” and its updates, such as the Borastapeter Stig Lindberg Pottery wallpaper, were “carried out in a period style,” 2,495,000 SEK.
Above: Bergsundsgatan 19, in Södermalm, Stockholm’s Brooklyn equivalent, is a compact, recently sold apartment in a 1920s house. It has a light-filled, eat-in kitchen last updated in 2016 with Ikea cabinets, marble counters, and square white tiles patterning the walls.
Jeudi in Paris
A new discovery of ours, Jeudi celebrates Parisian architecture and design. Some of its offerings are presented barebones, take-it-or-leave-it; others are move-in ready. The Jeudi office is adjacent to the Palais Royal gardens and its team specializes in helping the recently arrived acclimate to life in The City of Light.
Above: Paris 17 Parc Monceau is a glamorous, one-bedroom artist’s atelier on the top floor of a late 19th-century building (located on the very street of workshops where Bartholdi created the Statue of Liberty). Shown here the open living-dining area, which has a wall of windows and a balcony.
Above: The semi-open kitchen at 17 Parc Monceau appears to be newly updated; €1,680,000.
These firms are all well worth following on Instagram:
Go to Kitchen of the Week for many more standouts.
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