Thomas Lykke, who has been running OEO Studio together with Anne-Marie Buemann since 2003, has a family history of cabinetmaking, growing up with a cabinet-maker grandfather. The Lykke kitchen came out of Thomas’s own requirement for a new kitchen for his home; a historical flat from 1896 in the heart of Copenhagen’s Østerbro district.

For Anne-Marie’s kitchen, the lightly oiled oak wood pairs immaculately with a bespoke Atlantic grey marble kitchen top over the kitchen island, which in turn, compliments the sleek stainless-steel worktop utilised on the secondary section. Anne-Marie always knew she wanted a new kitchen by Garde Hvalsøe, and the model designed by her business partner seemed fitting in many ways. 

She selected a backsplash with red tiles from the Din Collection tiles, designed by Konstantin Grcic for Mutina to match the characteristic Petersen Tegl red bricks of the building’s architecture by Henning Larsen. Larsen had a vision to create a waterside residential retreat with a nod to the industrial history of the area and its much-loved local harbour.

The kitchen design can be appreciated for having an almost floating expression, with a metal plinth that strikes a contrast to the body in solid oak wood. The metal is also used in slender vertical divisions wherever cabinets are joined together, highlighting the lines of the design. The Lykke kitchen celebrates a classic and timeless expression with subtle details that highlight both materials and composition through the use of contrasts, such as wood and metal.

A custom-designed shelving unit sits along the back wall, with concealed appliances by Gaggenau.The worktop takes on an elegant and similarly floating appearance thanks to its slightly raised position and the use of a shadow-groove trim, while the visible finger joints complete the impression of a classic cabinetmaker’s kitchen in a modern interpretation.