A light-filled penthouse: an exposed kitchen in Luxemburg

O

n the top floor of a building in the city of Luxemburg, the heart of Europe and its Parliament, “Made in Italy” elegance meets the welcoming honesty of Scandinavian interior design. Under the wide pitched roof, this project demonstrates that thanks to a refined exposed kitchen, located in the centre of the living room, it’s possible to create an open-plan space, bathed in light, as well as to subdivide the room into different areas. The complex outset, namely the extensive roof and little light, was resolved by building two walls, less than two metres high as well as choosing appropriate materials and colours.

It’s from the main open-plan living area that includes a living room, a kitchen and an entrance hall that you access a terrace carved into the roof. In the background, the entrance to the sleeping quarters.  

The colour white was chosen for the discontinuous pitched roof as well as the walls, conferring homogeneity to the jagged entity of the penthouse. Floorboards in antique oak consistently clad the entire apartment, thus creating a delicate and extremely effective contrast that brightens the entire space. Carpets emphasise the different use of the separate areas, additionally reflected by furniture in lighter shades.

Opposite the fireplace, an armchair with footrest for reading or watching TV. On the left there’s a dining table and on the right, a group of sofas.

Built in the centre of the open-plan space, the partition walls are a crucial part of the project. Approximately two metres high, they define the “C”-shaped kitchen block. The different zones of the main living area alternate around this space – entrance hall, kitchen, living room and dining room – four areas that naturally blend into each other, although they serve distinct purposes. 

A view from the living room towards the dining area with the kitchen counter (RiFRA) and the wall that delineates the entrance area.

The kitchen block, the Kube collection by RiFRA, is composed by three distinctive areas: a low peninsula with a hob, clad in Calacatta Oro marble that points towards the dining area, “L”-shaped wall columns with integrated appliances (a combination oven, a wine cellar and a fridge-freezer), a freestanding LED-lit display cabinet and, running along the wall under the roof, base cabinets with a sink integrated in the countertop, in a black concrete finish, laid by hand.

The partition wall with slate-coloured concrete-effect slabs and lighting at the bottom. On the other side, the kitchen peninsula, part of RiFRA’s Kube collection, with grooveless doors and 8 mm-thick handles in the Ceramic Stone Calacatta Oro finish.

The kitchen peninsula with a hob, columns with integrated appliances and a pantry with RiFRA's display cabinet.

Made with an imperceptible manufacturing process, the beautiful countertop in marble Calacatta Oro has an integrated sink.  LED lighting marks the contour on the wall.

The sleeping quarters are located in the other wing of the penthouse and include bedrooms, bathrooms and dressing room, a walk-in closet with wardrobes and chest of drawers by RiFRA, a tailor-made design that runs along the four walls, making the most of every inch of available space. Consistently to the rest of the apartment, there are oak floorboards up to the bathroom that opens onto the bedroom. 

The dressing room with tailor-made wardrobes by RiFRA. On the right, a bedroom that opens onto the bathroom.

The bathroom with Smooth, the free standing bathtub in Cristalplant and washbasins from the K.One collection, both pieces are by RiFRA.

In this light-filled penthouse in the heart of Europe, approximately halfway between the Mediterranean and the North Sea, meticulous Italian elegance is combined with Scandinavian precision, in its most welcoming version. All the materials such as wood and marble, stone and top-quality fabrics were chosen in neutral colours, thus blending into the background. The result is a refined cosmopolitan scheme, in which the souls of two extremely different cultures merge with and complement each other.

Design project

City penthouse 
Location: The city of Luxemburg

Architectural and interior design project:
Arch. Francesco Giampaolo

Design and sourcing of kitchen, bathroom furniture and cupboards:
RiFRA Milano srl

Photos:
Courtesy RiFRA Milano
Credits Laurent Bei