What happens when the owner of an advertising agency who trained as an architect and a highly experienced project manager start planning new kitchen furniture? In Joel and Anneli Volkov’s home the result wasn’t just beautiful, but an integrated whole boasting some rarely used solutions.
There’s no doubt about it: after years living in the same home in Kivimäe, there were certain things that had started bothering owners Joel and Anneli so much that they were considering upping sticks. The windows did little to keep out the cold and the noise of the traffic from the street, the staircase was creaking for its country and the dusky light in the once-trendy wenge-style kitchen and living room had become darkly unattractive.
At the same time, the funk-style Nõmme home was still quite a nice place to live. This being the case, Joel and Anneli decided to give it another chance and change everything that was getting on their nerves.
It wasn’t long before a builder had fitted a new staircase and windows, and replacing the electrics, flooring and wall finish wasn’t exactly rocket science. The furniture in the open-plan kitchen and living room, on the other hand, proved to be a major undertaking – one that would take them an entire year from ideas to installation. Brainstorming involved combing through Instagram, seemingly in its entirety, as well as interior design websites and hundreds of magazines. They came up with dozens of concepts, each one more complex than the last.
In the end, the furniture they opted for was produced right here in Estonia, at the premium kitchen furniture manufacturer Aunman factory in Viljandi. The commission was a steep learning curve for the company, since some of the solutions were being implemented in Estonia for the first time, while others were untested anywhere in the world. Nor was their task confined to the kitchen alone – rather they were asked to provide an all-in-one solution for the kitchen and living room. It’s fair to say that the design, construction and installation process was not without its problems: indeed, at one point the two parties saw the whole thing so differently that they were close to walking away from it altogether. Nevertheless, they arrived at a compromise and, ultimately, produced a result that pleased everyone.
On the one hand, Aunman gained an invaluable amount of experience from their part in the project, which helped them improve the way they organised both their production and customer service. On the other hand, Joel and Anneli saw their kitchen completed to the designs of Irene Press in a way that was not only elegant and beautiful, but which represented one of, if not the most cutting-edge special furniture solutions in the country.
So what makes this particular ensemble special?
Pull-down kitchen cabinets
The upper kitchen cabinets use high-quality Blum lift systems, thanks to which the contents can be pulled down to within easy reach. This avoids the need to climb up on a stool to fetch something from the top shelf.
An in-built stepladder
This feature also makes using the upper kitchen cabinets much easier. A small stepladder is concealed beneath the cabinets, which can be pulled out whenever needed.
Choose your own measurements
Upper kitchen cabinets are normally 40 cm deep and lower cabinets 60 cm deep, but Joel and Anneli went with 50 cm and 80 cm respectively for their upper and lower cabinets. As a result, the cabinets not only boast much greater storage capacity, but fit better with the size of the kitchen space itself.
A stovetop with an in-built range hood
For the first time in Estonia, Novy’s latest Panorama induction stove was integrated into the furniture. Its range hood doesn’t sit above it, as per ordinary stoves (and on which people often bang their heads), but forms part of the stove itself. This Red Dot design award-winning solution rises up from within the stove whenever needed. It’s not only beautiful, but also highly practical: steam and smells never get the chance to travel, as they are drawn away the moment they emerge from the pots and pans on the stovetop.
Worlds within worlds: a multifunctional drawer system
At first glance, the kitchen cabinets appear to feature only large drawers – but open any of them and a series of smaller drawers is revealed. Pots and pans find a home in the larger drawer space, and smaller items above. The runners are truly heavy-duty, with a carrying capacity of 70 kg. Provided you weigh no more than that, you could pop yourself in the drawer and test it out for yourself!
Uniquely designed cupboard doors
Some of the kitchen furniture is concealed behind large doors, which are opened by pushing them to the sides. A range of materials (oak wood, stone veneer, polymer coating and metallised aluminium) come together to form a unique mosaic.
A facade with an unbroken grain
When installing the drawers, care was taken to ensure that the grain of the wood remained unbroken on the facade of the kitchen cabinets. Where the pattern is otherwise interrupted by the edge of one drawer, it carries over seamlessly to the next.
An impressive media wall
The style chosen for the kitchen continues in the living room in the form of its media cabinet and television stand, which are set against a stone veneer cabinet masquerading as a back wall. The inconspicuous door open at a touch as separate parts. The entire wall behind the television, right up to the ceiling, is used as a holder for various items needed in the living room. To keep the television and speakers firmly in place, the console is fixed to the wall using special titanium bolts.
Additional text 1
Joel Volkov: I’m the most difficult client Aunman have ever had!
When we talk about premium products in general, they refer not only to exclusive materials but also, and even more so, to a different sort of client: one who knows what they want. Such clients tend to be demanding of themselves, so it’s only to be expected that they’re demanding of others as well. They often have a very clear idea of what they want, right down to the smallest details. It’s a big investment, and not the kind of thing anyone treats lightly.
When we commissioned our kitchen furniture, I was very much that guy. There were times when we butted heads with Aunman; there were moments when Anneli and I scoured the globe for solutions and recommended that they try them out.
Credit where it’s due though: the team at Aunman are fast learners. Some of the solutions we were going for were pretty complicated, like the big mosaic doors in the kitchen and the media wall in the living room, for which the technology and installation guys came up with solutions on the spot. Hats off to them!
They produced something truly beautiful – and that’s the main reason we decided to stick with the house rather than look for somewhere new to live. Our quality of life has improved in every respect. Whenever I can, I work from home myself now.
