Clemens Bruns Schaub Architect and Associates, P.A

How do you approach the design process?

We are an architectural firm so we feel that the kitchen design is an extension of the architecture.

How do you approach the design process?

The kitchen is the "hinge" of the home. Everything swings around it and it must address inside and out.

What is the great asset you provide your client?

We do a lot of listening!

What is your biggest challenge as a designer/architect?

Having the tenacity and diligence to see all the details through.

What does the Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest mean to you?

It means a great deal. Architects are not often considered experts in kitchen design. The award could prove that we be considered experts in this area.

What are some of the current design trends?

The kitchen as an entertainment space with many practical event related tasks moved to the butler's pantry.

Where do you see kitchen design going in the next 5 years?

It used to be that the family room was a part of the kitchen. With the "machines" becoming more and more discreet the kitchen will be seamless with living and entertaining.

How do you approach the design process?

The architecture - based on the climate, location, and client’s program/aesthetic - really informs the design. The kitchen is typically the most important room in a home and thus planned around. Food and feeding people is a primordial need! People tend to congregate in and around this space so its location and flow in and around is critical to a successful design.

How does your aesthetic standout amongst designers/architects?

We typically like to keep a simple materials palette to blend with the building and create the aesthetic foundation inside. If wood is used on the floor in one space we will try and use that same material for cabinetry in the adjacent room, etc. We feel this creates a more timeless design. The furnishings can then be easily changed with personal tastes over the years.

As Clem mentioned the homes we create really reflect their owner and the climate. There are definitely particular ways we like to detail elements and address the materials palette as I mentioned above. There is that common "brushstroke" through our designs.

What is the great asset you provide your client?

Definitely listening closely to their wants/needs and synthesizing this with all the information I mentioned above to achieve their “vision”. We have been told that we are tenacious about seeing a project through.

What does the Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest mean to you?

As the industry leader in what’s happening in kitchens it means a great deal. It is important that we are well rounded designers and want our clients to feel comfortable and confident in letting us work on all aspects of their home from the architecture, cabinet hardware selections, and fabrics. At the end of the day this creates a more cohesive design and the house looks like one thought. What are some of the current design trends?

What are some of the current design trends?

More and more it seems kitchens have additional needs they meet. We have seen kitchens become more integrated and open to living areas for entertaining. We have been adding hidden TVs, docking areas for electronics, desk areas for household management. With new technologies we have also seen an increase in "smart" appliances and interesting new cabinet finishes – burnished metals, heat-treated woods which have new chemical properties making them more durable.

Where do you see kitchen design going in the next 5 years?

Changes and advances in technology will definitely inform how we use our and interact with our kitchens. I can see recipes being projected on the work surfaces of kitchens and artificial intelligence assisting in meal preparation. I think there is one sector of the market that will see appliances become more seamless, hidden or moveable in the space while the other half will want to embrace cooking and celebrate their customized designer appliances!