The Italian kitchen manufacturer’s oak cabinetry, new to North America, evokes the harvest table.
GD Cucine is synonymous with sleek surfacing, lacquered cabinetry and clean lines, but its latest collection – the Legno Vivo line that was recently released to the North American market – is something of a departure when it comes to materiality.
In solid oak with four-centimetre-wide edging, the tall units, corner shelving and central island create a warm aesthetic that evokes the country home – albeit with impeccable detail. A simple stainless steel countertop inset with a welded sink and gas burners provides a balanced contrast. At a time when modern kitchens are hiding everything away, this system does the opposite, sticking primarily to open-face shelves and glass doors and saving the closed storage for hiding anything that isn’t visually appealing.
Designed by Roberto Pezzetta, the Legno Vivo line is timeless, its raw wood aesthetic appearing virtually unfinished. It’s all part of the overall strategy of simplicity: the rethinking of the archetypical kitchen as a modest modular system that heralds back rather than jumping forward. The use of wood is meant to be green – it’s a renewable, reusable resource – and GD Cucine also sticks to controlled reforestation wood products that they cut and dry in their own facilities.
