The third day of BlogTour London started with a tour of the Waterloo Poggenpohl Showroom. What a wonderful place for inspiration. No expense was spared on the materials used to create the beautiful showroom.
I talked a bit with Poggenpohl Waterloo’s Kevin Robertson about changes and trends he sees among their projects. He’s experiencing clients pulling away from the overly minimalistic kitchen designs. It’s safe to say Londoners still prefer clean kitchen design but the increased interest in wood countertops and architectural accents is a positive change.
Corey Klassen and I check out a custom stainless work top with integral sink and Blanco accessories
Poggenpohl was founded in 1892 and has remained a leader in the cabinetry industry for over a century. Poggenpohl prides itself in being at the forefront of the kitchen industry with trend-setting concepts. The minimalist lines and modern sensibility set them apart from the “many traditional cabinet makers offered in the U.S. and a new generation of homeowners are beginning to embrace this more transitional approach to design.”
An example of Poggenpohl’s commitment to innovation is their newest collection, +Artesio, designed by celebrated architect Hadi Teherani.
“The customizable +Artesio system includes not only cabinetry but also walls, floors, dining furniture and an independent ceiling with built-in ventilation, lighting and sound, delivering what Elmar Duffner, Poggenpohl’s chief executive, called a “room-in-room solution” that would be ideal for a high-ceilinged loft. A wide range of material choices for the cabinetry — including laminate, wood, glass and leather — allows for further personalization.”
After our visit to the showroom, Poggenpohl sponsored an architectural tour of the Southwark and South Bank area, led by architect Timothy Bruce-Dick. I don’t have too many photos or notes because I decided looking up and walking and trying to capture tweets/photos/thoughts was not a good combination for me.
It was nice to walk for a while and just take things in. We’d walk through an area and take in the architecture and then meet our bus and ride to the next stop.
Some areas that stood out for me was Lloyd’s Register of Shipping; the original facade was built in 1901, 65 Hopton St.; a bright yellow round building with stepped design, Neo Bankside; a modern glass residential building with external bracing system, One America Square; a striking art deco building on a nondescript street and the Lloyd’s Building; home to Lloyd’s of London and sometimes called the inside-out building.
We concluded our tour outside St. Paul’s Cathedral and walked across the London Millennium Footbridge to the Tate Modern for High Tea. The view was incredible and as my first experience with High Tea, it will always be special to me.
After devouring all the sweets and finger sandwiches, we strolled back to the CitizenM. The evening’s plans were for a cocktail reception/launch party sponsored by Modenus. That night Veronika Miller unveiled the New Modenus website. If you haven’t been in a while you should visit it again. It is always evolving with new products, designer showcases, and blog posts.
I’m sure Veronika would way the evening had a few glitches but overall it was a huge success. Some of our group bought masks during the architecture tour and brought them to the party – they provided much entertainment.
(Poggenpohl and Modenus are sponsors for BlogTour London 2013, but the views and opinions expressed on this blog are mine, and I will be honest in what I share. You, the reader, are my top priority and it is my goal to make sure you can trust the content and integrity of this blog.)
