A new IKEA kitchen hack from Cecilie Manz & Reform

Apologies for the radio silence over the past couple of weeks – I was ill for a few days and then headed off to Copenhagen for a city break with my lovely mum. I’ll be sharing some discoveries from our trip in future posts, but first I’m getting back into the swing of blogging with some news from Danish brand Reform.

Reform is one of several companies which make custom fronts to jazz up standard IKEA kitchen cabinets, wardrobes and sideboards, but what makes it stand out from the crowd is the fact that it collaborates with renowned names to produce designs which really do stand the test of time. Its range includes stunning collections by the likes of Norm Architects, Note Design and Afteroom (many of which I’ve covered in previous posts) and the latest, created by Danish designer Cecilie Manz and unveiled earlier this month, is just as beautiful.

Called ‘Degree’, it aims to balance the pared-back functionality needed in a kitchen with the kind of homely, inviting look required in a space which so often becomes the heart of the home. To achieve this, Manz paired hard-wearing steel worktops with understated door- and drawer-fronts in grey-painted MDF or warm-toned Oregon pine. She also added a twist by carving triangular handles from the top corner of each front, and laid the grain of the pine option at a 45-degree angle to create an eye-catching contrast with the horizontal and vertical lines of the units.

The resulting look has a graphic quality that echoes the modernism of the 1950s and 60s, and I can see it working well in all sorts of settings. And while I love both finishes, you won’t be surprised to hear that the grey option is a particular favourite!

How about you? Which would you choose?

All images via Reform