Page 79 - Designing Ways 279

The Ego line by

Abimis for a 19th

Century country

mansion at the gates

of Versailles

Versailles, France

A
magical and unspoiled setting, filled with historical
references: The Forest of Rambouillet is the second
largest protected forest in France, a former royal summer
residence of the Presidency of the Republic, and the stage of royal
hunting expeditions until the reign of Louis XIV. In this green
expanse covering more than 14,000 hectares of oaks and conifers,
just 34 km from Versailles, stands an ancient 19th Century country
mansion which was recently renovated, with the aim of preserving its
architectural features and distinctive elements, and making it a refuge
away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The kitchen area is the hub around which the distribution of all the
rooms revolves and it replicates in a different scale - in the choice
of finishes and materials used - the signature feature of the entire
residence. A wall-mounted kitchen block with stainless steel top
and rosewood doors, which blend in with the exposed beams and
is completed with appliances, hob and sink, faces a large island
with an built-in snack bar from the Ego design line by Abimis. In
glossy lacquered white and contrasting stainless steel handles, Ego is
arranged here with a generously-sized top orbitally polished by hand,
joint-free and intentionally free of appliances and accessories. The
clean-cut shapes thus accommodate the desire to create on one side
a setting in which to conduct all the food preparation and cooking
activities and on the other a micro-location for cosy intimacy for
breakfast and a quick lunch.

dw • Issue 279 79