Blum kitchen inspirations

www.blum.com/makingof She’s a model and wants things to look beautiful; he’s a marketing expert and likes everything to be practical. Melanie Raff and Marco Hornung have teamed up to make their dream come true. They have a kitchen that combines both aes- thetics and functionality. The little town of Allensbach on the German shore of Lake Constance offers a splendid vista of apple trees, rolling hills and meadows. "We both feel very much at home in these surroundings," says Melanie. The couple has a direct view of the lake from their kitchen. "The kitchen is the absolute hub of our home," adds Marco. "That’s why it was so important to us to implement our ideas and think through our everyday routine in detail when planning everything." The couple mainly uses fresh products from the region. "I love to shop at the market or in our little corner shop. Fresh tomatoes, juicy cucumbers and crisp lettuce – it’s the look of things that makes my mouth water," says Melanie. Marco, by contrast, reigns over the hob. "He does a lot of cooking. He loves to prepare food and his dishes are really delicious," she enthuses. Practice has made Marco perfect. "I used to use recipes," he admits. But now that he knows how to handle ingredients and combine aromas, he conjures up meals with the products that Melanie has bought. "Often I don’t know beforehand what the dish will turn out to be: Italian or Asian?" The couple’s island kitchen is stylish through and through. "The minimalist white frontals radiate a wonderful calm," says Melanie with a smile. The model likes things to be natural in her private life and yet it’s important to intro- duce contrasts. That’s why the couple discussed the striking worktop around the sink at great length. "We didn’t want conventional stainless steel because you can see all the fingerprints. I wanted a modern, slightly industrial feel," says Melanie. The two of them found the solution in Northern Germany. A 5-mm worktop of hot rolled stainless steel that was produced in a single piece (without joints or seams). beautiful