The designers at Abimis have applied a fundamental rule in the development of the language and technology of modern, contemporary inhabited space in their engagement with the complexity of large cruise ships. The company, based in the Veneto region of Italy, is an international leader in the sector. It specialises in the installation of AISI 304 steel kitchens – these have now been taken out of the world of ships and brought custom-made into homes on land.

Theirs is a manufacturing and design system creating a new type of kitchen – one not simply part of the furniture but a genuine “tool” for cooking, shedding fresh light on the everyday world. A complex, structured system includes every component and detail of the kitchen space: refrigerated bins that limit the spread of bacteria and reduce odour, and tools such as blast chillers and vacuum-sealers, as well as recessed sockets, rounded corners and heating systems.

Abimis kitchens are not made as part of a series but are handworked and personalised with different colours and finishes. There is the option to surface or paint the doors, which come with handles or alternatively a practical finger recess. The use of steel makes them – as well as visually linear and attractive – high performance: this is a material that is tough yet easily cleanable, has no fixed lifespan, and is 100% recyclable and completely hygienic.

The task of deepening the interaction with the users falls to Atelier Abimis, a workshop that allows anyone to design their own kitchen in line with their own specific ideas and requirements, even in materials other than steel. As well as the two different floor types, straight-edged and boxed, Atelier Abimis offers kitchens with square doors. These give the blocks a clean, linear image, while the rounded internal spaces allow for rapid cleaning – confirming once again how the soul of a design can be found even in the smallest details.