Open-plan kitchen with a concrete island, dark cabinetry and a sea view, at The Aviator in Malibu, by Apel Design

Interior Design · Kitchens

A kitchen composed as architecture, not fitted into it.

Custom kitchen design in Malibu and Southern California, bringing plan, millwork, stone, appliances, lighting, storage and gathering into one resolved room.

The idea

The center of the home deserves more than a finish schedule.

A successful kitchen is simultaneously a working room, a social room and a major architectural element. Its proportions affect the entire house; its technical systems must disappear into the composition.

Apel Design develops the kitchen with the surrounding architecture and interior story, so sightlines, circulation, storage, light, material and daily rituals reinforce one another.

Knowledge + experience

Designed from room to hinge.

The decisions are coordinated at the scale where elegance and everyday use meet.

Plan + circulation

Work zones, clearances, seating, entertaining, pantry relationships and movement through adjacent rooms.

Cabinetry + millwork

Door proportions, concealed storage, hardware, internal organization and custom details developed with fabrication in mind.

Stone + surfaces

Slab selection, seams, edges, backsplashes, durability and the transition between materials.

Appliances + systems

Appliance packages, ventilation, lighting and controls drawn into the cabinetry and the ceiling, so the finished room stays calm.

Light + atmosphere

Daylight, task light, decorative light and evening ambience treated as layers of the room.

Procurement + installation

Selections, lead times, shop drawings, mockups and installation review carried through to completion.

Selected work

Many kitchens. One standard of resolution.

The style changes with the home and client. The discipline behind the room remains consistent.

Kitchen island with a cooktop and glass pendants, open to a dining room and a city view, an interior by Apel Design

White kitchen with a waterfall stone island and five upholstered stools, an interior by Apel Design

Kitchen with dark wood cabinetry, a ribbon window over the counter and a dining table joined to the island, an interior by Apel Design

Kitchen under radiating timber beams with a black range and a long island, at Merritt Estate in Malibu, by Apel Design

Contemporary kitchen with a wood-clad island, a raised breakfast bar and stacked wall ovens, an interior by Apel Design

Long kitchen island in pale wood beside a glass wall opened to the garden, an interior by Apel Design

White kitchen with a pale oak island, five stools and open shelves on the back wall, an interior by Apel Design

Black range under a black hood against glazed tile, at Merritt Estate in Malibu, by Apel Design

Kitchen island seen between two tall potted trees, with glass doors to the garden beyond, an interior by Apel Design

Kitchen island with a dark counter leading to an open glass wall, a pool and an ocean view, an interior by Apel Design

Traditional kitchen with a dark wood island, a stone counter, a hooded range and a terracotta floor, an interior by Apel Design

Breakfast table under a glass pendant with the kitchen beyond, at Merritt Estate in Malibu, by Apel Design

A curved stone island under a timber ceiling, facing glass to the pool and the ocean, at Sycamore Meadows in Malibu, by Apel Design, shown as a design visualization

A long stone island with lit stone shelves behind it, at Surfside in Malibu, by Apel Design, shown as a design visualization

The path

Begin with life. Resolve the room around it.

Listen

Understand cooking, gathering, storage, collections, habits and the visual role the kitchen should play.

Compose

Test layouts, openings, island proportions, materials, cabinetry, light and connections to adjacent spaces.

Coordinate

Align appliances, millwork, stone, structure, ventilation, plumbing, electrical and lighting.

Complete

Review samples, shop drawings, fabrication, installation and the details that determine the finished room.

Design-Build kitchens

Designed by Apel Design, built through Design-Build.

Rooms from Mintcello, Maliview and The Aviator, where the studio carried its own design through Design-Build, with construction by Creative New Dimensions Inc, in conjunction with Apel Design for Design-Build.

Kitchen under a vaulted ceiling with stone walls and arched windows, at Mintcello in Malibu, by Apel Design

Range set into a plaster hood wall with a copper backsplash, at Mintcello in Malibu, by Apel Design

Range beneath a hand-finished copper backsplash, at Mintcello in Malibu, by Apel Design

Breakfast table beside a stone wall and arched windows in the kitchen, at Mintcello in Malibu, by Apel Design

Stone bar with three stools under a timber trellis and pendant lights, at Mintcello in Malibu, by Apel Design

Kitchen island in weathered white cabinetry under copper pendants, at Maliview in the Malibu Mountains, by Apel Design

Island with a live-edge wood panel under copper pendants, at Maliview in the Malibu Mountains, by Apel Design

Galley kitchen with concrete counters and a stone wall with open shelves, at Maliview in the Malibu Mountains, by Apel Design

Kitchen leading to a purple floor and an arched glass door, at Maliview in the Malibu Mountains, by Apel Design

Kitchen with dark cabinetry, a white counter and a bar with leather stools, at The Aviator in Malibu, by Apel Design

Kitchen and bar beside a glass wall and an angled red plane, at The Aviator in Malibu, by Apel Design

Bar seating in front of black cabinetry and a stone backsplash, at The Aviator in Malibu, by Apel Design

Questions

Useful clarity before the first conversation.

Can Apel Design handle the kitchen as part of a full home?

Yes. Kitchens can be developed within a new custom home, renovation, addition or complete interior-design commission.

Do you design custom cabinetry and islands?

Yes. The design can include cabinetry layouts, island geometry, millwork intent, materials, hardware and coordination with fabricators and installers.

When should appliances be selected?

Early enough to coordinate dimensions, ventilation, electrical, plumbing, cabinetry and lead times before the decisions become expensive to change.

Does Apel Design stay involved once construction starts?

Yes. Apel Design can lead an interior from the first sketch to the final placement, whether the house is delivered through our Design-Build practice or built by a contractor of the client's choosing, with the studio overseeing the interior work. On Design-Build projects, construction is by Creative New Dimensions Inc, in conjunction with Apel Design for Design-Build.

Bring us the ambition, the difficult site, or the project that needs to become clear.

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