We were warned. Even the most rational souls lose it. It causes tempers to flare and manifests in horrid arguments between lovers. Deciding on a kitchen. Thomas suggested we keep it affordable, IKEA would do. My inner snob wrinkled her perfect little nose; what about creativity? Surely some personal flavour should be added? We agreed on upgrading a simple kitchen to something amazing. The most impressive hack ever! After wrestling with the Swedish kitchen planner for a couple of hours, we were already hitting the wall and decided to call in the troops. In came Rik, woodworker extraordinaire. Another friend, Frank, art historian and overall aesthete, joined us on location.

Palladio Police

I had imagined we would be popping like champagne with crazy suggestions during our brainstorming sessions. Instead, we clenched at individual ideas. We spent hours staring at the walls and the ceiling, with Frank and Rik extolling the virtues of the clean lines of the Palladio style. We had endless discussions on the pros and cons of wall cupboards, Thomas willing to accept that upper cabinets and Palladio don’t mix, but also trying to figure out where pipes would run and how cutlery and crockery would fit. And I was obsessed by the colour scheme, way too early in the process. Would purple brown work or should we add a tad more aubergine?

Fear of failing, unexpected delays, stress related to financial and other practical restraints (try ordering a kitchen stove online in France, I dare you), we lived through it all. Nonetheless our ideas found room to float and play. Out of apparent chaos Rik built a practical and beautiful artwork of a cuisine. Timelessly modern with understated elegance, it’s testament to his flawless craftsmanship and our vision for Lescure. Looking back on the process, I’m fascinated by the untamed nature of creativity. How it’s free and alive and just runs from emotional highs to downs and back again.* Messy, but magic.

*Director Marcus Romer on Twitter: The Creative Process 1. This is awesome 2. This is tricky 3. This is shit 4. I am shit 5. This might be ok 6. This is awesome