Meet The Member - Robert of Poggenpohl St. Albans
Poggenpohl
We caught up with our member Robert of Poggenpohl to talk all about the luxurious kitchens they provide.
WE love having you as a member of we are st. albans. please tell us about ‘Poggenpohl’ and the person behind the brand?
Thank you, we are happy to be a part of We Are St. Albans. Poggenpohl was established in 1892, by Friedemir Poggenpohl, who created a small furniture company with the aim of improving the kitchen. As the inventor of the modern fitted kitchen, Poggenpohl leads the industry in design and innovation.
That’s amazing Poggenpohl was founded in 1892! What aspects of the vision for the brand still stand true today?
Hand crafted, with incredible attention to detail, Poggenpohl kitchens are still as lovingly made today as they were in 1892, in a small furniture makers shop.
Poggenpohl continues to lead the way in luxury kitchen architecture, as it always has, with other brands following and copying the designs and creations.
You’ve got showrooms all around the world including 16 in the UK. What do you think gives Poggenpohl kitchens universal appeal and longevity?
Designs like +MODO, now synonymous with the Poggenpohl brand, draw customers into our showrooms around the World. Just as a Ferrari might attract car enthusiasts, for those who love interior design and want the best of the best, having a Poggenpohl kitchen is seen not just as a status symbol but also as a mark of a design lover; built for those who appreciate attention to detail and quality craftsmanship.
Poggenpohl specialises in exclusive kitchens. What kind of luxurious finishes and materials are your kitchens known for?
Doors in Aluminium and even stone really set Poggenpohl apart from the rest. The brand creates exquisite products, using the most beautiful natural materials that truly create the ‘wow factor’ in our customers homes. ‘Waterfall’ style islands, where the worksurface wraps the units and falls to the floor give an elevated look to the overall design. We can also offer door fronts in the same stone as the worktop, creating the most perfectly seamless design.
The brand has expert craftsmen in carpentry, can you tell us a bit more about their level of craftsmanship?
This spring, Poggenpohl launched its latest product, a study which incorporated lighting that filled the natural stone worktop and shone through into glass drawers. The lighting could change colour and intensity according to a customer’s mood and can be controlled via an app on a mobile phone. The pull-out wooden trays were lined with beautiful laser-cut leather and finished with brass staples. Exquisite, the design really had to be seen to be fully appreciated.
How long has Poggenpohl had a showroom on London Road in St Albans, and what can clients expect from a visit to the site?
The studio opened its doors in 2010 after converting a car showroom. In fact, the old car ramps still sit beneath the warehouse!
Prospective clients and visitors can expect a warm welcome, with some refreshments, whilst they peruse the displays at leisure. Whilst appointments are necessary to sit with a designer, the staff will engage and discuss projects that people have in mind. Everything about the brand is geared towards luxury and the ethos is to make the journey from visit to installation seamless and enjoyable. Creativity is in abundance, led by the client’s brief to the outsourced 3D animation used to present the kitchen or rooms that we will be designing.
Can you give an example or two of Poggenpohl’s innovations in kitchen craft over the years?
Poggenpohl worked with Porsche to create a Porsche designed kitchen, which was exhibited around the world, and received wide acclaim from interior designers, architects and car lovers alike.
As a brand, Poggenpohl also works alongside many famous architects and industrial designers, with the most famous collaboration being the +MODO, created in partnership with Jorge Pensi. +MODO is now synonymous with Poggenpohl, and customers come to us to request this design in their home.
What would you say, are must-have elements for any kitchen?
Requirements for kitchen designs must be unique to each customer. One client’s necessity could be miles away from the needs and desires of another, and so the most important thing is to have open conversations with whoever will design your space, to ensure your family’s needs and requirements are fully considered.
Having said that, every kitchen needs to have facilities to cook, wash and clean, so the placement of appliances as well as sink and taps is of paramount importance. Along with our customers, we can chat through what is needed versus what is wanted and try to accommodate everything within the space available. Due to Poggenpohl being a bespoke offering, we can design things like double stacked units to make the most of high ceilings in smaller spaces and can even add clever items like hidden steps within plinth boards for clients to be able to reach the higher shelves.
Are there are any venues in St Albans that you think show exceptional design and craftsmanship?
The choice of architecture that stands out would be the Alban arena built in the late 60’s.
Whilst now a controversial choice, the then architect Fredrick Gilbert followed the trend of the day, creating a modernist building that resembles the great ocean liners of the 30’s. A fact now possibly overlooked with the age of the building, but the essence of which was to show a floating glass corner over water, reminiscent of those bygone ships sailing over the seas.
The original alleyways are also of exceptional value to the marketplace. Sovereign Way, Lamb Alley, Pudding Lane, and Boot Alley are currently at the forefront of restoration led by St Albans and Hertfordshire architectural and Archaeological Society alongside BID. Their value to the city clearly noticed, I still recall running through them growing up in the 70’s during school visits to see the remains of the ancient city of Verulamium.
What are your favourite spots in St. Albans outside life at Poggenpohl?
As I live in a small village on the outskirts of St. Albans, what I appreciate most is the Heartwood Forest, with its core aim to grow every species of indigenous tree to the UK. Ideal for so much more than just a dog walk, it really is a hidden gem of the city and with coffee shops and pubs nearby, a great destination too.
In town, I like the events outside at the park, or to eat out – with my favorite place currently Lussmann’s, the detailed approach to food and décor is just how I like to socialise with friends.
The old train lines and corresponding trails are where I spend most of my free time, cycling for miles, which I find to be incredibly therapeutic.