Abimis Ego: A Professional Kitchen Brings Italian Design to a Charming London Home

In a former London stable, the historic character of English architecture meets the precision of professional Italian kitchen design.

At the heart of the renovated home is the Ego kitchen by Abimis, custom-made from stainless steel and designed to meet both the demands of everyday family life and the standards of a professional chef.

The project, designed by architect Fiona Lorenson, makes no attempt to suppress the home’s original character. On the contrary, the contemporary kitchen has deliberately been placed in dialogue with the warm textures of natural plaster, stone and wood, creating an interior where the industrial precision of steel feels unexpectedly soft.

The result demonstrates how today’s kitchen can transcend its basic function and become the space around which practically the entire life of a home revolves.

Italian Precision in an English Setting

Ego represents the meeting of two distinct design sensibilities. On one side is Italian brand Abimis and its expertise rooted in the design of professional kitchens, while on the other is Fiona Lorenson, who wanted to preserve the authenticity of the existing London architecture.

Rather than creating a visual clash, this contrast becomes one of the most compelling aspects of the interior.

The cooler character of AISI 304 stainless steel is juxtaposed with the natural, warmer surfaces surrounding it. Clean lines and continuous surfaces give the kitchen an almost architectural quality, yet without the sterile impression sometimes associated with professional culinary environments.

Stainless Steel That Looks Almost Like Silk

The hand-applied orbital-polished finish of the stainless steel plays a particularly important role.

It gives the surface a distinctive texture that appears visually softer and almost silky to the touch, while simultaneously capturing and reflecting the natural light entering the space. Brass handles introduce a warmer metallic accent, further connecting the contemporary kitchen with the character of the traditional interior.

It is precisely this controlled use of materials that allows such a substantial amount of stainless steel to feel neither cold nor excessively industrial.

Designed for the Home, Ready for a Professional Chef

Good looks, however, were not enough.

One of the fundamental requirements was for the kitchen to function intuitively in everyday use while simultaneously meeting the needs of a professional chef when dinners for larger groups of guests are prepared at the house.

Lorenson cites the ability to customize every detail as one of the reasons she chose Ego – the kitchen could be precisely tailored to the characteristics of the property without sacrificing professional-level functionality.

A Compact Space Used Down to the Last Centimeter

The relatively limited floor area required extremely careful planning.

A peninsula configuration was selected to increase the available work surface, integrate appliances and simultaneously open the kitchen toward the dining area. This makes food preparation and serving easier during gatherings while allowing the kitchen to remain part of the home’s social space.

The layout follows the logic of professional kitchens. One wall is dedicated to preparation and cooking, another to washing, while the central module incorporates a generous worktop and ovens. A large professional extractor hood completes the system, delivering serious performance without compromising domestic comfort.

Teppanyaki Grill, Large Oven and Professional Equipment

Customization goes far beyond the dimensions of the cabinetry and the choice of finishes.

The kitchen features a large-capacity oven, teppanyaki grill, instant hot-water taps and elements typically associated with professional kitchens. Everything has been integrated so that the technical components do not compromise the visual purity of the space.

Abimis’ experience in professional hospitality environments has also been applied to details that may not be immediately visible. The construction has been designed to minimize problematic areas, simplify cleaning and hygiene maintenance, and ensure the kitchen’s long-term durability.

When the Kitchen Becomes the Heart of the Home

The most interesting characteristic of this London project, however, is not any individual appliance, material or piece of furniture, but the way all of these elements work together.

Ego does not attempt to impose the appearance of a restaurant kitchen on this London home. Professional technology is concealed behind carefully controlled design, while stainless steel becomes an elegant counterpoint to the historic character of the space.

The result is a kitchen capable of serving a simple everyday meal before transforming, just a few hours later, into a serious workspace for a professional chef.

It is precisely in this dual role that the essence of the project can be found – Abimis Ego brings the performance of a restaurant kitchen into a space that still unmistakably looks and functions like a home.