For each edition of EuroCucina, La Cornue prides itself on the exercising of style, and dreams up an exceptional creation to demonstrate its expertise in the world of luxury kitchens, and also pursues the dialogue it maintains with other areas of know- ledge and other craftsmen who reside, as it does, in the world of modernity.
This year it is the turn of the young up-and-coming designer Lex Pott, the maison has given him carte blanche to design and innovative an unique creation. Under the gui- dance of the designer, the solid brass faces of the iconic ranges are transformed into fascinating oxidised textures of electric blue.
This method of approaching transformation remains faithful to the creative processes used at La Cornue, and more specifically, to the raw materials transformed into ex- ceptional objects at the Paris workshops, letting the object itself render this last trans- formation, that which La Cornue has been overseeing for over a century, the trans- formation of raw food into an exquisite dish.
Passionate about transformation, which has become the guiding principle of his expe- riments, Lex Pott is an important figure among young international designers. Hol- ding a degree from the Eindhoven Design Academy in Amsterdam, his work is both passionate and highly personal in regards to both the materials used and their origins, he uses minimalist lines to bring out the essence of things.
Growing up in a family of painters, he approaches transformation in its pictorial, gra- phical and formal aspects. His work on the oxidation of metals has led to what can only be termed “true colour”. It is this material which interests the designer as a sur- face with which to express himself.
With a metal oxides, he is attempting to find “organic colours that are alive and have an edge of imperfection. The material develops a patina as it ages, which becomes increasingly sophisticated over time”, explains the designer. It is therefore unsurprising that La Cornue was seduced by this approach, as the Maison still uses solid metals to construct its ranges, one can observe magnificent patinas developing on them with use.
Metal oxides tell another story and give rise to new emotions. “The idea here was not to work on the effect, but above all to find original colours, to work with oxidation wi- thout sinking into traditionalism, to find an approach which was both poetic and contemporary at the same time. “
A philosophy which is close to that of La Cornue, to sublimate the material, to elevate it to the stuff of dreams and wonder.
La Cornue is one of the few Maisons which still enamels all the component parts of its ranges. Always concerned with providing the ultimate in perfection, La Cornue ranges are coloured using a traditional and irreproachable enamelling process. All the metal components of the range are immersed in a one-colour bath to ensure that the tone and shade are exactly the same in every aspect.
The chromatic palette is rich and diversified, particularly for the Château models, the Flamberge rotisseries and Château cabinets.Twenty-five colours are available, ranging from red to aubergine, passing through royal blue. Each year a brand new colour is added to the palate.
At La Cornue, colour always is a bespoke aspect for special orders. To personalise one’s kitchen, to give it a unique tonality, is part of the dream in designing a house. Once created, each colour is kept at the workshop as a reference, so it can be repro- duced, updated or transformed to satisfy new orders.
