Bistro kitchen

Watching Red 2, action flic partly based in Paris, I find myself looking more at the woodwork than the advanced knife-table-chair-gun fighting delivered by Bruce Willis in the cute little bistro just off the street. I am sad to report that little of the place is left to visit, although it was probably a studio set to begin with...

Shooting it out in Paris

I am, as Magali, looking more on the film within the film, and in this case, the typical dark woodwork in a bistro. And why might this be? Well, I have been obsessed for some years on how to down-date my modern kitchen. Without adding the waste from ripping out this sleek, shiny thing, I want to make it prettier. Yes, I am one of those. I don´t think modern is very pretty. Modern is sleek, shiny and new. Materials that do not age well, surfaces without depth, and mismanaged shadows!

I long for taking down the lowered plasterboard ceiling with its out of date recessed spotlights (so 2013), installing patterned tiles and add some shiny glass and metal shelves with ever so uncleanable nooks and crevices...

Charm, charm, charm

In the eons of time I have spent on this I find that tweaking it towards french bistro is the cheapast and prettiest way to perform this metamorphosis of the kitchen soul. Not calling froggies cheap, just that it is the closest to what I have.

I have wood. Walnut wood cabinets. Wood that I am not terribly comfortable covering up, because they are just flat and paint will make them even flatter. The bistro look has lots of dark wood. I can stain the wood quite easily without loosing the grain. Java gel, yes, is on my amazon x-mas wish list.

The room is modern to the point of industrial. Raw walls, lots of ceiling height and recessed lighting. I cannot take down the plasterboard-ceiling since the space has been used for installation of all sorts of plumming. Shiny ventilation pipes ok, grey plastic plumming from the bathroom, neuww. What I can do is ad more raw materials like concrete counter tops, patterned concrete tiles and metal so that it goes old french metro-station.

What is she on about? action movies and train stations? How can this be a comprehensible concept?

Well. Not really. But I am quite certain of what I am aiming for. An art nouveau influence, paris streets with a certain level of detailing in the decor. I am still looking for the Pièce de résistance. That special ornate shelf, hanger, table, lamp or whatever it may be that will set the tone. To give authenticity to an utterly guttered and soulless room.

Then it is just a matter of concrete/marble/stainless tops-dark wood cabinets-misty grey walls-chrome handles-white tile in different shapes- open shelving and large metal lamps and it is done...

And I am aiming for these interpretations of bistro kitchen:

Love the layout, the island and the pot rack, not the ceiling or the chairs

Black windows and industrial lamps

Just love the liquorice color scheme and the shaker feel

Vent ducts, pretty as can be, dark windows and shiny things

What a floor

Black, grey and polished chrome...

A very cold  and strange room, but just to show it can probably work with modern sleek dark brown cabinets and bistro lights. I think if you replaced the cabinets with shelves, added something more whimsical, it would be a better fit. 

 A lot of the same features as above, but carried out in a better way. Better photoshoot as well.

So I think it can be done, there is a fine line between charm and pastisch, but bravery goes a long way. Brave enough to paint the windows black? We'll see...