lsanderson | Kitchen Design

In 1976, while Johnny Grey was still in architecture school, he cooked up a “punk Gothic” kitchen for a friend. It was the opening salvo in his war on cookie-cutter kitchens. With encouragement from his aunt, the renowned cookbook author and shopkeeper Elizabeth David, he has designed what he calls “sociable kitchens” and promoted the principles that make them work. Today considered one of the world’s most influential kitchen experts, Mr. Grey, 63, estimates that he has produced more than 500 kitchens, and his company, in Hampshire, England, takes on about 20 projects a year. A recent example — a pool house with cooking capabilities in Cambridge, England — piqued our interest during these dog days of summer. (This interview has been edited and condensed.)

The cabinet and benches are also curved.
We wanted curves for objects people would come into contact with. If you only have a bathing suit on, you are particularly vulnerable to sharp edges. In the cabinet, there’s a dishwasher drawer and a fridge. The benches are Corian and provide ambient light.

Even in your non-pool-house kitchens you seem to prefer curves to straight lines.
Straight lines and sharp corners are a problem. Corners trigger a subliminal fight-and-flight response. If there are sharp corners on a center island, people have to be careful to avoid them. But if corners are rounded, people can easily flow around the counter. It’s a more efficient use of space.

What’s the most common mistake in kitchens?
Having the cook face the wall, with his or her back to the room. It’s the most antisocial thing you can do. You can’t relax if you don’t know what’s behind you. A cook should face out into the space.