They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, so when Metier Interiors takes on a luxury kitchen remodel, they don’t just see it as installing some new cupboards. They treat it as an important architectural project. Their custom kitchen design process begins with matching the design to the space, the lighting, and the needs of those who will be using it every day. For Metier, cabinetry is built to feel like it belongs in the most heartfelt place in the home.
The Philosophy of Structure
Metier’s approach is part and parcel of a simple philosophy: “Cabinetry isn’t a product—it’s the room’s structure.” They create cabinetry to frame the space, guide your movements, and act as the bones of the whole room’s flow. Luxury modern kitchen design, they feel, is architecture in motion.
And this architectural mindset shows up in the small details. They always make certain the cabinets line up perfectly with window frames, and they match the depth of the cabinets to the subtle recesses of the walls. Materials are chosen to enhance light and space, with the ultimate goal of creating a calm, cohesive, and integrated look that fits well into modern, open-plan homes.
Committed to Quality Craft
What elevates Metier is their guiding craft approach, which they summarize as “quality and care.” They respect the art of the craft, and they feel that a kitchen should be as much “felt as it is seen.”
Skill alone, they feel, isn’t enough if you don’t also have intention and genuine care for the client who will be using the space. Thus, their approach to luxury kitchen renovation in NYC is one of a design meant to “stay with you” emotionally. And because good design decisions are based on timeless principles such as proper proportions, solid materials, and long-term use, they avoid catering to fleeting trends.
The “Inside-Out” Approach
Metier has named its unique process “inside-out” because it prioritizes how you live over a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all style. It begins with their team observing sightlines, how people walk through the space, and their clients’ daily rituals. They then use that data to inform the whole design.
The cabinets are integrated right into the building’s existing structure, with storage designed to visually disappear into the walls. This approach gives the room space to “breathe,” as they say. And the custom-built approach means Metier can fix existing problems instead of compromising. They even tailor solutions for things like tricky ceiling heights or awkward floor plans, which can be useful in homes with unusual dimensions.
A Personalized and Artistic Approach
For Metier, every kitchen is a singular, carefully-crafted piece of art, a collaboration between high-quality raw materials and highly skilled artisans. The founder, Sam, brings substantial experience from designing and building furniture, and he focuses on what he calls a “frictionless design.” His background influences Metier’s unique brand language and how they speak of the “craft of an architect” combined with the practical “foresight of an engineer.”
A kitchen, they believe, should feel coherent, sleek, with effortlessly integrated storage and visual calm. The cabinetry is designed to complement the entire space, meaning the materials, tones, and lines all “speak the same language.”
Written in partnership with Tom White
