"The rest of the apartment is decorated in a style that is more traditionally French, with classic silhouettes, finishes and wall upholstery in shades of yellow, cream and white," says Ed Ku, of Coffinier Ku Design, Ltd. "But it was very important to the client, who owns a luxury-food export company, that their kitchen was very modern and up-to-date – just like their business."
The kitchen's sleek, color-saturated cabinets are by Snaidero, with a Brilliant Blue finish in high-gloss lacquer. The contrast provided by soft cream walls helps to electrify the already bold shade. The effect, Ku acknowledges, is not for everyone, and should not be decided on a whim.

"Before we began any work," Ku says, "we did a 3-D rendering of the kitchen and also got a large sample of the actual cabinet front. The rendering and the sample were crucial and we would not have proceeded without those tools to help the client feel comfortable.

"We loved that our client was ready and willing to commit to using this beautiful, strong blue," Ku says. "But if you're not sure that you will absolutely love such a strong statement, skip the bright blue cabinets and try painting the walls of the kitchen in a royal or cobalt blue – if you get tired of it, it's an easy fix."