Move over stainless steel: I spotted this carbon-fiber kitchen island in the Tokyokitchen gallery at the Axis building in Roppongi. When I used to work with kitchen manufacturers I learned that most people only buy new cabinets every twenty or thirty years. Considering the weight and size of most kitchen cabinetry, there is a major benefit in designing a kitchen that lasts forever. In addition, carbon fiber is a craft: experts have to lay the material and polish it almost entirely by hand. So, while it may be overkill, this choice of material has distinct advantages over the particle board and stainless steel of current kitchens. I just don’t know how much it costs.
