Kitchen Wars
by NorseGamer, HSM Editor-in-Chief
In Hollywood, most successful films will be sued by somebody, claiming their work was ripped off. And sure, it does happen — James Cameron blatantly ripping off Harlan Ellison for his “Terminator” concept, and losing in court to Ellison as a result. But, far more often than not, it’s simply a case of what’s called “parallel development.”
Parallel development happens a hell of a lot in the entertainment industry. Movies, TV shows, books, video games, et cetera. And it happens in Home, too.
How can it not? You’ve got every developer out there combing the Sony forum and various media outlets like this one, looking for consumer insights and trying to figure out what to invest their money in for the greatest ROIC. And considering that stuff just takes time to develop and get through QA, it’s entirely feasible to see two (or more) developers, independent of each other, have similar content releases at nearly the same time.
And it is thus with the latest craze in Home interior decoration: kitchens.
At first, the only thing anyone had was the LOOT kitchen. People loved to bang on about how the pieces didn’t fit together as well as they could have, but let’s face it: it was a kitchen. More accurately, it was the only kitchen you could work with. And it did its job well. You may have noticed that, more recently, VEEMEE scored a hit with their modular kitchens, and now Lockwood has jumped in with their country kitchens:
I’m not going to bother comparing the two, or suggesting one is better than the other. As far as I’m concerned, they’re both valid furniture sets, and I’d actually recommend owning both. Much has been written here at HSM about how outstanding the VEEMEE modular kitchen is, and we consider it a must-have furniture item.
Here’s the thing, though: interior design, by its very nature, lends itself to a variety of styles and motifs. Where Lockwood’s Cucumber lineup succeeds is in providing a very colorful, almost whimsical selection of furniture. And that’s important, because no one else is doing this in Home — and certainly not to the level of consistency across a spectrum of furniture items the way Lockwood is with their Cucumber collection.
Marco Pierre White has seen the Mansion’s bespoke gold kitchen. Marco Pierre White is not impressed.
The larger question, now, is with estate design. If kitchens can be purchased and placed in estates a la carte, do we still want estates with built-in kitchens? On one hand, a bespoke kitchen is guaranteed to fit in with the overall theme of the space; on the other hand, it does somewhat limit creativity, as there’s no freedom to decide where the kitchen should go. What are some estates that would fit the new Lockwood country kitchen?
I know that sounds backwards, but it’s true. Sometimes you buy an estate to fit the furniture you’ve got, not the other way around. So where would the Lockwood country kitchens work best? Well, as the name implies, rustic or nature-themed estates seem like a no-brainer. I can see this being a very colorful addition to the Treehouse Apartment, for instance, or the Paris Clocktower. Or, if you’re a bit mental like I am, you’d want an outdoor kitchen for your Midnight Glade. And frankly, Primarch’s Vigilarium could do with some color. Heck, these country kitchens would work quite well with some of the upcoming Blueprint:Home style packs. So if you’re into interior design (and you know who you are), I strongly recommend picking up the new country kitchens from Lockwood.
July 30th, 2012 by NorseGamer | 4 comments
NorseGamer is the product manager for LOOT Entertainment at Sony Pictures, as well as the founder and publisher of HomeStation Magazine. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, he holds a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from San Francisco State University and presently lives in Los Angeles. All opinions expressed in HSM are solely his and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sony DADC.
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These kitchens are all a welcome addition to the furniture market in Home. What we need now are more bathroom items. Like a sink with a working mirror attached to it, or a modular shower stall, or a bathroom counter with sinks. With the new Blueprint coming this week, all of these kinds of things would be sold quickly as many people here in Home like to build things with a reality base to them, especially those who love to decorate.
I love the cookie jar stuff and the tea kettle from this set, I already bought them, we need more of that type of thing too, because it is the little touches in our spaces that make them truly our own.
The Loot kitchen was and still is a nightmare. But we were stuck with that or nothing for two years. Except for the original Veemee kitchen counter they released and you couldn’t put anything on it. Loot only made one fix and that fell way short. I did buy the Veemee modular kitchen set. It’s nicely made and connects seemlessly together. It’s too bad LKWD released this set on the heels of the Veemee ones. But at least now people have a real choice for there kitchen setup. Only thing missing here now is a microwave oven and a shower lol…
Actually there are 4 kitchens out there now. Yes, I am crazy: I own them all. Even the curved kitchen workstation and linear sink items in black with the gray/white marble tops. And, frankly, if you own a lot of personal spaces, you need them all. The Loot kitchen is ideal in the Playground Apt, the Rapture Metro Apt., and the Treehouse Apt. The Veemee kitchen is a ‘must have NOW’ for the Harbour Studio, the Anime Apt., and the Hollywood Hills Apt. Then the new ‘country kitchen’ is the only one that really works on the Lockwood yacht, the Waterfall Terrace, and Darla’s Den. And don’t forget the Granzella Japanese kitchen for the Japanese Apt., the Plum Tree Pavilion, and the Granzella fossil beach place. Next: throw in the ‘diner’ sets and the possibilities (especially for a machinima maker) look wonderful.
It’s just like Home media: no one magazine can be all things to all possible readers. And it will prove to be the same with the bathroom designs: developers, please bring on at least three from different time periods, levels of luxury, and flexibility. I already have the Medieval chamber pot in use in the Assassin’s Creed apt., the Gothic Cathedral, and the Cutteridge Estate. Plus the assortment of toilets and bathtubs is marvelous. But, PLEASE, give us sinks! Lavatories! Wash basins with pitchers?
I love the new kitchens! All of them. Now I just need to place my male av plushy in mine so I can get some breakie in bed.
I hear what Kitchens are really fantastic for is playing Tomato Tennis. I am waiting for that game…
You know -Frying Pan -load of Tomatos… Fun will be had by all.