Why do bright whites hurt your eyes at breakfast when other hues have a gentler effect? As French kitchen manufacturer Mobalpa shows, black features work as well in living areas and bedrooms as in cooking and eating zones when used in a harmonious palette. Brown laminates combined with worktops made of adorned ash on MDF or beige mineralite are among the many choices available for the company's Omega suite (top right; $100,000 to $200,000 depending on colour and material). The price includes accessories to keep kitchens free of clutter. Its award-winning drawer inserts (right) are specially designed so items such as aluminium foil and plastic film are accessible without getting in the way. Mobalpa kitchens and fittings are available from Oscar Bath & Kitchen, 48/F, China Online Centre, 333 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2988 1949.
