The SieMatic kitchen in the penthouse at The Waterfront, Hanover Quay  is the king of uber slick kitchens. From Houseworks (01-676 9511) it cost around €34,000 including fitting-out of light boxes and glass.

Kitchen designer Deirdre Kelly's brief was to steer clear of the ubiquitous white gloss fitted units and make the most of the unusual space allocated to the kitchen. The developer Francis Rhatigan was drawn to the striking contrast between dark grey units and illuminated glass which reflects the grey stone and glass of the building.

A partition wall was put up to screen the space from the dining area without breaking the flow around the room or obstructing light from the tall windows overlooking the canal. These units are SC19 Basalt Grey laminate with stainless steel edging and a matching 1cm worktop. The backsplash is Pebble Grey Glass by ColourGlass on MDF boxing with fluorescent tube lighting.

During the day the kitchen is functional and the glass reflects light coming in through the large windows. At night it becomes a more sophisticated atmospheric part of the living area with the artificial light pooling against the walls.

The vertical lines of the tall units balance with the windows opposite and are not imposing as they recess.

Base units here include bin and cleaning material storage, deep pot drawers, pull-outs and roll-out trays for ergonomic storage for both cooking utensils and food.

All sinks in the penthouses come with an Insinkerator to remove food waste. This reduces the amount of unrecyclable waste in apartment living.

There is a matching glass backsplash on this run and an illuminated glass shelf to match the the rest of the kitchen.