creates unique kitchens and living spaces in which聽traditional craftsmanship melds with state-of-the-art manufacturing. They consider all key aspects of ergonomics, aesthetics and production in each custom-designed and custom-made kitchen. We interview聽Roland Spieth, Director of Export Sales at Bulthaup GmbH & Co.聽about the bulthaup philosophy.
A: Could you describe bulthaup鈥檚 design philosophy?
搁厂:听At bulthaup, we live and breathe the conviction that many people think has been abandoned: the聽conviction of architects and designers who do not just design furniture, but are also creating a聽personal vision, a glimpse, if you will, of their own worlds.聽This is the reason that bulthaup is renowned for creating architecture of living spaces that go beyond聽the kitchen area. It is through this reputation that international standards have been set, innovations聽have been created which are comparable only to the finest products in terms of form and function聽that were born of the Bauhaus tradition.聽Our understanding is that products have to be quiet rather than loud, timeless rather than聽following fashion聽trends and minimalistic instead of ornamental. bulthaup does not follow any current trends, but we聽follow our way of timeless design, highest requirements when it comes to quality and function as well聽as precision to the smallest detail. We concentrate on the essential and thus create minimalistic聽products through simple and authentic materials, colours and clear lines.
A: Do you find that breaking down your designs into sections (b1, b2, b3) helps to identify a聽customer鈥檚 lifestyle and individual aesthetic quicker than with a traditional bespoke service?
搁厂:听With our systems bulthaup b3 – the kitchen living space, bulthaup b2 – the kitchen workshop and聽bulthaup b1 – the essential kitchen we clearly define diverse types of kitchens that correspond to the聽lifestyle of different types of individuals.聽The bulthaup b3 product line offers unbeatable versatility. Instead of focusing on conventional floor聽plans, bulthaup b3 makes active use of the walls. Elements can be hung as desired from the bulthaup聽b3 multi-function wall, creating open spaces that interact with the living area and the people who live聽there. The floating effect is underlined by thin materials and streamlined forms that emphasise the聽horizontal 鈥 whether the elements are floor-standing, foot-supported or wall-mounted.聽bulthaup b2 looks at kitchens and the use of space within them from a fresh perspective. It offers a聽unique combination of kitchen workbench, tool cabinet and appliance cabinet. These聽elements can be used to create a personal, yet unmistakably bulthaup environment where simple,聽clear-cut forms meet logical, practical function. bulthaup b2 can be mixed and matched as individually聽desired.聽bulthaup b1 is the 鈥渆ssential kitchen鈥, a blend of the functionalist tradition prevalent in Scandinavia,聽Japan and the USA with Germany鈥檚 Bauhaus style. It was designed and built for the growing number of聽people who have a keen eye for elegance of form and quality of construction.聽bulthaup b1 is for people who want a kitchen that is young and fresh in terms of appearance, features聽and pricing.
A: Do you find that your customers are demanding a wider selection of unique and natural聽materials to be featured within their living spaces?
搁厂:听Wood becomes more and more popular as this natural and vibrant material adds an individual touch to聽each living space.聽Wooden kitchens are a key feature of bulthaup and many customers choose bulthaup聽because of the extraordinarily聽high quality of聽our wooden kitchens. Kitchen fronts聽and doors are very popular in veneer, as wood brings in warmth.聽Sensuous lightness in the kitchen is not only communicated through technical innovations,聽but also through the care and skill of the craftsman. At bulthaup, we go one step further,聽creating special, custom-built, veneered fronts. The veneer is selected from a聽single tree trunk and processed with painstaking care. The grain of the wood continues聽flawlessly over the entire front either in horizontal or vertical direction.聽The advantages of manufacturing and industrial production are combined and make it possible to聽create a unique level of quality for the front surface and edge finishing, making this front easy to take聽care of and scratch-resistant.
A: Design has become an integral part of the global marketing dialogue; do you find that聽specific markets are more interested in buying into bulthaup?
搁厂:听People who accept no compromise regarding the aesthetics of functional design, material authenticity,聽quality craftsmanship, technical precision, timeless originality and durability will feel at home in the聽world of bulthaup.聽We work together with more than 400 exclusive bulthaup partners worldwide. Every bulthaup partner聽is a specialist who is familiar with the cultural background of his market and his customer鈥檚 demands聽on design.聽Therefore, our customers can rest assured that their individual requirements are included in their own聽kitchen planning and in their bulthaup kitchen.
A: Over the past 50 years there has been a socio-behavioural switch in the function that the聽kitchen plays in the home; currently kitchens are considered as multifunctional living聽environments, within the ecosystem of the home. Do you see this trend persisting, or do you聽anticipate a reversal towards individual use of spaces?
搁厂:听Cooking, food, taste and quality have become more important for people. More and more customers聽want their kitchen to be an integral part of their living area.聽The boundary between the kitchen and the living space continues to blur.聽Consequently the role of kitchen furniture changes and has to fulfil more than just functional聽demands. This development can be seen everywhere in the world.聽For bulthaup, a kitchen is the cultural centre of a house and should not be 鈥渉idden鈥.聽If you buy a bulthaup kitchen, you not only buy the furniture for storing, preparing and cooking your聽daily meals, but also a place for living. The integration of a kitchen in an overall聽architectural concept of a house or an apartment requires a decent design of all elements.聽If the kitchen is a part of your living room, you do not want to see all appliances or daily used kitchen聽accessories all the time. However, you might also desire to display some of your聽personal belongings and this again requires intelligent and flexible solutions. The goal is not just to聽hide away your kitchen, but to make it an integral and admirable part of your interior architecture.
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Credits
1.聽Image courtesy of Bulthaup聽GmbH & Co.
