The Materials Expert

When you talk to bulthaup CEO Marc O. Eckert about kitchens, the conversation always goes far beyond the products the family business has been making for three generations. It becomes philosophical – but rather than taking a high-flown turn, it remains down-to-earth and rooted in everyday reality. It's the same story with the kitchen furnishings: their surfaces might look too beautiful to be practical – but that's exactly what they are. Because otherwise, bulthaup wouldn't even dream of using them for its kitchens: ever since the firm's collaboration with Otl Aicher, "form follows function" has been its guiding principle. In a perfect symbiosis between skilled craftsmanship and modern technology, bulthaup produces kitchens designed to serve their users, not vice versa.

bulthaup never tires of questioning the meaning of premium and is constantly readjusting its definition of what constitutes the ultimate quality standard. But the basic parameters never change: top-quality materials, perfectly crafted into timeless designs. And it develops such materials itself: like the new cashmere-like lacquer finish by the name of "Soft-touch" – proof that special lacquers plus perfect craftsmanship equals an exquisite look and feel. The surfaces are always an invitation to touch and thus be more aware of the things that surround us, to grasp them in both senses of the word. Connoisseurs can see the quality bulthaup delivers – and anybody can feel it.

The development of bulthaup's new wall-mounted shelves was all about making the soul of the kitchen visible. They invite their owners to display everyday things with pride rather than hiding them away in cabinets. From old chopping boards, pots and utensils – maybe even inherited ones – all the way to favourite cookbooks and items that are totally alien to the kitchen: there's a fitting place for everything in the adaptable bulthaup kitchen. Because it's living space – and that's exactly what it provides. RG

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Photos: bulthaup (2), Christoph Theurer (5)

bulthaup
Aich, Werkstrasse 6
DE-84155 Bodenkirchen
Tel. 0049 (0) 8741 80 0
Fax 0049 (0) 8741 80 309
info@bulthaup.com
www.bulthaup.de