Bulthaup Marbella

Bulthaup has been present in Marbella since 2004, headed by Fran Perez and Nacho Porras, who together with their experienced and enthusiastic team have been designing and installing gorgeous kitchens in beautiful homes across the region, ranging from country homes to ultramodern penthouses and architectural villas. “We will always find the style and configuration not just to fit the home but also to be a perfect match for your style, way of life, and your unique ‘attitude’”, says Nacho. “To maintain an edge, we stay abreast of trends and ahead of the curve both from a technical and a design point of view, with a very personalised approach to creating bespoke kitchens made just for you.”

An Evolving Role

If you look at how today’s kitchens have evolved from the original modern design concepts it is clear just how far they have come. However, this has not been an abstract process that developed in isolation; kitchens have moved with the times and become a reflection of the changes in our way of life. “The earliest modern designs were entirely focused upon efficiency, they were the enthusiastic product of a new technological era that produced such modern innovations as washing machines, electric stoves and ovens, as well as dishwashers, washing machines, toasters, kettles, and later also blenders and extractors,” says Bulthaup’s CEO, Marc Eckert.

“The design of those early modern kitchens focused on the integration of all those new tools but it was also a reflection of the times, in which the workspaces stood in a row facing the wall and housewives were often alone at home preparing meals for their husbands and children. Although the designs and range of appliances continued to develop, this configuration remained pretty much untouched until the 1980s, when we were among the earliest producers to start breaking the mould and designing open-plan kitchens.” Much of the concepts that flowed from this were initially inspired by professional restaurant kitchens, which are configured for optimal efficiency and communication among the team.

As a result, today’s kitchens are more open plan in nature, designed to flow into connected living and dining rooms, and are more communicative, with few worktops set against walls and the majority focused upon an island that has since become the living hub of the kitchen. Most appliances and storage spaces remain set against walls but the focal point of cooking is now the island, which faces back to the living and dining room to bring out the best in an open-plan space and facilitate communication.

The Kitchen As The Heart Of The Home

Islands often also have a double function as a bar, complete with stools. “It’s a place that emphasises the social role of the kitchen, a place where you can draw up a stool and share a glass of wine and a chat with the person who is preparing a snack or meal,” says Marc Eckert. “This is the essence of a kitchen and apart from the practical function of storing foodstuffs and preparing meals it’s the main function of the modern kitchen – to be the beating heart of the home that draws people in and creates a warm, cosy, and sociable atmosphere. In this sense we have of course gone ‘back to the future’ because the island is of course a modern version of the old-fashioned kitchen table at which people did much of the preparation for cooking while interacting with friends and family.”

As much as top brands such as Bulthaup stand for beautifully styled designs whose avant-garde pioneering role has garnered a long list of international awards, the CEO does lament the fact that for many the modern kitchen has become above all a visual showpiece meant to impress. “That is not the true role of a kitchen; modern or otherwise. In Asia people have ‘dry kitchens’ for showing off and so-called ‘wet kitchens’ where the real cooking is done. The first one is luxurious and spotless, almost never touched so just for show, and the real kitchen is often not much more than a dark room tucked away in a corner of the home. This is something we would like to avoid happening in Europe, as it is not our traditional way and takes away so much of what a kitchen can contribute to your home and way of life.”

An Approach To Life

Large villas tend to have a similar configuration of elaborately styled beautiful kitchens with breakfast and lounging areas complemented by a rather more industrially functional working kitchen adjacent to it that serves as a workspace capable of producing a professional catering output. The difference is that Bulthaup designs such state-of-the-art kitchen solutions to be functional, attractive as well as a welcoming part of the home. In other words, the main kitchen integrated into the home also fulfils the task of providing a social hub for family and friends, a space to start the day at breakfast, gather for a coffee, work from, prepare the day’s meals, and end with a snack and a glass of wine shared around the island bar.

“This is our concept of kitchens for modern living,” says Marc Eckert. “Naturally they have to feature cutting-edge technology and engineering with the finest, most convenient appliances, look amazing, and add to the aesthetics and value of your property, as well as be fully capable in terms of storage, cooking, and catering on scale if needed. However, within all of this the kitchen that will make you the happiest is an expression of your (life)style, an attitude to living. It can and should be the most creative part of a home, where beautiful meals and special moments are created. Yes, a kitchen can and should be so much more than a showpiece – it should an expression of your attitude to life – a place as unique as you!”