Wabi-sabi is sometimes described as the 'Zen of things.' The beauty of things modest and humble, the beauty of things impermanent, unconventional and incomplete, according to Leonard Koren, the design critic who wrote the seminal 1994 book, Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers.
Such an elusive concept might seem an unlikely touchstone for a range of German kitchens, but in fact the connection with Bulthaup’s new 2016 'b1', 'b3' and 'b+' systems is fairly straightforward. Wabi-sabi has its roots in the precise aesthetics and philosophy of the Japanese tea ceremony. Much of wabi-sabi is expressed in the objects we use to feed ourselves.
Kakuzō Okakura’s classic essay, The Book of Tea (1906), was probably the first explanation of wabi-sabi targeted at a non-Japanese audience. He wrote: 'Great as has been the influence of the tea-masters in the field of art, it is as nothing compared to that which they have exerted on the conduct of life. Many of our delicate dishes, as well as our way of serving food, are their inventions. They have given emphasis to our natural love of simplicity.'
Bulthaup’s approach is to design systems that allow the user to determine the play of light and the shifting volumes in their kitchens. 'The view of the beholder determines everything,' said Stefen Bauer, Bulthaup’s projects manager of products, during this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan.
The Bavarian company, founded in 1949, creates kitchen systems of pure simplicity that demand the interaction and the perspective of the user, and in so doing, the addition of the personal and the soulful.
The 'b3' kitchen system is based around a multifunctional wall that is hung with sliding panels. Some panels are protective, in deceptively light stone and glass, while others are exquisitely functional systems for the storage of knives, pots and spices. All offer a subdued utility – sliding into place pulled by small, tactile leather tabs. The multifunctional wall hides the services and holds the cabinets, so that they appear as if they are floating.
The flexibility of the 'b3' system allows for the combining of multiple materials and colours. Stainless steel, laminate, solid wood, aluminium and lacquer meet 1cm-thick worktops in synthetic stone and granite. The front finishes are in bronze or grey aluminium or a lacquered finish in colours from across the spectrum. The flexibility is part of the unfinished element, the wabi-sabi lightness of touch that is driven by the multiple, changing needs of the modern kitchen user. Every time a wall panel slides out, a new perspective appears.
For the 'b1' system, your viewpoint changes, the focus moving down from the wall panel to a spare kitchen island-workbench. Eschewing the superfluous, the 'b1' island is a few simple building blocks – a sink, sliding worktops, sliding food-prep blocks and a cooker. Under the sliding sections are inserts and storage areas – even a lockable box – meaning you don’t step away and stoop to access what you need.
The 'b+' system, meanwhile, focuses on a range of freestanding elements called 'solitaires'. Built on a simple matte-black aluminium frame, the tables, storage units, butcher’s blocks and cooking tables deliberately blur the distinction between living room and kitchen. You put them where you want and you use them however you need to. Flexibility and multiple configurations give the user the power to shape the whole range to their needs, but whatever the accent, the language remains one of overwhelming simplicity. If Edmund de Waal made kitchens, this is how they might look.
Bulthaup creates beauty through simplicity: the essence of wabi-sabi. Okakura encapsulated it best in 1906: 'Meanwhile, let us have a sip of tea. The afternoon glow is brightening the bamboos, the fountains are bubbling with delight, the soughing of the pines is heard in our kettle. Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.'
As originally featured in the July 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*208)
'b3': this system features sliding panels that can be used to conceal storage or appliances, to act as protective surfaces and to create different perspectives. The panels, pictured here, can be fitted with a rail for storing utensils, a knife board, spices, pans and so on
'b3': an integrated stainless steel sink, with a subtle lip to define its edges, makes for a seamless countertop. Cupboard doors in structured oak add texture, while the sliding panel, ready to pull across as a splashback or divider, is in a tactile, soft-touch paint with a leather tab
'b1': this kitchen island comprises worktops mounted on a metal frame, and can be fitted with a sink, preparation areas and a hob, as desired. The preparation surfaces slide aside to reveal space beneath, which may be fitted with inserts and lockable storage boxes, as pictured
'b1': The island with sliding work surfaces, pictured in oak and quartzite natural stone. The unit doors are in a matte-white lacquer
INFORMATION
For more information visit Bulthaup's website
Photography: Filippo Piantanida. Interiors: Maria Sobrino
-
A brutalist garden revived: the case of the Mountbatten House grounds by Studio Knight StokoeTour a brutalist garden redesign by Studio Knight Stokoe at Mountbatten House, a revived classic in Basingstoke, UK
-
Wallpaper* checks in at the refreshed W Hollywood: ‘more polish and less party’The W Hollywood introduces a top-to-bottom reimagining by the Rockwell Group, capturing the genuine warmth and spirit of Southern California
-
Book a table at Row on 5 in London for the dinner party of dreamsRow on 5, located on the storied Savile Row, emerges as a perfectly tailored fit for fans of fine dining
-
MDF Italia and Jacob Cohën rethink the ‘Neil’ seat in denimMDF Italia has collaborated with Jacob Cohën on a new denim edition of the ‘Neil’ chair, making its debut at Salone del Mobile 2022
-
These extraordinary materials make kitchens and bathrooms blissfulFrom tactile Volcanic Limestone bathtubs to fine fireclay sinks and exquisite brass taps and fixtures, matchless materials define House of Rohl and its collection of luxury brands
-
Possi’s modular kitchens work in every spaceDanish brand Possi makes its debut with modular kitchens that bypass the limitations of traditional kitchen design
-
Hot stuff: Ghetto Gastro’s kitchen appliances for CruxBronx-based culinary collective Ghetto Gastro has created a collection of kitchen appliances for New York kitchenware brand Crux, featuring air fryers, a grill, a toaster, and waffle and coffee makers in two colourways
-
Dressing rooms with a difference at Milan’s Teatro degli ArcimboldiHere’s your backstage pass to Teatro degli Arcimboldi. Wallpaper* talks to Milanese architect Giulia Pellegrino, who curated ‘Vietato L’Ingresso’, a project inviting 17 local practices to redesign dressing rooms in the legendary theatre
-
India Mahdavi monograph reveals a life in full colourAn ode to the power of colour, India Mahdavi’s first monograph shines the spotlight on the designer’s trendsetting interiors and signature pieces
-
Milanese apartment installation plays with colour and reflectionJosephine Akvama Hoffmeyer and Elisa Ossino present I'll Be Your Mirror, an immersive installation staged throughout a Milanese apartment, featuring contemporary frescoes, classic Scandinavian furniture and mirrored surfaces
-
Reform and Jean Nouvel unveil luminous kitchen designReform has collaborated with architect Jean Nouvel on a playful and practical new kitchen, with steel surfaces that catch the light
