If you were at KBIS this year and happened by the BauTeam – “German Kitchen Tailors” – booth, you may have been treated to a guided tour of the “party pantry” in the company’s SM45 kitchen. 

The entire kitchen, designed by the company’s LA-based Brand Ambassador and head designer Natasha Shtapauk and inspired by the erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Gray,” was sleek and slightly kinky, with plenty of gloss, integrated lighting, an enclosed bar with custom metal martini glasses (BauTeam makes its own kitchen accessories, right down to the spice containers) and, of course, dominated by grays and blacks.

The martini bar is hidden behind full-height pocket doors of black-and-white marble veneers over aluminum honeycomb. Behind another push-to-open full-height door in black walnut is was what Shtapauk called the “party pantry” – a dark, plush-walled room with a disco ball, of sexy dancers, one female, one male. 

“We did a version of this in Germany that was racier, but we know that America is a little more conservative about these things,” Shtapauk told me. Playing it safe is somewhat of a theme in North America, she says, one she’s trying to change.

“A lot of designers shy away from innovating, from trying new things, they just go with the trends. So for example right now a trend is white oak, so it doesn’t matter how many cool finishes we have, how many things we can offer people, still they’re even afraid to use something different something innovative; they just try to stick to white oak because everybody already likes it.
“It’s white oak now, before it was white Shaker – every designer was asking for white Shaker, or maybe light gray if they were really trying to be trendy. We had several other finishes and colors that were very cool, very innovative, and even more affordable, but people are afraid to think out of the box. 

“Knowing design is one thing. Being able to sell it is a completely different thing.” 

Increased functionality as a design trend
Design in kitchens, of course, goes beyond just finishes and colors. Functionality and accessibility are also constantly improving. At KBIS, Shtapauk says, BauTeam’s pocket door system received a lot of attention. On the less kinky side of their KBIS booth she demonstrated full-height double-pocket doors concealing the sink, stove and cooktop behind a gray wall of four panels carrying an anti-fingerprint finish. 

With a slight push where each door hinges, they smoothly release and are guided into the pockets on either side of the now exposed kitchen work area. Even more impressive: By gently pushing the door into the pocket, it glides out and moves back into a fully closed position with just the slightest nudge. 

“We think this will be an important trend, because some houses we do have a ‘show’ kitchen that’s more of a presentation, more like furniture, and a second kitchen in the back where the real work happens,” Natasha said. “Of course, not everyone can do this, so having a door system like we showed at KBIS allows them to conceal the appliances, and even the clutter, of a working kitchen. You can have a beautiful furniture look without compromising the functionality of the kitchen.”

A quick note here: In Germany, they don’t use the term “kitchen cabinets.” It’s all “kitchen furniture.” 

Shtapauk emphasizes that this level of functionality has only recently been possible thanks to advances in hardware. Earlier versions of this idea could not accommodate 8-foot door panels, required a track on the bottom like you see in closets, and didn’t operate nearly as smoothly. 

“In this system, which is from Blum, they eliminated the need for the bottom track. It only holds the weight from the top,” she said. “During the KBIS show, we probably opened it 2,000 or 3,000 times, everybody had to try it for themselves, and it was working just as smoothly at the end of the last day. So, we feel very comfortable offering it to the customers.” 

Panels used on this system were not honeycomb aluminum like on the 50 Shades kitchen. They’re composite wood-based thermally fused laminate (TFL), with an acrylic laminate on the front to mimic glass, so the hardware system was carrying its weight, and then some. 

Crafted in Germany, with America in mind
Most BauTeam kitchens are made in Germany in one of two main factories. There’s another factory for custom kitchens, one for kitchen accessories, and one for closets. They’re a bit secretive about their technology and tooling. Shtapauk says if you were to tour any of these facilities you would see each of the machines labeled with the year it was installed and its cost. No brands are visible. “We want visitors to know that you can’t get this level of quality with tools you can buy at Home Depot.” 

During the pandemic, to keep the company’s billion dollars’ worth of technology busy, BauTeam launched its Super American line, BauBasic modular kitchens, built to Imperial dimensions, that start at under $5,000. Natasha says it’s been successful for the company because they bring superior design elements into every kitchen budget. 

Finishes unlimited, global design leadership
BauTeam’s cabinets make use of many different types of materials, and is focused heavily on textured TFL and high-pressure laminates (HPL) in wood and concrete looks, as well as anti-fingerprint solids, Alpi engineered veneers, heavily textured and sculpted vertical surfaces, real glass, acrylic, lacquers and, of course, wood. Porcelain and ceramic surfaces also fall within the company’s expertise, as does stone over aluminum honeycomb. 

On the TFL side, Shtapauk calls out suppliers Cleaf – the Italian innovator of incredible textures and colors – and Egger Wood Products. 

“Normally German kitchens aren’t known for their design. They’re known more for their engineering and functionality. We’re trying to bring two worlds together, the best of Germany with world-class design,” Shtapauk added. “And given the awards we’re winning, I think we’re on the right track!” 

Taking designers to the source
“Kids in a candy store” might be the best way to describe it. Glynn Cornwell, product manager for major West Coast distributor E.B. Bradley, had just given his spec sales team and their invited design specifiers a detailed agenda for walking the EuroCucina (kitchens) halls of the mind-blowing Salone del Mobile furniture fair in Milan. 

As he turned to lead his entourage, five of the seven immediately headed out in different directions, drawn by the color, energy and elaborately designed exhibition stands. “Well, that plan lasted almost a whole five seconds,” Glynn said. 

The Bradley team went to Italy to see Salone and to visit an important supplier: CLEAF, the maker of game-changing laminated composite wood panels in the thermally fused laminate family, headquartered on the outskirts of Milan. 

CLEAF redefined the TFL category by investing in bold, beautiful textures and combining them with the color and style the market expects from Italian suppliers. Their premium materials were found throughout EuroCucina, often on high-end design-forward kitchen brands. It’s an important line for E.B. Bradley, and of great interest to two of the company’s specification clients: Genevieve Theriault, AIA, Principal and Director of Interior Design at Johnston Architects in Seattle, and Elaine Abram, Interior Designer with IMT Residential, a nationwide, multi-family residential investment and property management firm in Sherman Oaks, California. 

“We think it’s important for our customers to see not only where some of our top lines come from, but also the environment that inspires them,” Glynn says. “TFL is a material that is still misunderstood by many.” 

Editor’s Note: If you like to expand your design horizons, check out the SICAM exhibit in Pordenone, Italy, October 15-18. Contact me directly for more info: [email protected].