by Jan Rutgers
While strong color was everywhere within the KBIS 2023 displays, there was one that caught my eye that had softer side.
It was the first display you saw when entering the Monogram Appliance booth.
It had both a softer color scheme and soft curves throughout.
It was dubbed “The Bakery & Bar” and was inspired by elements from the European countryside.
The designer of the space wanted it to have a Parisian Patisserie vibe and kept it light and whimsical.
The theme was a bakery and bar but it is a look that could easily work in a contemporary kitchen.
Let’s look at the details.
This display was set up as a standard backwall with island layout.
The overall feel of the space is what I call “soft geometry”. (A term coined by the British Kitchen Designer Jonny Grey)
The curve of the island and the curve of the backsplash provide the soft geometry in the space.
The island curve was produced using tambor material, which was a trend seen on the show floor of KBIS 2023.
Tambor was also used as the cabinet door material on the back wall cabinets.
The focal point of the space was the pastel colored wallpaper in the backsplash.
I’m sure it set the tone for the color scheme of the room: pink, blue, cream and a touch of yellow/gold.
To provide the “bakery” aesthetic in the space, a set of base cabinets with glass doors were installed in the center back of the island.
To showcase a variety of bread loaves, the shelves were made of glass and lit front and back with LED light strips.
This would be a great idea for a base display cabinet to highlight a collection of dishes or glassware.
The island was given a bit of a luxe look with the additional of a shiny brass kick plate.
An easy way to add a bit of glam to any kitchen design!
There were some great details on the back wall of this display.
As mentioned, the cabinetry doors were fluted.
To make the hardware work on a door like this, they were installed on the top of the door to avoid the grooves in the doors. (A good tip when specifying hardware on a door like this.)
Note that the cream colored fluting wrapped around the side wall for continuity in the design. I loved the wall scones on that wall with the circular globes.
A great alternative to overhead can lights.
To stay with the soft geometry theme, the sink on the back wall is a round one. A subtle detail that works.
The faucet, hardware and floating shelf metal are all in gold tone that plays off the yellow/gold tone in the wall paper.
Another great detail is the lighting at the top of the wall at ceiling height. It provides a nice glow that would look great with the rest of the lights dimmed.
The shelving unit on the back wall represents the “Bar” part of The Bakery & Bar display.
The gold tone of the metal was the perfect choice and the thick plexy glass shelves are a great for this application.
While glass is the conventional choice for shelves, plexy glass is more durable and quieter.
Placing glass bottles on glass shelves can be very noisy and the plexy glass will avoid that.
The last detail worth noting in this display is the flush mounted cooktop.
We have seen a lot of oven units flush mounted into cabinetry and this example has the cooktop flush mounted into the countertop.
This provides a great smooth finish across the island surface.
Watch for this detail by other appliance manufacturers.
To complete the display, a cozy seating area was placed across from the island.
I love a small seating area in the kitchen. It is a great addition to any kitchen space.
In this display the color of the chairs was pulled from the wall paper and orange was used as an accent instead of the pink.
As we see more and more color introduced into kitchen design, the kitchen designer will need to spend time studying up on color theory!
The fluted walls behind the seating area ties the whole room together.
And the arched door opening was a nice touch.
One last thing of note is the chevron floor pattern. A great way to add texture and detail to a design.
As with many of the displays at KBIS 2023 this one was full of inspiration.
I can see integrating ideas from “The Bakery & Bar” display in future design projects.
Let me know your thoughts about this display. You can leave a comment below.
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Jan Rutgers has been designing for over 25 years. Developing functional layouts for every area of the home is her passion. She has designed more than 1000 kitchens in her career, learning valuable skills with each one! Her experience in Kitchen Design, Millwork Manufacturing and Product Development has led her to create VESTABUL SCHOOL OF DESIGN where she educates and mentors people passionate about the Kitchen Design Industry.
