The Takeout Kitchen

Germany-based Bulthaup, whose design work is built on the Bauhaus tradition, has been selling high-quality modular European kitchen equipment since the 1950s. Historically, this was necessary because many European kitchens don’t come with cabinets, shelves or even sinks. Pieces had to be bought separately and could be relocated along with the owner.

As the idea of the encompassing kitchen and family room in one large room started to become popular in the 1980s, Bulthaup in 1985 introduced a kitchen workbench that was an ergonomic turning point for the company since it contained cook tops, sinks and food preparation areas in one unit for indoor or outdoor use.

Ratcheting mobility up one step further, two years ago Bulthaup introduced System 20, which Bulthaup vice president and design director Christopher Tosdevin calls “kitchen Legos.”

Geared toward a younger generation that moves from city to city and house to house with each new job, System 20 offers more than 30 possible design combinations, depending on the owners’ needs, their willingness to be open to new ideas and, since a small customized kitchen can start at $20,000, the size of their bank accounts.

In an illustrated book on the equipment, Bulthaup modules are found under staircases, near swimming pools and in the middle of rooms, perhaps leading to a new guessing game, “Who moved the sink?”

“We’re seeing a need for reduced design and more functional, intelligent pieces that have no decoration for decoration’s sake,” says Tosdevin. For Bulthaup owners, this flexible system allows individual pieces to be moved outdoors, when weather permits, from the indoor kitchen. All the modules are made of anodized aluminum so they won’t rust, and some are on castors for easy mobility, such as a food preparation unit that can be customized with four shelves or with added stainless-steel drawers. Bulthaup’s System 20 is definitely not your ordinary outdoor barbecue. In Los Angeles, Bulthaup has a showroom at 1435 S. Robertson Blvd., (310) 288-3875. Or visit the Web site at www.bulth aup.com.

Stacking Your Deck With Handsome Furniture

Outdoor furniture should make life outside easier, with no added frills or fuss. It also has to be comfortable, functional and good-looking. As a bonus, it would be nice if it could also work indoors.

London-born William Emmerson of Emmerson Troop Inc., who’s lived in Los Angeles for nearly 10 years, designs pieces that fit those criteria. His 3-month-old outdoor furniture line, made from industrial-grade aluminum and steel, could work in either area, but its strength makes it especially good outdoors.

“I looked at the outdoor furniture that was available, and it all seemed flimsy, cheap-looking, throwaway stuff,” says Emmerson. “I felt there was a need for something that had the air of quality about it.”

Emmerson, whose main influence is architect Mies van der Rohe, master of the Bauhaus “less is more” philosophy, worked for almost two years to get exactly what he wanted.

“I begin with an idea, and then I keep paring it down until it has the presence of absence,” he says. Emmerson tries to attain a seamless whole with no distracting elements for the eye to focus on. And although the pieces seem simple, it’s deceptive simplicity, since his sleek chaise longue alone has 120 parts to it, all welded together and handcrafted by one man. Upholstered in brightly colored weather-resistant Sunbrella, the furniture is as eye-catching as a Mondrian painting.

Emmerson is now working on additions to this line: an ottoman for the chair, and a bench. “It’s not easy creating a new product,” he says, “especially since I’m such a stickler for detail, but I think there is a demand for quality furniture both inside and out.”

Pieces range from $475 to $2,200 at Emmerson Troop Inc., 8111 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 653-9763 or www.em mersontroop.com.