Chocolate-box Alpine countryside and a rustic country house architecture are the key elements shaping the view of Zell am See in Austria. The Bren family's house lies on the Schmittenhöhe, Zell am See's nearest mountain.

A giant glass façade offers a stunning view of the peaks and the lake, "and if the weather is bad, the scenery in front of the picture window is incredible - it's fascinating, it's alive,” says Mr. Bren. Inside, the Bren family has opted for a clear, modern use of form with few items of furniture. "We want to draw in the viewer's gaze,” explains Mr. Bren. "This is best done with a language of design that will still be understood in 30 years' time. Purist shapes put the person first!”

The reduction to the essentials extends into the kitchen too - and the Brens found their ideal solution with bulthaup. bulthaup b3 in kaolin laminate, combined with bamboo panels and a worktop made from fine stone. Details such as functional boxes, wing lights or the spice shelf round off this wall-hanging kitchen.

Bren is he head of a family of hoteliers which, after building the 5-star "Kinderhotel Hagleitner”, is now working on the design hotel "MAVIDA” (www.designhotels.com), which is due to open at the end of the year. He is also a passionate amateur chef. He was immediately inspired by the idea of a free-standing cooking island: All appliances in reach and a stunning view over the lake.

Because the kitchen also serves as a hub of communication in the Brens' house, somewhere "where we talk to each other and have fun", it was very important to them for the room not to be regarded as a separate area, but instead one that simply flowed into the living room. The wall panels from bulthaup b3 remove the separation between cooking and living, and bind the two together visually. The kitchen as a design element in the large room.

In summary:

bulthaup b3

Wall-hanging, foot-supported cooking island, floor-standing appliance block

Front: Kaolin, laminate

Panels: Bamboo

Worktop: Stainless steel

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