Celebrating the living kitchen at The Kitchen Art Studios

Bert van Vlijmen Interior and Kitchen Architecture wins expert jury award

In the enchanting setting of Slot Zeist, the annual meeting of The Kitchen Art Studios took place recently. A day that was all about inspiration and the special power of collaboration within a collective that knows how to connect the kitchen industry with lifestyle and design. The meeting offered not only a look back at the past year, but also a look forward, in which aesthetics, innovation and entrepreneurship were central. The highlight was the presentation of ‘The Kitchen Art Studios Awards.’

Nathalie Bakker Managing Director sales and marketing, kicked off with a presentation on the network's growth and ambitions. Then trend watcher Monique van der Reijden took the floor. With her characteristic flair, she translated the latest color and material trends from Milan to the kitchen industry and compiled four new trends exclusively for The Kitchen Art Studios. This vision offered attendees not only a palette of inspiration, but above all a framework for further positioning luxury dream kitchens based on high-end exclusive kitchen trends where interior architecture, technology and lifestyle merge.

Award Winner Subject Jury

The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of ‘The Kitchen Art Studios Awards 2025. Entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to submit their most beautiful projects at the beginning of the year. Consumers then chose their favorite design for the Audience Award, while a professional jury led by Monique van der Reijden judged the most innovative and convincing designs. The awards have since become a fixture within the collective, offering both entrepreneurs and designers a stage that brings their work to the attention of an even wider audience.

This year the Jury Award went to Bert van Vlijmen Interieur- en Keukenarchitectuur from Vinkel. A special achievement, because the family business, founded by Bert and Meriam van Vlijmen and now supported by son Raoul and his wife Dorien, had already won the Audience Award. This confirms the company's position as a leading player in the upper segment of the kitchen market. Dorien van Vlijmen calls the award ‘the icing on the cake. She recalls that on the way to Slot Zeist she almost decided to turn back because of the traffic on the road. ’Fortunately, we didn't. The success takes on added significance for the family because the winning projects were designed by two generations: the Audience Award by father Bert, the Professional Jury Award by son Raoul. A lighthearted point of contention within the family, but above all proof that craftsmanship and creativity are deeply rooted in their company.

Additional visibility

Winning the Audience Award two years back also provided the company with additional visibility. But more importantly, it confirmed the power of collaboration within The Kitchen Art Studios. “It really feels like we are colleagues,” says Dorien. “The Kitchen Art Studios thinks along, supports and creates an environment in which we are stronger as entrepreneurs. Especially in the area of marketing.” It is exactly this dynamic that makes the collective attractive to entrepreneurs who want to stand out in a competitive market. In addition to exposure through television and marketing campaigns, The Kitchen Art Studios also offers its members access to trend research, inspiring publications, purchasing advantages and a platform where knowledge exchange is a matter of course.

More than a network...

The meeting at Slot Zeist made it clear once again that The Kitchen Art Studios is more than a network. It is a collective that establishes the living kitchen as a design statement, strengthening entrepreneurs and inspiring consumers. That the future remains promising is convincingly evident in the words of Dorien van Vlijmen: “We have some wonderful projects ready to go and are looking forward to working on them.
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What began as an inspiring day at Slot Zeist culminated in a clear statement: the future of the kitchen industry is shaped by the combination of vision, collaboration and passion. Exactly these core values form the foundation of The Kitchen Art Studios.