NOODLES AUTHENTIC FURNITURE

NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP:

Madness, Craftsmanship and Love April 30, 2020 | by Susanne Maerzke

If the name "Noodles" brings to mind for you images of good eats and good times, rather than bigscreen mob bosses straight out of the 1920s, you aren't all that far off the mark. NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP. is a Berlin-based manufacturer of high-quality and modular steel shelves, tables and counters which can be combined with kitchen furniture to create authentic industrial-style kitchens. Their road to kitchen furniture fame has been anything but a straight shot.

NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP: More Spaghetti than Western For some, the name NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP. sounds like it could be a trendy new pasta brand; to others, it seems like a verbose and dizzying bowl of alphabet soup. The suffix "Corp.", unusual in Germany where the more well-behaved and legally significant GmbH (akin to "LLC") reigns supreme, suggests a playful yet intentional wink at popular depictions of American big city mobsters of years past. None of this is actually the case of course. But, looking at the company's history, one can't help but see how these kneejerk associations do contain a nugget of truth.

The three founders of NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP. — Wolfgang Ahlers Christian Geyr and André Reitemeyer, — were in fact inspired to start their venture by Sergio Leone's Italian-American gangster film Once Upon a Time in America, straightaway adopting the main protagonist's name, "Noodles", as the title of the soon-to-be company.

The 1984 classic, set amidst the iconic brick and steel look of 1920s New York, has also lent its aesthetics to the German manufacturer's furniture: cabinets, sideboards, shelving units, stools, tables and kitchen elements, all made of characteristic natural steel, and the occasional piece of refurbished wood. The trio's handmade furniture, sold under the names "Authentic Furniture" and "Noodles Authentic Kitchen Furniture", is none the worse for wear because of the gangster image — quite the opposite.

Stereotypically American? NOODLES steel modules are in fact inspired by the look of 1920s New York City, with its iconic steel buildings. This retro feel has been given a fresh makeover and reimagined for modern kitchen spaces. (Photo: Noodles Corp.)

Industrial style: too much of a good thing?

Okay, okay the well-disposed readers among you are probably rolling your eyes at this point.

Steel, glass, stone and wood — the standard hallmarks of industrial style — are all materials which have been in high demand in interior design and kitchen planning for years.

And for some, it's a look that's been beaten to death. You'd be hard pressed to find an interior design trend which has garnered more love and more hate in equal measure in recent years than industrial style.

The look's powerful blend of raw, industrial materials in heavy arrangements and strikingly dark colors is both bold and popular. When combined with warm oak and nutwood, soft textiles and a touch of greenery, industrial style is a look which is unanimously admired in both public and private spaces. But alas, now that the big names in the (kitchen) industry have arrived on the scene, with their concrete look-alikes and steel replicas made for the average consumer, the nuts-and-bolts appeal of industrial style has lost a bit of its forbidden charisma.

NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP. has done well to set itself apart with its unconventional and attention-grabbing brand name and a company history which has been "on the steel bandwagon" before it ever crossed the pond and arrived in Europe. Company founders André and Christian say they were already rummaging through vacant factory buildings more than 30 years ago in search of rusting steel in the form of abandoned benches, cabinets and lights to put together a design style all their own. At a time when turning garbage into gold still took guts.

Vacant industrial buildings full of steel chairs, benches and pendant lights were the inspiration for the look and feel of NOODLES CORP. furniture, say the company's three founders. You can still see and feel a bit of that authentic industrial grime on some of their rockabilly pieces — thank goodness.

(Photo: Noodles Corp.)

From shopfitting to soughtafter designer furniture: the NOODLES CORP. story NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP. began as a creative agency and shopfitting operation set on picking up in-store clothing and product displays by their bootstraps with the urban charm of characteristic steel furniture. Soon, the unique look of steel, glass and mesh architecture was transformed into handmade furniture made of hot-rolled steel, lining the walls and floors of showrooms and set amidst music, art and presentations at trade shows. The steel shelving unit had become a design object.

Not long after, the NOODLES founders launched the "Authentic Furniture" brand, turning their flagship store in Berlin into a local hotspot for art and cultural events in the annual lead-up to "BREAD & BUTTER", a Berlin-Barcelona based tradeshow for the fashion

industry and retail business which became legend. The simple, authentic steel furniture that was the start of it all was declared a collector's item.

NOODLES' marketing language might come across as a bit worn out, with all-too-familiar phrases like "authentic image" and "industrial style", but what sets the company apart is that it lives and breathes its claims with every step it takes and with every snippet of text written about the three founders in the far reaches of the Internet. A prominent example of this is the company's own blog, "The Noodles Blog", which adopts a typical New York news-style font.

The blog's content is deliberately written in a simple and conversational tone which does away with unnecessary formalities. Everything is relaxed, laid-back and designed to be personal. This approach is carried through with such consistency that it gives the reader the impression that each and every piece of steel furniture is still personally put together by hand — hours of manual work — by the company's three founders. The blog presents itself as a backdrop of real life and genuine handicraft.

As a company that made its start as a creative agency in shopfitting and trade show design, their Authentic Kitchen studio in Berlin is, understandably, furnished and decorated with the utmost taste.

(Photo: Noodles Corp.)

NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP. kitchens: freely combinable steel modules The idea to design and brand their much-sought-after steel furniture for kitchen use came as a relatively recent flash of inspiration for the three NOODLES founders, and thanks to a simple customer request: to use their furniture to plan a new kitchen. It became immediately clear that the furniture's modularity allowed for a wide variety of arrangements and that, when combined with kitchen furniture and appliances, it gave way to a highly desirable, industrial style kitchen space.

The idea for "Authentic Kitchen Furniture" was born. To this day, the brand offers no predefined arrangements, preferring to allow authenticity and individuality to lead the way in the design and decision-making process. The PX2 and PX3 sideboards, with their distinctive dark steel scale, served as the original template for the kitchen range. Today, the sink and kitchen counter models are available in a matt seal, a pure white semi-matt enamel, and other RAL colors — all according to the customer's taste. Each and every kitchen adorned with the brand's front panels made of hot-rolled steel is made part of a succinct story that tastes of hard work and true craftsmanship and which transforms the utilitarian kitchen into a living space with character bound to serve as the private workshop of many a cook.

The modular steel pieces can be combined in any number of ways to create "Authentic Kitchen Furniture". In addition to the classic black look, the modules are also available in "Pure White" and any RAL (for US: Pantone) color. (Photo: Noodles Corp.)

Dedicated selection, distinctive style, authentic look: The polarizing effect of Authentic Kitchen Furniture The kitchen modules collection is limited to a pleasantly manageable number of products.

The small selection will prove more than enough for some consumers, but will force others to look elsewhere. The effect is polarizing, but it also serves to draw clear lines in the kitchen market. The Authentic Kitchen Furniture collection includes a sink unit and kitchen counters in a variety of widths and arrangements. The steel surfaces are incredibly fine and are available in the brand's signature black look ("Authentic Steel"), white ("Pure White") or a RAL (in US: Pantone) color of your choice, including a vibrant red and an industrial machine green.

The countertop is available in an oil-treated solid wood, dark slate, or brushed Carrara marble. The surprising selection of rather un-cozy materials forces customers to treat their kitchens according to how they want them to look ten or twenty years down the road. Stains, grooves and scratches are going to leave their mark quickly, but this also adds to the authentic image of the personal kitchen workshop.

A lower-maintenance option is also available: a light pretreated natural stone which manages to capture the character of the steel while at the same time lending the kitchen a cozy and warm atmosphere.

The furniture's modularity provides plenty of interior design freedom, but isn't everyone's cup of tea.

But that's okay. While Noodles Authentic Kitchen Furniture may have a polarizing effect, it embodies the oft-cited "industrial style" better than almost another other manufacturer. (Photo: Noodles Corp.)

What makes Noodles Authentic Kitchen Furniture special: modularity, durability and sustainability What makes Noodles authentic kitchens special is not just their traditional steel look, but also their modular and sustainable designs. Those who opt for Noodles Kitchen Furniture start by choosing from and combining multiple freely-arrangeable modules which, as long as they hold up against the wear and tear of everyday use, can be moved and rearranged as many times as desired. These unorthodox, yet highly individual kitchens lovingly combine the extreme durability of steel with other materials which are guaranteed to show their age as the years go by: tanned leather, soft wood, scuffed glass and fibrous cotton are all bound to reveal just how often and how much their owners enjoy using them. A kitchen style which bears the mark of your own personal footprint.

In the right target segment, the marked authenticity of NOODLES furniture is matched, if not surpassed, by the company's penchant for sustainability, a point which the three founders do well to emphasize. In addition to ensuring the durability of the materials they use, the company also makes ecological considerations about where and how the materials are sourced and processed. The furniture's primary material, steel, features a clear powered coating and is paired with pine wood sourced from sustainably managed forests. The wood surfaces themselves are thoroughly brushed and treated with a natural oil which lends them a structured vintage look. Even partnerships with other kitchen suppliers are subject to the same standards of tradition and sustainability.

The deliberate vintage look demands more attention to each individual surface than mass-produced products. Woods and steels are therefore selected and worked with sustainability in mind. (Photo: Noodles Corp.)

NOODLES CORP. partners: SMEG, Villeroy & Boch, Nivito, Leogant The European kitchen market is dominated by big-name manufacturers. NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP.' decision to partner with well-known and respected traditional brands from Germany, Italy and Sweden is a clever move that helps them set themselves apart in the heavily contested industry. Among these are French-German porcelain manufacturer Villeroy & Boch, whose scratch- and impact-resistant ceramic sinks are an absolute stately fit for the inevitably rustic and vintage look of Noodles Kitchen Furniture.

NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP: and Italian manufacturer SMEG, by now extremely well-known for its cult retro appliances, are so intertwined that SMEG shop floors are now prominently adorned with NOODLES furniture as well. And for good reason: SMEG's brilliant stainless steel range cooker, small pastel appliances and famous, colorful fridges go amazingly well with NOODLE's steel forged kitchen, piling on extra retro buzz and a bold dash of color.

But NOODLES also knows how to be soft where it counts. The sustainably produced fittings by Swedish manufacturer Nivito have made a home for themselves among Noodles Kitchen Furniture precisely because their distinct aesthetic creates an almost capricious contrast to the rustic kitchen design.

The charming vintage look of the premium Italian appliances from SMEG fits amazingly well with Authentic Kitchen's rustic steel pieces. (Photo: Noodles Corp.)

Conclusion: Wild but unmistakable NOODLES NOODLES & NOODLES CORP. is anything but the smooth, characterless contours created in the name of purism that pass for industrial style in today's kitchen

industry. These are products which have been created with passion, inspired creativity, a dash of madness and plenty of love for craftsmanship and getting the details right. Scrap metal turned gold — the highly personal gold of the 20s of today.

Authentic, sophisticated, rockabilly: If you want a kitchen space that exudes personality, handmade furniture like the pieces from NOODLES' Authentic Kitchen line are the way to go. (Photo: Noodles Corp.)