Where Beautiful Interiors Begin

When you hear the name Bakes & Kropp you think luxury, high-end custom cabinetry, designers of some of the most exquisite homes here in the Hamptons. Bakes & Kropp is a very well known name for custom designed beautiful kitchens, bathrooms, libraries, media rooms and the list goes on.

HRES sat down with Mr. Robert Bakes, one of the founding partners to find out what makes this company a leader in its field in the Hamptons.

HRES: Robert, I really love your accent…you’re definitely not from New York or from the US. Where did you grow up and what brought you to the Hamptons?
Robert Bakes: I grew up in the UK, had a kitchen design business in central London until I met my partner and decided to move to the USA, where she lived and where we now have a home and business.

HRES: When was Bakes & Kropp founded? And why in the Hamptons?
RB: Bakes & Kropp was formed formally 3 years ago, the relationship between the partners extends back further. We started as a buyer and seller, Robert Bakes-the buyer, Paul Kropp-the seller, and it soon became clear there was a synergy about the relationship, and out of that Bakes & Kropp was formed. My locale had always been the Hamptons, and whilst we continue to be the primary go-to company for luxury high end cabinetry, we now have showrooms in NYC and the North Shore of Long Island, as well as Michigan, near where the BK factory is located.

HRES: What are the most requested styles in Hamptons custom cabinetry?
RB: The classic white kitchen now with a twist. That could be a more modern slant or perhaps one of the new signature finishes.

HRES: What do you see as the next big trend in custom home design…especially here in the Hamptons?
RB: We see a trend toward a more transitional streamlined look.

HRES: What has been the most interesting project designed by Bakes & Kropp?
RB: Tough question, for the most part they are all very interesting and challenging. Perhaps a fishing outpost we recently completed in Boca Grande in Florida that started as just a kitchen and rapidly spread through the whole house, or a 2-story 7,000 square-foot modified townhouse in NYC for one of the most prominent developers in the city.

HRES: Bakes & Kropp now has 4 showrooms. New York City, The Hamptons, Michigan and your newest location in Cold Spring Harbor, any plans to open more?
RB: Not this year, it’s a challenge to open a showroom, possibly 2018, and we may head south!

HRES: Do you see a lot of remodels? And are they harder to work on then new construction?
RB: Our work is spread over new construction equally to remodels, and both have their challenges, remodels perhaps are a little more demanding.

HRES: Where do you find inspiration? How do you stay up-to-date with current trends, technology, and codes?
RB: I like to think we have an element of ‘trendsetting‘ within how we work and create. The technology is always changing (and sometimes I think it can get ‘fussy’) so we are very careful when we consider a new system or approach.

HRES: What does a successful project mean to you?
RB: Our referral base is stronger than it’s ever been, in part due to the quality of the product and the skills of the designers, but also in part to the BK experience, where the journey through the process from design concept to completion is every bit as good as the quality of the product itself.