Dekton covers all surfaces of a designer bakery in Kuala Lumpur

“Malaysian bakeries usually focus on viennoiserie pastries, but we offer all kinds of cakes and breads,” explains chef Ken Lim in an interview with Tatler magazine. “From the beginning, we wanted to cover a wide range, from European and French breads to petit gâteau and even goûter,” he continues. These statements clearly reflect Lim's drive for excellence and his taste for fine and delicate work, as he runs one of the most renowned bakeries in Kuala Lumpur. So much so that he owns two branches of Croisserie Artisan Bakery in the city, both of which are critically and publicly acclaimed.

The newest of them opened this year and reflects the careful design of Studio Cocokacang, which has created an elegant and modern space that visually combines the bakery and café. Moreover, it also features a training studio with a library specialising in the art of pastry. It is open to the public and hosts sessions with local and international chefs, functioning as a collaborative and educational centre.

In the bakery, a high-demand professional space, reliable materials were needed. For this reason, Lim has chosen to continue using Dekton for the worktop, a surface he has trusted throughout his career. So much so that he has also used it for the display case, the custom dining table, the meeting table, the checkout area, the island with sink in the training studio, the shelves...

“For me, beyond its extreme durability, which meets the demands of a high-use kitchen, Dekton's timeless design was also one of the main reasons I chose it for my new premises,” says Lim.

Specifically, he opted for Dekton Nebbia, a creamy white base colour with fine grain speckled with warm taupe tones. It reinterprets the texture of Grigio Alpi, a variety with macrofossils of Vicenza Stone that has been quarried in Italy since Roman times.

“It integrates perfectly with both the existing space and the new materials selected. To create a fluid and coherent design throughout the entire premises, from the ground floor to the first floor - covering a total of four units - we applied Nebbia in various areas: the open kitchen, the long counter, the library, the customer dining area, the training studio, and many other spaces,” explains the chef.

Lim's positive discourse regarding Dekton also convinced the design studio, which visited the Cosentino showroom in Kota Damansara during the Design x Dialogue event to better understand the material and learn how to incorporate it into the project.

“Compared to some quartz surfaces and solid materials, Dekton's extreme durability, along with its resistance to heat, water, and stains, makes it particularly suitable for the demands of a professional pastry kitchen like Croisserie Artisan Pastry,” says the studio.

For the designers, it was a revelation to learn that they could elevate the interior design of the premises with this material, moving away from traditional stainless steel, which is colder and more standard. “Dekton versions inspired by natural stone are very realistic, both in appearance and texture. Therefore, instead of resorting to stainless steel as the usual option in kitchen design, Dekton offers a more refined and elegant alternative, adding charm and character to the space.”