A new setting, a familiar character for Ballerina

A completely new building, but unmistakably Ballerina. If someone had led us inside blindfolded and only removed the blindfold once we were among the kitchen displays, they wouldn’t have had to tell us which manufacturer we were visiting. The brand’s signature style is immediately recognizable in the new showroom as well. That’s what makes this Küchenmeile so interesting: a new setting that retains a familiar character.

During our visit, we spoke with Heidrun Brinkmeyer, director and owner of marketing and sales at Ballerina-Küchen, as well as Martin Jansen and Hans Scholten from MiMa.

The new exhibition building in Rödinghausen offers plenty to talk about. Across approximately 2,300 square meters, Ballerina presents 23 kitchen and living room layouts featuring its 2027 collection. From compact layouts to spacious open-concept kitchens, the exhibition offers inspiration for a variety of customers and budgets.

“With 23 displays, we can showcase a wide variety of possibilities,” says Brinkmeyer. “Our dealers can get plenty of ideas from them. And now, in a showroom with a look that suits Ballerina perfectly.”

Double Milestone

For Brinkmeyer, the opening has an extra festive touch. This year marks her 20th anniversary with Ballerina. In 2006, she joined the company’s executive board; the company was founded in 1978 by Heinz-Erwin Ellersiek. In the intervening years, Ballerina grew through expansions in production and new possibilities for kitchen planning. The introduction of the 13-centimeter XL grid in 2001 is one example of this.

The new exhibition building marks the next chapter. Construction took five years and required more patience than initially anticipated. “Construction took a little longer than we had hoped, but we worked exclusively with local companies,” says Brinkmeyer. “That’s important to us. It’s wonderful to bring such a new building to life together with people from our own community.”

Kitchen and Living Room

Large windows let in plenty of natural light. The open layout provides ample space for the displays, while images of ballet dancers reference the brand name. Under the motto ‘Authentic & Individual,’ materials such as real wood, glass, lacquer, and metal play an important role.

“As a kitchen retailer, you can get a lot of ideas here,” says Martin Jansen. “A showroom like this really helps demonstrate all the possibilities. It reinforces your message because you can actually demonstrate the possibilities.” Hans Scholten adds: “Here, you can also see how to extend materials and colors from the kitchen into the living area. It’s precisely by presenting those combinations as a complete setup that the possibilities become clear.”

An eye-catching feature at the entrance is the open-concept kitchen with dark-stained oak intarsia cabinet fronts in a herringbone pattern. Two islands and a separate prep kitchen give the layout a spacious feel. Elsewhere, rounded side walls, oval shapes, and warm shades of bronze, brown, and green create a softer look.

Demonstrate in a practical way

For Jansen and Scholten, the focus is then on translating these possibilities into the kitchen specialist’s showroom. Through MiMa Agency, they have been representing Ballerina since March 2013. Their in-house interior design team also designs and builds showrooms. In this way, they help retailers bring the ideas from Rödinghausen to life in their own stores.

Anyone who is a fan of Ballerina has been eagerly awaiting this opening for a long time. The new showroom reflects the stature the brand has built up in recent years. Ballerina has thus been given the stage it deserves.