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Kelly Wearstler just designed a Cali-inspired kitchen concept – including a fridge unlike anything we've seen before

The designer drew inspiration from the Southern Californian desert to create a 'burlesque' kitchen concept – with an unexpected twist

Kelly Wearstler
(Image credit: Joyce Park)

Kelly Wearstler, the unrivaled maven of West Coast glamor, has just designed a new virtual kitchen concept – and of course – it draws inspiration from the SoCal desert, naturally.

The celebrated interior designer recently collaborated with luxury kitchen appliance company JennAir to create a virtual concept kitchen set in the desert – and while the kitchen offers much to be admired – one statement piece has stolen all our attention: the Burlesque Fridge.

The limited edition piece (so limited, in fact, that JennAir has only produced 13 to date) is designed to be finished with the color panel of your choosing. 

Inspired by Burlesque, the fridge interior is coated in a deep burgundy color and a snakeskin motif that pays further homage to the theme. When paired with the earthy colors in the wider kitchen (seen below), the fridge makes the unrivaled statement Kelly Wearstler intended.

JennAir fridge by Kelly Wearstler

(Image credit: JennAir)

'My partnership with JennAir provides me the freedom to think, without limits, about what a kitchen design could be,' Kelly says. 'This project is a showcase of digital design potential, whether in virtual realities or the web. Responding to the luxurious and avant-garde Burlesque design, I've imagined a unique experience set in the Southern Californian desert.'

Kelly Wearstler
Kelly Wearstler

Award-winning designer Kelly Wearstler founded her eponymous design firm in the mid-1990s and has since gone on to be one of the most recognized designers of a generation. She specializes in luxury hotel design, along with high-end residential, commercial, retail, and hospitality spaces.

Inspired by the velvet interior of an antique jewelry box and the rich leather of vintage luxury cars, the fridge aims to 'elevate appliances to art' – and we'd say it is a success. 

JennAir added a production number to each of the fridges created, so if you're one of the lucky 13 (in this case, 13 is lucky, at least) – you can keep track of the one-of-a-kind showpiece in your kitchen

Kelly Wearstler's kitchen concept s a reminder of the kitchen's power in a home – both as a functional space filled with appliances – but also as an intimate area where you can socialize and enjoy the food you have created. 'At the heart of the home, our kitchens are the most intimate spaces,' Kelly says on Instagram

'They witness us as we enjoy our espressos before work and then the catch-ups and debriefs afterwards, the casual glasses of wine and conversations we have with our friends, and the patient cooking of a celebratory dinner.'

JennAir fridge by Kelly Wearstler

(Image credit: JennAir)

For more design inspiration (in the kitchen and beyond), you can shop for Kelly's book below.

Kelly Wearstler: Evocative Style – from $18.00 on Amazon

Kelly Wearstler: Evocative Style – from $18.00 on Amazon

Kelly Wearstler's most recent book allows readers to explore (and draw inspiration from) some of her most notable creations including her newly designed home.

It's official, Kelly Wearstler just made the process of buying a refrigerator luxurious.

Megan Slack
Head of Celebrity Style News

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens, where she leads the celebrity/ news team. She has a history in interior design, travel, and news journalism, having lived and worked in New York, Paris, and, currently, London. Megan has bylines in Livingetc, The Telegraph, and IRK Magazine, and has interviewed the likes of Drew Barrymore, Ayesha Curry, Michelle Keegan, and Tan France, among others. She lives in a London apartment with her antique typewriter and an eclectic espresso cup collection, and dreams of a Kelly Wearstler-designed home.