DESIGN ADVENTURES: Bette factory trip, Delbrück Germany Dec 2017

Upperworth Directors Kristy Unger and Karen van Eeden were invited to the Head office and factory of German company Bette GmbH & Co.KG, at the invitation of UK specification manager Andrew Frampton and Projects manager Jean-Francios Marty.  Bette is a family-run company renowned for its architectural bathroom elements and accessories. Here’s what Kristy and Karen took away from their two-day trip…

We had an early start, with an 8am flight from Heathrow to Dusseldorf, then a drive along the autobahn to arrive in the peaceful village of Delbrück, where the company’s head office and production plant is located.

Upon entering the main reception, we were pleasantly surprised by the building’s very modern architecture with its crisp lines and smooth surfaces, a fitting introduction to this design-led brand. From the spacious entrance lobby, we caught a glimpse of Bette’s newest products on display in the showroom beyond – but were promptly told that we had to wait until the following day to see them up close!

An informal presentation by the sales team was followed by a guided tour of the manufacturing process from start to finish, with each stage described in detail. It was absolutely fascinating. All of Bette’s products are made from a single material, 4mm sheets of steel-titanium alloy, which is folded and moulded into shape before being coated in enamel. Every bathroom element comes in a range of sizes and variations and can be individually configured by adjusting dimensions or adding features – so lots of flexibility from a designer’s perspective! The manufacturing almost entirely automated, which makes for extremely efficient production. Nothing goes to waste, and the company is extremely proud of its green credentials, with all of its products manufactured without chemicals or solvents and 100% recyclable. This gets a big tick from us.

Day two involved a leisurely tour of the vast showroom, an opportunity to see and touch each Bette collection and discuss those we thought would be suitable for different types of hospitality projects. Like everything we’d seen so far, the space was well-designed and collections were beautifully showcased in room-set installations. The company is continually developing its product-lines to stay relevant in our increasingly design savvy world, without comprising on quality. We loved the sculptural simplicity of the forms and especially the Bette Art and Bette Lux collections, which we felt would enhance most interiors.

We were really impressed with our experience of Bette, appreciating the precision engineering combined with elegant design that goes into creating high quality, enduring products.

This short video is a good introduction to Bette and what it does so well.