This is a particularly exciting post for me to be able to write. You all know how much I like to get to know the brands that I work with. I love doing interviews, I rarely turn down a good old factory tour and I especially like reporting on new product launches. For me, following the journey of a brand and really getting a good insight into what makes them tick and how they work, is a real honour. I have never felt that you can really understand the value of a product unless you understand everything that went into its creation. But as consumers, we rarely get to see all of this. We get the marketing messages sure, but there is so much more to it.
I’ve wanted to start working as a brand ambassador for quite some time now, and this is mostly because I love to share stories. It’s the stories that make the brand and that make the products. One of the main reasons I love blogging is because I get the opportunity to ask the questions that unearth these stories and I get to share them with you.
So when luxury bathroom brand Duravit approached me, I couldn’t have been happier. Duravit has been on my radar ever since my days working for Designer Kitchen & Bathroom Magazine. They were looking for a way to share their story with a new audience and, given my love of storytelling, this seemed like a perfect opportunity for us to work together.
So over the next year, I will be working with Duravit to create a number of blog posts that help to show you guys what they are all about and how they work. I’ll let you know about some of their most popular collections, I’ll speak to their designers and get some behind the scenes information about the design process. And I’ll attend some events to report on any collections that they may be showing or launching.
I’m really excited about this partnership, and it starts this week as I attend Clerkenwell Design Week to show you guys around the new flagship Duravit showroom, which opened in Clerkenwell last summer. This is the first time that the luxury bathroom brand has taken part in Clerkenwell Design week and I feel really honoured to be involved. While I’m there I will be sharing on my social media channels, so make sure you’re following along to see what I get up to. There will also be a blog post on my return.
Visiting the Duravit showroom is normally by appointment only, so you’ll get to take a good look around through my coverage and everything I share with you following the event.
But for now, I’d like to give you a bit of background information about this luxury bathroom brand in case you’re not aware of them, so you know exactly where we are starting from.
Duravit was founded in 1817, when Georg Friedrich Horn was given permission to run a ceramic factory in Hornberg, Germany that initially focused solely on the manufacture of crockery. In 1956, the company transitioned from earthenware to sanitaryware and in 1960 the first great innovation came about when Duravit produced the wall-hung toilet. Up until the 1970s, bathroom design was mostly focussed on functionality, but by the 1980’s we started to see colour, shape and decoration playing a more important role.
The 1980s however, were the start of Duravit’s success story. It was at this time that design became a driving force for the company and they embarked in their first designer collaboration with Dieter Sieger of Sieger Design and set about “conquering the bathroom by design”. This really transformed the bathroom sector.
In 1994, Duravit embarked on a new collaboration with renowned French designer Philippe Starck and saw a major breakthrough. It was at this point that the DNA of Duravit was born. Since this time, the company has been creating modern classics that are rooted in quality, design and technology.
They have gone on to collaborate with a multitude of well-known design studios and designers including EOOS, Phoenix Design, Kurt Merki Jr, Matteo Thun and Cecilie Manz. Their products are regularly specified for high profile projects throughout the world, the latest of which include the Opus Tower in Dubai, the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, Fondazione Prada in Milan, and The Krane in Copenhagen.
Since its inception, Duravit has grown to encompass not only sanitaryware but also bathroom furniture, accessories, baths and shower trays, wellness systems, shower-toilets, taps and accessories as well as installation systems. Today, Duravit boasts 12 production plants with a workforce of more than 5975 employees worldwide.
I’m really looking forward to sharing some of the collections with you over the coming months and helping you to get to know Duravit better. If there is anything, in particular, you would like to know about Duravit or anything you’d like to see me cover, please do let me know.
Is the Duravit showerbath available in USA in a showroom to see it in person.
Hi Joanne, I will find out for you and come back to you.
Wow that’s absolutely brilliant Stacey and congratulations on your new role! I can’t wait to find out more as you share Duravit’s stunning collections!
Thanks Maria. They are stunning, aren’t they?
Congratulations Stacey, such a great brand and fantastic products x
Thanks Nicola, I’m really looking forward to showing you more from Duravit throughout the year!
Such great design and how exciting for you Stacey!!
Thanks Donna. It’s so obvious when design is an integral part of a brand’s DNA and you definitely see that with Duravit!
These bathrooms look divine, I can see why you’re so excited to be working with these guys! I also love a sneak peek into places customers don’t normally see so I’ll be following for the next blog post! x
They are amazing aren’t they, Becky? The next post will be up this week and also features a little video I made (with lots of help from my husband!). I’m very proud of it!
You are going to be an awesome ambassador – I’ll want ferrero rocher every time I see you. Given I actually walked around the Duravit showroom and pointed out my favourite items to you – I feel I ought to test you! Although I don’t think I saw the tall cupboard of the Duravit Happy D.2 Plus – very nice
That really made me chuckle Mary, will make a note to bring Ferrero next time I see you! You’ll have to pop in again just to see the Happy D.2 Plus cupboard! I’ll meet you there with chocolates!
That angled bath – NEED! Always love discovering new brands :-)
That one is stunning, isn’t it? I think the setting helps a lot to be fair!
ahh congratulations on your new brand ambassador role!! Looking forward to hearing more about them over the next year
Thanks Sam, lots of interesting posts coming up!
Fantastic news about the ambassadorship Stacey! If there’s one person I can trust to introduce quality interior brands, it’s you. This corner bath is absolutely stunning! Excited to see what the brand has in store for the coming season! Vic
Thanks so much Victoria, and what a lovely thing to say! Hopefully, I can bring you lots more inspiration over the next few months!
What an exciting collaboration Stacey – I look forward to seeing more of their designs. Loving that shower bath !
Thanks Lin. Yes I love the showerbath too. What a practical design and great for ageing in place and universal design solutions.
Wow, I’d never heard of them, thank you for the introduction! They’re really interesting designs and it’s great to find out more about the history of a company. I will have to check them out since a complete bathroom redesign will be on the cards at some point :-)
So pleased to have introduced you to a new brand Carole. They definitely offer something different and the design element is really strong throughout all their collections. The Luv collection by Cecilie Manz is definitely my favourite. Good luck with your renovation plans.
That’s great news, Stacey! I look forward to learning more about them.
Thanks Lucy. There will be a preview of their showroom coming up soon!
I love some of these curved lines it is rare to find a bathroom brand producing something innovative thank you for bringing them to my attention with two bathroom renos on the horizon, I look forward to the other posts.
Two bathroom renovations? That’s exciting! Hopefully, I can provide some inspiration for you!