Häfele showcases smarter spaces at kbb2020
With multigenerational living on the rise[1] and the average size of the UK home getting smaller[2], global manufacturer and distributor of furniture fittings, lighting, hardware and ironmongery, Häfele, used this year’s kbb show to demonstrate how it can support customers in creating more life per m2 in the home.
Via its 30m2 Smart Spaces apartment, Häfele showcased a range of innovative products which enable functional, flexible living. It explained that through early engagement it could bring designers and manufacturers space enhancing ideas to life more easily for their customers.
The Smart Spaces apartment featured clever solutions such as the company’s Slido sliding door gear which can be used to create concealed kitchens, bathrooms or utility areas where space does not allow for hinged doors. The Accuride Sliding Track System was another crowd pleaser. This innovative system enables features such as kitchen appliances to be hidden under worktops when not in use, giving more usable space day-to-day.
Innovative hinge, flap and pull out storage fittings from Häfele and partner brands Grass and Vauth-Sagel also featured heavily within the Smart Spaces apartment. Grass’ hidden, subtle hinges proved popular with visitors who recognised their ability to maximise space while giving a high quality, easy to install finish. Likewise, pull out wirework from Vauth-Sagel, which premiered at the show in new dark, on-trend colours, captured visitors’ attention for their broad range of applications, including for accessible living.
“The Smart Spaces apartment really drew the crowds at kbb,” said Natalie Davenport, head of marketing. “It was a fantastic way to demonstrate products in action but to also start conversations with visitors about how we can support their projects and clients throughout all stages, but using us in the initial idea creation stage helps hone in on the right product far more quickly. We have more than 25,000 products available, so when paired together and in conjunction with the designer’s ideas, the possibilities are truly endless.”
As well as displaying ways to maximise every space in the home, kbb2020 provided Häfele the opportunity to celebrate its 40th anniversary in the UK, sharing the story of its growth and development in the market.
A visual timeline shared key moments in its UK history since 1980. These included the invention of its ground-breaking Minifix Connector that revolutionised furniture fittings. More recently, Häfele has launched Axilo™, a plinth adjusting fitting systems that cuts installation by up to 50%, and Häfele Ixconnect CC 8/5/30, a claw connector for wooden drawers that can be used without dowels or fitted without tools.
As part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, Häfele also revealed a new customer service charter that details the company’s added value services. Attracting most interest were services such as a forthcoming Lighting Design Service, that will guide customers from planning through to technical specification, and Häfele to Order, its bespoke cutting and packaging service.
Concluding, Natalie said: “kbb2020 has been a fantastic event for us. We’ve had the chance to launch some great new products such as two further colours of AluSplash, one of our fastest-selling products ever, and our improved range of Matrix Drawer Systems. We were able to host one-to-one demonstrations of these new solutions in action.
“It was also the perfect place to begin our 40th anniversary celebrations and we look forward to further festivities throughout 2020. It’s been a brilliant four days, we’ve met so many current and future customers, and we’re already looking forward to two years’ time.”
For more information on Häfele, visit, www.hafele.co.uk.