STYLEPARK BURGBAD
Poetry follows function

Anna Moldenhauer: How did your collaboration with burgbad come about?

Eva Marguerre: We got to know Sabine Meissner, Marketing Director of burgbad AG, in 2019, at one of the last events before the pandemic. Shortly afterwards she offered us the opportunity to design a complete bathroom furniture collection – a premier for us. In the course of this shared journey, we learned a lot about the topics that are important in this context such as how water drips or the shape of the basin recesses. This collaboration provided us with a great chance to explore what was a new field for our design portfolio.

What was the briefing like from burgbad for developing the “b:me” collection?

Eva Marguerre: The focus of our bathroom furniture collection was on round, soft shapes. burgbad is one of the few manufacturers capable of achieving this. The furniture was to come across as cozy and should ideally also work in other rooms – like the bedroom, living room or hallway. That’s why “b:me” offers both wall shelves as well as half-height cabinets, sideboards and mirrors with which the style can be continued quite easily. We were given a great deal of leeway for the design which made our creative work highly enjoyable.

How did you develop the design vocabulary for "b:me"?

Marcel Besau: We were inspired by the aesthetics of natural landscapes – the reason being that you find formations with unusually precise edges created from undulating topographies. For example, we looked at the textures of deserts, dunes, and rock formations. Then we added lines from architecture and the folds of creased paper. We were also fascinated by the different changes in brightness in the transition from hard edges to soft ones: While they are quite striking where you have sharp angles the transitions are more subtle for curved shapes. Combined with organic shapes and textile references like the contours of a stretched fabric we were able to achieve a harmonious flow. The result was a dynamic symmetry that we found highly appealing. The softness of the cast mineral product underscores this poetic design language in the material. Simultaneously, it was important to us that the surfaces are pleasant to the touch like those smooth pebbles that you like to glide over the palm of your hand.

How do you achieve formal coherence between the elements of “b:me”?

Eva Marguerre: In addition to the shape, the flowing curves of the furniture create a visual balance in the room without the need for an elaborate interior design concept. The different items are separated optically always at the same height. After all, it is important that there is a basic harmony in the design if the collection is going to be able to adapt to a wide variety of styles.

From which range can customers choose the colors for “b:me”?

Marcel Besau: On the one hand there are the numerous standard colors of burgbad, and then there are the trend colors. While we were developing “b:me” new shades were included such as “Terracotta” because they fit in well with burgbad’s existing color portfolio. Essentially, the collection can be finished in any NCS and RAL shade because burgbad produces to order so as to be sustainable. We also decided to select two-tone variants as the transitions emphasize the harmonious mood in the bathroom and we added a more subtle “Sandstone” to complement the richer “Terracotta”. The lighter color also makes for an ideal transitional shade to the white of the washbasin. This two-tone effect is underlined by a joint between the washbasin and vanity unit that runs through the entire collection.

Why is it so important to you that the furniture in the collection can also be used in other rooms apart from the bathroom?

Marcel Besau: In recent years the boundaries between living spaces have become fluid, and people are not only looking for practicality in the bathroom but also coziness. An item of bathroom furniture no longer necessarily has to be recognizable as such. That’s why we developed a more universal look for the furniture of the “b:me” collection.

Your corner solution for the small bathroom is also very practical. The faucet can be installed on the left or the right leaving more space in front of the washbasin.

Eva Marguerre: We were immediately intrigued by the fact that burgbad did not talk about the classic guest bathroom but about a small bathroom. Given the compact size of most city apartments it’s more realistic to design for small bathrooms rather than assuming residents will have an additional bathroom for guests. Our washbasin with vanity unit is somewhat larger than the customary guest versions and thanks to the side-mounted faucet leaves more freedom of movement. If you compare this with other firms‘ models taking up a similar amount of space we can offer considerably more benefits with “b:me”.

When it comes to fitting out bathrooms there are a great many specifications to be met – can you give me some idea about what your consultations with burgbad were like?

Eva Marguerre: Basically, we started out with a technical drawing then moved on to a model that was used to conduct tests. Tests to assess how water would drip, for example, so that water can’t seep into the wood of the vanity unit. So, step by step we got closer to the final product. Sabine Meissner’s way of approaching things was exactly right for us: Rather than listing all the necessary details and specifications at the beginning we worked through the requirements one by one. That meant we could start the project and design freely without feeling pressured. Everything else followed on from our interaction with the designers and the prototype department. The great thing is that at burgbad the departments concerned are all part of the company. That made things much easier because it is not always possible to immediately reconcile the creative with the technical perspective. However, we got on well with each other and it was interesting to see which details of the design turned out to be so important that we definitely didn’t want to omit them.

How did you present “b:me” in the photo shoot?

Marcel Besau: As we wanted the play of lines in the washstands to be reflected in the overall architectural idea we opted for a setting with sloping roofs. The colors alternate from very warm shades of red via fresher yellow tones through to neutral colors. We chose something that stands for softness and wellbeing in the bathroom. The styling sets gentle accents, is straightforward, geometric, artistic. A contrast to the classic black and white shades that you often find in bathrooms. Using the sets, it was possible for us to wonderfully realize the reference to a studio in which there is a link between adjoining rooms - like the bedroom – and the bathroom. The natural sunny mood of the lighting demonstrates really beautifully the warm and cheerful impact the forms and colors of b:me" have. And we use white curtains to reflect the materiality and white of the washstand.

Can you give the readers a glimpse of your plans for the upcoming ISH, the leading international trade fair for sanitation, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning in Frankfurt/Main?

Marcel Besau: The fair booth is intended to be welcoming because we want to perfectly showcase the coziness, emotion, and poetry of the collection. The entire staging will be very warm and harmonious; we want visitors to feel at ease, after all. The styling features fresh color accents and creates a distinct, colorful liveliness. A key topic for burgbad is sustainability in all areas of its activities and we would very much like to convey this in the design of the booth. We are really looking forward to being able to present the “b:me“ collection and our styling ideas to the visitors of the ISH!

burgbad @ ISH 2023
Hall 3.1 B49
13 to 17 March 2023

Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1
60327 Frankfurt am Main