With courage and confidence

Anna Moldenhauer: Why has the collaboration with Bette been working for a good 15 years?

Dominik Tesseraux: Bette is family-run, offers fast coordination channels and precision craftsmanship in the production of bathtubs, washbasins and shower surfaces. Our collaboration began with an analysis of the product range and the development of innovative details such as the ‘folded edge’, which allows the bathtub to be installed flush with the surface – first realised in the ‘BetteLux’. As the Tesseraux+Partner office, we not only want to work formally, but also create further developments in production and utilisation. Even if innovation often means additional work in the initial phase, I am certain that it is sustainable. Bette has developed considerably in the course of our work together. There is a lot of courage in the company and that is of course also important for the design.

You want to evolve products in terms of design – to what extent have you succeeded in doing this with the ‘BetteLiv’ and ‘BetteCurve’ washbasins?

Dominik Tesseraux: The unique curves of these washbasins cannot be realised using a normal thermoforming mould. Bette has therefore developed a technology for the design that is flexible in terms of shaping, uses less material and also requires lower mould costs. As a result, the new washbasins can be offered more favourably on the market and are therefore also interesting for larger properties.

What questions did you ask yourself during the design process?

Dominik Tesseraux: I'd like to explain this a little further – I think it's important for a brand to be recognised first. This works with products that are special and that's what we were looking for. The reality of bathroom design in the mainstream sector is usually several years behind current developments. Advertising brochures tout purist white washbasins, even though bathroom designers have long been taking a different approach. The process therefore has many facets, as the core segment must also be catered for alongside the unusual products.

What will the new generation of ‘BetteLiv’ and ‘BetteCurve’ look like?

Dominik Tesseraux: We are working on a very simple, pure form that can also be produced in other materials. A bowl that appeals to as many target groups as possible.

When it comes to bathroom products, it's not just the aesthetics and function that count, but also the installation for longevity. What is important to you?

Dominik Tesseraux: That we don't create fashionable products, i.e. short-lived designs. Sustainability must also be ensured on a visual level. However, this does not exclude a certain speciality in design. We also aim to develop the product concept further. When developing the ‘BetteAir’ shower tray, for example, we always had the negative aspects of previous floor-level shower surfaces in mind. In the past, a central drain was often criticised by customers, although the three-dimensional deformation of the surface is lowest with a central drain and the product therefore works least against the architecture. A drain at the edge or in the corner results in a greater height difference. To avoid this and at the same time increase comfort for users, we have further developed the centre drain. It is larger in diameter, has a fine joint to the surface and is flush with it. To achieve this, the drain system is glued to the surface. As a result, neither the cover nor the joint can be felt when you stand on it. This approach is typical of our collaboration with Bette: dealing openly with the challenges and solving the details that cause difficulties in a contemporary way.

Your designs are symmetrical and reduced to the essentials – what appeals to you about this design?

Dominik Tesseraux: We want to get to the heart of things. I don't like arbitrariness in design. I think that things that are simple can become iconic, that's what appeals to us.

What boundaries would you like to explore in the bathroom?

Dominik Tesseraux: The bathroom is not a space like a living room, where the sofa can be placed against one wall or the other. Even during the architectural planning phase, it has to be decided where which bathroom products are to be installed. This is often a difficult decision for a building owner. A more flexible installation structure would be a major step forward. This would require different trades to come together and develop a new type of solution. I would also find it exciting if customers could customise the products even more when ordering, without this driving up the price to an extreme.

What do you wish for the industry in general?

Dominik Tesseraux: In my opinion, the numerous standards are making German industry slow. The processes are currently far too slow. I would also like to see more courage to realise designers' ideas, to give them freedom in the conditions, as is possible at Bette. We have grown with the company and together we have generated a new statement that extends to the design of the trade fair stands. This is the result of a close collaboration based primarily on trust and not on 65 pages of paper.