FOR THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF HÄFELE THAILAND, ART4D INVITES JOHN CLARE, THE BRAND’S MANAGING DIRECTOR TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT CONCEPTS AND WORKING PROCESSES OF THEIR HIGH FUNCTIONALITY AND INNOVATIVE DESIGN HARDWARE
TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO: WORAPAS DUSADEEWIJAI
(For Thai, press here)
For over 100 years, Häfele has been a leading German brand of furniture fittings and architectural hardware. With a presence in Thailand for over 30 years, Häfele Thailand provides innovative solutions that elevate and maximize living spaces.
From sleek furniture fittings to cutting-edge digital locks, Häfele offers a comprehensive range of products designed to meet the evolving needs of modern consumers including kitchen appliances and kitchen storage solutions, to the full bathroom fittings and sanitary ware and Digital Locks. The commitment to quality, performance, and design has earned Hafele Thailand the trust of interior designers and architects.
For the 30th anniversary of Häfele Thailand occasion, art4d had the opportunity to speak with Mr.John Clare, Managing Director of Häfele Thailand about how Häfele, known for its vast choice of hardware, high quality, flawless performance, and design, interconnected.
John Clare, Managing Director of Häfele Thailand
art4d: From your point of view, how are Häfele’s functionality and design interconnected?
John Clare: Well, they are very much interconnected right there. I think what we see there is that the requirements from designers and architects are changing all the time. When designs and design trends change, the hardware has to change as well to support it. That’s different from time to time and also brings with it different requirements in terms of colors, touch, and feel. So yes, these transits evolve over time, and these are important things that we need to observe.
As we approach the next 100 years globally and enter the 4th decade in Thailand, our commitment to German product technology, quality, and innovation remains steadfast. We consistently strive to deliver high functionality and superior quality in all our products. For design, the concept is unique and timeless, and this is proven by our product range, which ranges from furniture handles. Häfele products have received various awards, such as the iF DESIGN AWARD and Red Dot Design Award.
art4d: How can Häfele keep up with the design trends?
JC: One part is to work with the designers and architects which we do on a daily basis. When new buildings, new hotels, new condominiums, new shopping centers pop up, we see what is happening and we look at what the trends are.
So that’s one input. But next to that, we also go to global trade shows and so our team visits at global trade shows all the time. Some are in Europe. Some are in China. Some are in Singapore. And there’s different trade shows where designers get together. They look at trends and things that are possible.
That’s how we try to keep up with it. We have what we call Product Category Teams that are there to look at the market, understand what the trends are. They work with our suppliers, the design community, and sales teams, and we try to anticipate what is happening in the market.
art4d: Can you exemplify the concept of Häfele Design Studio?
JC: For us, the Design Studios are important areas where the design community can come and see, touch, and feel the products. All designers have creativity. But sometimes, they don’t know yet how it can work. Will it work exactly the way they want it to?
We aim to rejuvenate the Häfele Design Studio into the Häfele Experience Center to be the premier source of inspiration for our customers to get consultations so we can advise them on the best solution for a different application, offering an experience that exceeds their expectations. Our goal is to inspire innovative design while providing exceptional service through our service center.
We have design studios in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin. What we see in different regions is that our customers have different requirements. The customer in the north is sometimes different from Phuket which is very luxurious. So we’re trying to cater to different customer needs, helping them get the products that they need for those kinds of solutions here.
art4d: We have seen the collaboration projects with Thai designers on the 30th anniversary of Häfele Thailand. In which direction do you envision Häfele going in the future, in terms of design or the projects with designers in Thailand?
JC: Häfele Thailand is committed to further collaborations with Thai designers on numerous future projects. We are also committed to supporting groups of design students, encouraging their participation with our brand in presenting innovative design ideas for various future projects.
With good relationships, Häfele’s here to support them. We are the people that help them with the right hardware to do their work, so they can be inspired and enabled to come up with the next best designs and experiences which maybe don’t exist yet.
exclusive gifts
In 2024, this is the first year Häfele has been working and collaborating with Thai Designers to create beautiful and unique design products. To celebrate our 30th anniversary in Thailand, we’re thrilled to announce a collaboration with local designers. This exciting partnership reflects our commitment to creating unique designs that resonate with Thai customers.
Our new collections are collaborating with Moo-ASAVA (Polpat Asavaprapha) for the ‘HÄFELE Retro Minibar Refrigerator (Cute Series),’ Ou-PIA Interior (Pruitsatorn Sakulthai) for the ’30 80 Door Set Collection,’ and Bloody Hell Big Head (BHBH) whose designs manifest as exclusive limited-edition gifts.
