A bit of Swissness … Laufen bathrooms
Following an invitation from Fonte dei Marmi I travelled up to Evesham this week to learn about Laufen where I was promised a day of Swissness … whatever that is??
Ilbagnoalessi dOt
Laufen is a Swiss based company, started in 1892 and in 1999 it became part of the Roco group. The statistics about the group are fairly amazing; the Roca Group has 18,700 employees in 135 countries and is now the number 1 bathrooms products manufacturer in the world with a 12% market share in the UK – Laufen manufactures over 4 million pieces of sanitary ware every year. All very impressive on paper – but what about the products …
The day started with a history of the toilet through the ages – fascinating but maybe a bit graphic at times! We then learnt about the manufacturing method which showed both the care they put into the products and also the innovation in their manufacturing process – lots of robots and automation. A very interesting fact is that all Laufen products are glazed completely – if you’ve ever laid in the bath and and seen the unfinished surface of a cheap basin you will appreciate just how important this is.
After lunch we learnt all about Swissness, a state of mind that encompasses many things including design, accuracy, practicality, simplicity and functionality. The products are all expected to meet very high quality control standards, this was demonstrated in the manufacturing process that sees every piece checked by hand.
We then toured the showroom and got to have a really good look at all the products. The Paloma collection stood out as a personal favourite, the shape of the pieces relates to pebbles and they are beautifully designed. I am planning to use this for a residential project we have just started specifying.
Laufen - Palomba
The Laufen Pro range is a good, mid range collection that offers well designed pieces while keeping an eye on price. There are also many options and sizes for the fittings, the wash basin is manufactured in 4 sizes from 450mm up to 650mm wide, with fitting options that include countertop, built-in, drop in or bowl. You can have it with a pedestal, wall hung or fitted into furniture – this range is really flexible!
Laufen - Laufen Pro
One interesting collection but definitely one not to everyone’s taste is Mimo. If you want to furnish your daughter’s ensuite in pink bathroom furniture this might be a great choice but for most of the market it is probably too fashionable, though the black option is easier to use. The range Florakids though is fantastic for kids, and a good choice for the commercial sector to use in nurseries. Rounded shapes and bold colours make this a great range for children – the caterpillar mirror is pretty fun too!
Laufen - Mimo
Laufen - Florakids
If you want to experience Laufen swissness take a trip to The Forum, their showcase visitor and presentation centre based in Switzerland. The building is a unique piece of contemporary architecture created in concrete in an otherwise chocolate box Swiss town. The building contains no windows and is cast in concrete as one piece with the shape replicating a typical ceramic product made by the company. The Forum has fully functioning bathrooms allowing you to experience their products before you buy, I want to go and have a steam bath! If you can’t travel to Switzerland Laufen and Roc will be opening a new gallery in London later this year designed by Zaha Hadid.
Laufen Forum - Switzerland
Other innovations unique to Laufen include a ceramic hidden overflow where it is integral to the waste so has no unsightly holes that become dirty and unhealthy. Laufen also offer the option of a cistern liner for your WC, a simple invention that eliminates condensation from the cistern but also reduces the noise when a cistern refills … a god send when using a WC during the night. All the seats of their WC’s clip off for easy cleaning, and if you have the Laufen Clean Coat applied cleaning becomes even easier. All these things are simple inventions but they are what really sets the company apart from cheaper suppliers.
Laufen products are only available through their distributors network, you won’t find them in B & Q or your local builders merchant so I highly recommend you find a distributor or speak to us – I think I will be using them for all our projects now, the quality speaks for itself.
Laufen - Moderna Plus
Laufen - Lb3
Great blog post Andrew. Having seen the Laufen products with you, I can heartily agree with everything you’ve written. People would be wise to consider Laufen products if decided to re-do their bathroom. Laufen will last you a lifetime.
Agree! I now want to rip out my own bathroom and install the Palomba collection
Me too!
Such a pleasure that you joined us on this first Laufen venture with Fonte Dei Marmi and Twitter. I am very proud of my Twitter colleagues who showed Russell Barnes MD & Andy Jamieson UK sales director why I hand picked them to spend the evening with us along with next day at the Laufen Showroom near Evesham.
Thank you Andrew for writing a superb blog, how you managed to squeeze the day into such a compact, informative blog-Tony at Fonte Dei Marmi
Cheers Tony. It was a great opportunity to really get to know the product, the fact that they are full glazed in the manufacturing process will stick with me – full glazing = better hygiene, we like that!
A really informative blog Andrew, you have really captured the essence of Laufen exactly as it was described to us. I only wish I had seen these products when we re-did our bathroom last year.
A fantastic blog Andrew. We’re in the process of selecting materials for a house renovation, so it’s been perfect timing to have stumbled across your blog. We particularly love the Palomba collection and the stunning mosaic tiles used in the promotional shot. Do you know where the mosaic tiles are from?
Thanks for your kind comments, I am glad you enjoy the blog. I can try and source the tiles – a good supplier might be Reed Harris Tiles in SW London as they have a wide selection of mosaics, I can also ask my contact at Laufen. Agree though that the Palomba is a great choice – let me know if you use it!
how well do LAufen floor standing toilets remove solid waste and clean the bowl given their 4 x 5 inch water area?
My experience is they do the job!
I did not know this company. My bathroom is full of bathroom products from Roca, another innovative company. But I will be aware of this Laufen because I love interior design, specially bathrooms design
Jane