Convertible

Home

Stories

Convertible

Swabian furniture manufacturer DRAENERT is known for its innovative technology and a sustainable approach to materials.

By DRAENERT for

DRAENERT

February 18, 2014 | 11:00 pm CUT

Variable: many of the tables have one or several moving elements for convenient adjustment. Shown here: the "Adler" model in combination with "Nobile Soft" chairs

The three solid, unusually patterned stone slabs appear to be weightless as they move effortlessly apart before joining up to form a large dining table. The sophisticated technology of the extension mechanism and unique natural stone slabs embody the striking features typical of Draenert's furniture. The company specialises in the production of dining and coffee tables, as well as matching seating furniture. And it was a stone that got the company started. Back in 1968 Dr. Peter Draenert, then still a student of philosophy, art history and German studies, created his first table as a way of saving money – using a 180 million-year-old slab of Swabian oil shale that he had stumbled across in a barn.

Dr. Patric Draenert: "Every piece of furniture is an expression of its owner's personality"

Extensive collection: chairs made by the in-house upholstery workshop put the finishing touches to the exclusive range

Today customers can choose from the more than 200 types of natural stone that the company displays in the stone park next to its showroom and production plant. This allows potential buyers to find out everything they need to know on the spot – from choosing the model and selecting the stone all the way to viewing the production processes. The company also caters to customers wanting different materials: the collection includes tables made of solid wood and glass as well. For the most part, the materials are hand-crafted into furniture that bears the hallmarks of classic international modernist design. Several models – due in no small part to the ingenious mechanisms responsible for the tables' flexibility – have won widely recognised accolades such as the "Red Dot: Best of the Best" distinction or the "iF product design award". According to the company's founder, Draenert "doesn't actually make furniture so much as elegant machines for household use". His son and successor Dr. Patric Draenert, who has been breathing the company air since childhood, cultivates this philosophy and continues to pursue it with his own personal slant.

Hard work: the sections of leather to be used for making chairs are selected by hand

Putting quality on a pedestal: the table bases are connected with the patented mechanisms by hand

Focusing on the firm's obvious strengths – a deliberately selected range of furniture and materials, as well as the incorporation of special functions – allows the company to operate competitively; together with the fact that the furniture is produced almost entirely in-house, this ensures the necessary recognition factor as well. Items from Draenert's select art collection are for instance shown in various renowned museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London or the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.