One-stop design: DRAENERT

“My father was an imaginative, inventive man and incredibly dynamic – he was always wanting to create something,” says Patric Draenert of his father. “Even while he was still a student – he studied German, philosophy and art history – this constant quest led him to stumble across a 180 million-year-old slab of Swabian oil shale in an old barn. He combined it with chrome skids that he made at my uncle’s metalworking business to create his first table.”

This first design by Dr Peter Draenert marked the beginning of a success story. In the last 50 years the company, whose comprehensive production facilities are located in Immenstaad at Lake Constance, has evolved into a modern and highly innovative producer of hand-crafted furniture. Draenert designs and produces sophisticated furniture characterised by superb materials, timeless design and technical innovations. “When I took over the helm from my father in 2002, I strongly believed it was important for us to focus on our core competencies,” says Patric Draenert. “Whatever we do, we want to do it properly – with dedication and passion.”

Draenert made a name for itself as a natural stone specialist with expert knowledge of both the material and the production techniques required to process it. Today customers can choose from the more than 200 types of natural stone on display in the company’s stone park. But Draenert isn’t just a natural stone specialist. By bringing together all the crafts and skills it needs under one roof, the company is the epitome of a boutique manufacturer and can process not just natural stone but wood, glass, metal and leather as well. “Our quality standards are the basis of everything we do. It’s our commitment to traditional craftsmanship and the quest for perfection that make our furniture so special,” says Patric Draenert.

And Draenert never tires of pushing the envelope with his art collection. Many international museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York feature pieces by Draenert in their collections. The furniture maker used its 50th anniversary to send a signal as well. “It’s fascinating to tame a piece of rock and turn it into a sculpture,” says Hadi Teherani. With the limited edition of Marble Wing, the architect became an artist who approached his design like a sculptor and created the Carrara marble chaise longue in the tradition of the old masters.

Text: RM
Photos: Draenert, Julia Rotter (portrait)

Draenert Studio GmbH
Steigwiesen 3
88090 Immenstaad/Bodensee
Tel.: +49 (0) 7545 2080