“We can specify down to article level,” says Häfele National Design and Specification Manager, Belle Bourne, “but if you want everything from your interior doors to your kitchen fittings, we can also provide a holistic solution for every inch of the home.”

German-founded manufacturer Häfele has been providing hardware, fitting and electronic locking solutions for more than 100 years. Over that time, its international network has grown to 38 subsidiaries and numerous additional agencies, worldwide. With the New Zealand team, Belle is bringing that international expertise to the local market, along with her wealth of design experience. “I spent about 11 years designing and detailing kitchens, during which time I originally got to know Häfele as one of their customers. When the opportunity came to join the team six years ago, it felt like a natural fit.”

Belle now works as part of Häfele’s Design and Specification team with staff based in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch. “We’ve got strong people working to support the architecture and design community throughout the country. We are heavily involved with things like product selection and marketing, always getting feedback about how we can better support the New Zealand market. Sliding and folding doors are generally our biggest product group for architects and designers with in-building and on-building solutions, interior sliding doors and sliding facades. Our available product range is vast; with it, we can customise solutions for our clients and create something really unique.”

One of the most exciting solutions Häfele New Zealand is providing, Belle says, is the HAWA Concepta pocket door system. “Concepta uses a pivot, push and park system so that it can retract into a cabinet when not in use. It’s a really smart way to use multi-purpose spaces and is already well-specified around New Zealand. However, we did hear from fabricators and specifiers that it was a complex bit of kit with a lengthy installation requirement. So, this latest version, Concepta Generation 3, has been totally reimagined so that it can be installed in as little as 8 minutes, rather than the half day it might have taken previously. It also has new comfort features with a push-to-open, handle-less installation, and streamlined planning support. Previously the specification info came in an 80-page booklet; now this comes through on a single page of A3. We’ve taken a holistic approach to improving and simplifying the product, from design right through to operation. The single-door HAWA Concepta was released last month, with the double, bi-folding version coming out later this year.”

Häfele has also been working hard on lighting systems, Belle says, with some exciting new developments happening in that space. “We’ve had a lighting system for 7 or 8 years,” she says, “but our research and development never stops. We recognise that lighting plays a critical role in establishing comfort functions within interior design. It’s no longer generic, but is, instead, considered, sophisticated and layered. Our Loox Generation 5 lighting system allows for all of that and it has become one of our biggest product groups. New Zealand is really embracing this system.

“We are constantly asking ourselves, as a team, how lighting can be easier, smarter and more efficient,” Belle adds. “One of the most popular releases to come out of those discussions is our tuneable white LED . This allows you to dynamically tailor your lighting level and temperature to suit personal preference, time of day and season. It works in conjunction with our ConnectMesh wireless distributor and the Häfele Connect 2.0 app so you can create intuitive scenes with whatever you like, however you like, whenever you like. It’s a totally customisable lighting solution and what you can do with it is truly endless. Its primary application is currently cabinet solutions, but we’re transitioning quickly into in-room lighting as well.”

Häfele has a number of exciting product innovations and projects coming up in 2024, Belle says. “We’re working on a display for the refurbished Residium interior design space - formerly Home Ideas Centre - in Auckland that will feature both the new HAWA Concepta doors and our new lighting systems, as well as a number of other products from the Häfele range. This is a huge, public space with some incredible displays that will reopen to the public in June this year. We’re also underway with our largest-ever operable wall project at the new International Convention Centre in Auckland; this will be completed in July. And we’re preparing to head to Milan in April for the international kitchen exhibition EuroCucina. This is a mind-blowing trip every time we do it and a great opportunity to meet customers and take them around to meet some of our European suppliers, in particular, showing them Häfele’s flagship showroom in Germany.”

The key objective for Häfele as it moves forward, Belle says, is to maximise the value of space, together. “We really want to be a valuable partner who doesn’t just provide products but also educates and supports. We’re actioning this through our Service Plus initiative, which has several facets. Service Plus Knowledge advances our customers’ skills through initiatives like webinars, tailored to their requirements. Service Plus Planning includes online configuration tools to help specifiers give their projects the best possible start. Service Plus Customise allows customers to send us the sizing they require for a lighting solution, which we’ll then cut and customise for them. Service Plus Assist is where customers can find technical support for anything that hasn’t gone quite right or where they feel they need more education. That’s a big initiative that’s expanding.”

Belle is excited to connect with industry professionals and learn more about how Häfele can support their projects. “We’re happy to chat with anyone,” she says. “We love going out and talking about our products, sharing them and educating the industry.” To learn more and connect with Belle, visit https://www.hafele.co.nz, sign up for their newsletter and follow Häfele on LinkedIn.