Kai Steffan
Premium designs are his trademark.
As the Creative Director at Villeroy & Boch, Kai Steffan was responsible for brand identity for many years and led the way in shaping and implementing the characteristic brand attributes in the areas of product development and communication. After studying at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax/Canada and St Martins College of Art and Design in London, he worked for various design and advertising agencies where Villeroy & Boch was also one of his clients. Kai Steffan joined Villeroy & Boch at the beginning of 2009. Based at the headquarters in Mettlach, he played a major role as the in-house Creative Director in shaping Villeroy & Boch's design up until 2015.
The collections
Kai Steffan has created numerous premium designs and custom-made products for
Villeroy & Boch's Bathroom and Wellness as well as Dining & Lifestyle collections. He not only designed the exclusive Octagon pedestal washbasin, but also the Authentic Avantgarde high-quality gift collection as well as the True Oak solid bathroom furniture range and the matching washbasin with the Farmhouse décor.
Octagon – the creation of a masterpiece
In the beginning was the octagon. An ancient symbol of perfection and inspiration for a completely new washbasin design. Kai Steffan wanted to express this perfection in ceramic form for the first time. The result is no less than a masterpiece of precision and craftsmanship without equal: Octagon. Octagon. The outstanding feature of this exclusive pedestal washbasin made from TitanCeram is a faceted effect inside the basin, reminiscent of a precious stone. Combined with the rounded exterior and extremely thin walls, it creates emotional tension and harmony at the same time. But the ceramic material is not the only unusual feature. Each individual surface transforms the free-standing pedestal into a masterpiece in its own right, turning Octagon into a perfect design object.
Unique form, award-winning design
Created by Kai Steffan, Octagon, thanks to its outstanding design, received the prestigious GOOD Design™ Award in 2015 and was a finalist at the Boutique Design trade fair in New York in the "Best Product Design" category for the bathroom sector. At the beginning of 2016, the unique set consisting of a washbasin, a free-standing pedestal and a decorative copper ring was awarded one of the most important design awards in the world – the iF Design Award.