Von Löwen Designs

Located in Mettlach, near the borders of Luxembourg and France, on the river Saar in western Germany, the Villeroy & Boch ceramic factory and Keramikmuseum are housed on the grounds of a former abbey dating back to the 10th century. Jean-François Nikolaus Boch founded the factory on this site in 1809, and the company of Villeroy & Boch resulted from a merger with Nicolas Villeroy in 1836.

During their legendary golden age of 1885 – 1910, Mettlach was beyond a doubt the most prestigious stein crafting facilities in the world; with the V & B tower trademark considered synonymous for quality, style, and artistry – and continues to be one of the most well known and sought after stein collectibles today.

In the course of their history, Villeroy & Boch has developed from a mere manufacturer of high-quality ceramics into a lifestyle specialist of worldwide renown. Flourishing into four divisions including: Tableware, Kitchen, Bathroom and Wellness, and Tiles – Villeroy & Boch is represented in 125 countries.

Rooted in a long tradition of excellence and distinction since their inception, Villeroy & Boch established their foundation on not only their mastery of steins and pottery; but also an ecological commitment and a strong sense of direction toward sustainability. Revolutionary manufacturing techniques implementing energy-efficient kiln technology in 1830, offering insurance for their work force around 1820, and concern for agriculture and woodland utilization all the way back to 1850, shows a level of accountability that green businesses of today as well as the future could learn from.

With support from Villeroy & Boch for the WWF initiative The Global 200, artist Stefan Szczesny designed a colossal ceramic mural titled the ‘Network of Life’. With claims of being the largest ceramic ‘puzzle’ on earth; spanning more than 350 square meters and consisting of over 137,000 pieces, the mosaic creation was displayed at the WWF Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany. Together with the ‘Earth Spirit’ (kinda’ looks like a giant Woody Woodpecker to me) and Schinkel Fountain, the Network of Life has now found a home in the park of the Old Abbey and Tower – referred to as ‘Living Planet Square’ in Mettlach, and has been directly responsible for over two million € in WWF contributions alone.

Today, process-integrated environmental protection, environmentally friendly products and environment-related research projects are the main focus of the ecological commitment of Villeroy & Boch. The emphasis is laid on the improvement of the energy and raw material efficiency, the resource protection by improving the production process, and above all, the reduction of the wastewater load and the emission of CO2 in all steps of the process. Moreover, every single worker plays a role. This is why Villeroy & Boch promotes self-responsibility and commitment to the aspects of environmental protection in every single department, field of activity and beyond.

Offering an ever growing collection of awe-inspiring tiles, ceramics employing easy maintenance innovations such as ‘ceramicplus,’ tableware, china, cutlery, gifts and accessories, a variety of both top-mount and under-mount sinks for the kitchen (available in 19 colours), a medley of pampering bathroom luxuries including: furniture, vanities, mirrored cabinets, sinks and tubs, steam showers, toilets – incorporating ‘PurAir’ odor-sensitive technology, water saving fixtures and even towel warmers; it won’t be too hard to loose track of time when your viewing the many catalogs of Villeroy & Boch.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.