Awash with Style

David Kohler, president of Kohler Co. muses over his company's mission statement and core values: "Design is a very personal thing. It's a very emotional thing. Great design is different for you and it's different for me. Great design creates emotion. So what we really try to do is present the most amazing portfolio of products and technologies for people to design with". We caught up with David, who had just flown in to Abu Dhabi from the US to attend Kohler's third annual kitchen and bath conference. "I also came here to see the outlook in the region."

Prior to the global economic downturn, the Middle East was one of the regions that witnessed the highest growth. "I wanted to get some perspective on the speed of recovery from various distributors in different countries," he says. "So far it has been quite positive and I'm impressed. A number of countries have been very resilient through this period and the growth prospects going forward look pretty good. However, I think Dubai would be an exception where there is over capacity now, since the downturn. A lot of projects are on hold. But they're still building luxury hotels, and since that is an important aspect of our business, our Dubai business is actually OK. Saudi Arabia continues to be strong. It's one of the biggest consumer markets for the future because it has the highest population in the GCC. There is good news coming from Bahrain, Qatar and Oman. I'm generally positive that we will see oil prices continue to edge back up, which is good for the region."

The Kohler family empire nurtures several businesses, from fine furnishings to luxury golfing destinations hosting golf majors such as the PGA Championship and the British Open. Within this region, however, the name Kohler is synonymous with bathrooms and kitchens, which incidentally worked perfectly for our Bathrooms Special April issue. We ask David about the latest trends in bathrooms and are not surprised to hear that it is the same integral buzzword of 2009 - sustainability.

"It is one of the most important trends that we're embracing as a company," he says. "We have a definite corporate strategy about sustainability in an effort to reduce our environmental footprint."

As makers of plumbing products, Kohler designs have this crucial element at the very core of their concepts, more so since water conservation is a global issue, and a particularly important one in the Middle East. "I've seen ‘Heroes of the UAE' campaign on billboards and this shows that water scarcity is a significant issue here." Dual flush water closets by Kohler as well as lower water consumption shower heads and faucets all help do their bit for the environment.

In aesthetics, David points out a growing trend towards contemporary design, particularly in markets that have been historically traditional in style, such as the US market. "The Middle East market, however, is a fusion of all sorts of different design trends, but even here, we're still continuing to see an increase in contemporary design that ebbs and flows over time," he says. Also commenting on the increasing global focus on health and wellbeing, both individually as well as culturally, David believes that this has contributed towards the bathroom becoming a place of refuge with spa-like feel.

"That's what I've done in my bathroom using soft stones and various products to make it feel more like a spa," he says. "One of the centrepiece products in there is the Sok bath by Kohler." The Sok overflowing bath resembles an infinity pool and releases effervescent bubbles at the push of a button, providing an amazing spa-like experience. "It is one of the best products we've created in all time." Flipside is another one of David's favourite products - a showerhead that flips over and gives four different sprays. "It's a great, simple inexpensive product that can spice up any bathroom."

So bathrooms are clearly not just about functionality anymore; these spaces are also playing the role of a place of refuge away from the hectic world we want to leave behind. Individuality and personal design is the way forward in these most intimate of spaces, and this is where Kohler's diverse product range and styles can help you create your own personalised bath space.

"From the most decorative, unique, glass and ceramic products to the technologically advanced ones, like the digital thermostatic shower valve, Kohler's product range goes from high artistry to high technology and from traditional to contemporary design. Designers or consumers can then use this palette to create a bathroom that is totally unique and speaks to them."

It seems that the obvious next design step for the company would be to link up with an A-list design name (for example, Philip Starck and Axor, which saw the creation of Axor Starck range). "We have a boutique luxury brand called Kallista, where we partner with leading interior designers, namely Michael Smith, Laura Kirar and Barbara Barry, who use Kohler products as part of their design collection. At Kohler, we believe in using our in-house designers and then partnering our products with leading design names."

Kohler has design houses in Paris, Milan, Shanghai and Wisconsin. To be spread out geographically in such a way (designers for each house are generally employed from within that region) allows for input from a variety of cultures and hence, diversity in design thought. It also helps adapt to the local market needs.

What about David Kohler the man. With a heavy surname like that, we wonder if he ever had a choice of career? Or was working in the family business his destiny? "It was forced labour!" he laughs. David is a fourth generation Kohler and became president in April 2009. "There was really never a doubt in my mind that I would somehow be involved with Kohler in some way. That is why I wanted to learn the business from an early age, so I worked through different manufacturing areas. While in college, I would even be casting toilets in the summer. I had no intention of joining so soon after my postgraduate studies, but I ended up coming back to the family business in 1993."

Kohler was founded in 1873 by John Michael Kohler, an Austrian immigrant who grew up on a farm in Minnesota, was schooled in Chicago, and managed to acquire a small iron foundry in Wisconsin. "Being a creative person, he started inventing things," says David. "In fact, he was the first designer for Kohler. He took a horse trough, put four legs on it, enamelled it and created a bathtub. He sold that in 1880, and that was really what thrust us into the plumbing business." Since then the company has grown dramatically with over 30,000 employees around the world and a presence in most major markets.

"As a company have a great work ethic. Everyone in the business cares about the business and is passionate about it. And if you're in the company, you have to work hard, whether your name is Kohler or something else." David's parents were always very open to whatever career their children chose and there were no expectations of carrying on in the family business. "If we wanted to work in the family business, we had to work as hard, or harder, than anyone else. So with my kids, if they want to work in the family business and really commit themselves to it, and love it and work hard... that's great! But more than anything, I want them to love what they do, and I want them to try to be the best at it."