IP44.DE

IP44.DE is a young company, both progressive and conservative. Conservative when it comes to quality standards and precision in finishes. And progressive when it comes to using technology. Our story in all this? We are only at the very beginning.

It all started with a question as obvious as it was luminous: why shouldn't outdoor lighting fixtures be at least as elegant as the ones we enjoy in our interiors. It was from this reflection that we created our very first outdoor lighting 30 years ago. Many owners, designers and architects having been seduced by our response, we continued our reflection with many other luminaires, materials, technologies, mistakes and successes. It was therefore from a modest attempt that the company IP44.DE was born, founded at the time by Bernd Schmalhorst, who is still its director today. Our initial desire to offer high-end design and our conviction that all places deserve to be highlighted in the most beautiful way have not changed.

Outside and inside

It is no coincidence that at first glance we often mistake our outdoor lighting for very beautiful indoor lamps. After all, their aesthetic is as impeccable as if they were exceptional interior lighting. They always carry the most reliable technology available to ensure them a long life in the great outdoors. It is therefore no coincidence that for 30 years now IP44.DE has continued to highlight many places of exceptional beauty.

1993

The story of IP44.DE began in 1993 in the family lighting store, located in Rheda-Wiedenbrück in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany). At the time, our store specializing in lighting has belonged to our family for three generations. She has already carried out many ambitious projects but finds herself constantly faced with the same problem: when it comes to the exterior, we simply do not have any lamps worthy of the name to offer our customers. So that’s how we started designing them ourselves.

Details

We owe our name to a well-known industry standard. “IP44” essentially certifies that a luminaire is resistant to outdoor use. And this is the case for all our lighting fixtures. But we have gone even further than all existing standards, from the beginning. With surfaces that are both aesthetic and durable. With unalterable materials such as glass, stainless steel or cast aluminum. With high-quality electronic components such as extremely efficient and durable LED technology developed by us. With our partner-manufacturers who assemble them for us following the most rigorous specifications. And because our origins say a lot about our typically German quality standards, we decided one day to incorporate the extension “DE” into our name. Since then we have been called IP44.DE.

While we manufactured our first models with the means at hand, we quickly moved towards collaboration with seasoned designers, specialized in the creation of lighting, and we opened ourselves to their ideas and concepts. We quickly received our first design award, which many others would follow. Aesthetically, our outdoor lights are as perfect as the most striking indoor lights.

At the same time, we have made a name for ourselves in the world of architecture and, in close collaboration with designers and architects, we have completed numerous projects for commerce, the public sector and private individuals all over the world. . Today, our lighting fixtures can be found throughout Europe but also in the United States and Asia, in many exceptional locations. And that is undoubtedly the greatest compliment that anyone can give us.

When we ask today what distinguishes IP44.DE from other collections of outdoor lighting, quite respectable from the rest, we generally answer that it is the marriage between an exterior appearance with exceptional aesthetics and impeccable operation.

This may seem obvious but it is far from being obvious. Indeed, with the oppressive heat of the summer months, the rain of spring, the mist of autumn and the cold of winter, outdoor lighting fixtures are subject to extreme climatic conditions. From the selection of materials to electronic components, we design our lighting fixtures so that they are durable in all weather conditions.

For some, these “details” may seem secondary. But as the famous designer couple Ray & Charles Eames said so well, “details are not details, they are what makes the product.” »

Requirement

In perpetual quest for perfection, we have continued to evolve over the last 30 years. And the world has changed too. Today, facades, outdoor space and gardens are an integral part of any self-respecting architectural project. After all, it's the first thing you see of a building. At the same time, the importance given to outdoor lighting has also grown.

On the other hand though, a lot has remained the same. For example, we always claim to be a family business. This means that we are a small entity and, in terms of distribution power, this represents rather a disadvantage. On the other hand, it is a huge advantage because we can concentrate on the essentials, namely our specialty which is to design perfect outdoor lighting fixtures, with an unmistakable design. We have always only manufactured lighting fixtures that we could recommend with our eyes closed.

What hasn't changed either is our curiosity and our desire to experience new things. We are persistently researching how to create ever more sustainable and energy efficient outdoor lighting – taking inspiration from the maxim of entrepreneur Philipp Rosenthal who said: “He who stops improving stops to be good.”

This is how we continually strive to improve, down to the smallest detail. For this we can also count on the designers who have always been with us faithfully. With Klaus Nolting, for example, we have released his best-seller “slat” in two other variants: “slat one” with a single lighting strip and “slat spike” in a version to be planted in the ground.

Completely different in form, but no less popular for that: Sebastian Büscher's creation “shot”. This light fixture, inspired by a cannonball or a throwing weight, now hangs on the walls. In the “shot hook” version, it can be suspended on the facade at any height and thus transformed into lighting directed upwards.

All these new features in no way mark the end of the story of IP44.DE, quite the contrary, because we have the feeling that we are only at the beginning of our story. And even if today no one dares to say what will happen in 30 years, we will not stop continuing to develop ourselves, our lighting fixtures and outdoor lighting in general. Because we are convinced that whatever they are, all places deserve to be highlighted in the most beautiful way possible. This requirement is our mission.