CEO and Chairman (Owner), Smeg S.p.A.
Welcome to Casa Bertazzoni, San Francisco
Transport yourself to the Design District of San Francisco, home of Bertazzoni's first flagship experience center in the United ...
About Vittorio Bertazzoni
Vittorio Bertazzoni, CEO and chairman of Smeg, discussed the company's design philosophy and history in a 2011 interview. He stated that collaborating with architects such as Guido Canali, Mario Bellini, Renzo Piano, and Marc Newson helps make products "eternal" and not tied to trends. He said that some Smeg products have sold for 25 years after their initial production. Bertazzoni also said that the Modernist movement of the early 1930s set the correct path, and that patient refinement of products leads to quality that does not age quickly, unlike work that follows fashion. In a separate 2011 appearance, Bertazzoni described the evolution of the kitchen from a utilitarian room to a space that merges with the living room, making product appearance more important. He said that sustainable growth and environmental impact are important, and that the industry will see incremental improvements in functionality, such as using electronics to reduce energy use. Bertazzoni also recounted the company's history, starting in 1882 with scales for the cheese industry, moving to wood-burning cookers in the early 1900s, and rebuilding after World War II under his father.
Transcript (4 segments)
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Vittorio Bertazzoni0:05
We are in the Design District in San Francisco, California, and this is our first flagship store in the United States. Bertazzoni is a kitchen appliance manufacturer. We are based in Italy. We are the oldest kitchen appliance manufacturer still owned and run by the same family. This year is very important for us because it's our 140th anniversary. Family is one of the core values of our brand. We are a multi-generational company, and my brother Nicola and I represent the sixth generation. When we design the products, we have our customers in mind, but also we keep our heritage in mind. We do kitchen appliances, so of course our products have to perform supremely well but also look beautiful. We have recently enlarged our induction portfolio because we believe this is a trend that is going to grow very fast in North America as it is in Europe. Actually, we have three different design series. The Professional Series has a more contemporary look and is highlighted by very clean lines. The Heritage series is a more classic series and is highlighted by design elements that come actually from the wood-burning stoves that we used to manufacture at the beginning of the 1900s. And our third series is the Master Series, which has a more traditional style and expresses very well the practical elegance. In all three series, we offer the complete suite of appliances for the kitchen. We are seeing a request from designers to have a coordinated suite of appliances across the kitchen because these allow them to really have a harmonized style in the space. Ranges, cooktops, wall ovens, compact ovens, refrigeration, dishwasher, and of course ventilation.
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Orlando Soria2:27
My name is Orlando Soria. I am an author, interior designer, and TV host. I first discovered Bertazzoni when I sourced their professional range for a condo project I did almost 10 years ago, and ever since then I've just been obsessed with how beautiful their line is. There's kind of just something for everybody. One of my favorite projects that I've ever done as an interior designer was designing a big beautiful kitchen for my mom. So I got to use the beautiful Heritage range in her kitchen because my mom has always been such a great cook. I grew up eating such beautiful food. It's really nice to see her cooking on this beautiful range that not only functions amazingly but also has so much style, and it feels kind of like a range fit for a queen, which is how I want my mom to feel. I recently hit a huge milestone: I got to buy my first house. I'm really excited because I am using the Collezione Metalli accents on my Bertazzoni range. It's also going to be on all the handles for all the appliances throughout the whole room. It's a way to kind of make everything feel cohesive but also have that little extra decorative development.
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Laurie March3:38
I'm Laurie March, designer and project manager, and I live and work in Southern California. So a lot of my style is really focused on bringing the outdoors and natural elements in and lots of functionality. One of the first kitchens I designed in Southern California was for a showrunner and his wife. She fell in love on the spot with the orange Bertazzoni range. It really became the entire focus of the kitchen. Getting to know a little bit more about the Bertazzoni family history, I discovered that this range is actually inspired by one of their original ranges that they first created, and it has a different kind of texture and energy and vibe in the space. It feels very historical. My home is 100 years old, and so it felt really special to incorporate a historically inspired piece like that in my own space. For the kitchen, I chose the Heritage series range in avorio. It's this beautiful vintage ivory and it has a matching hood. It's right in the center of the kitchen and it's perfect. Enter a showroom that's been as thoughtfully designed as this one, you really can interact with the products and understand them in the way that you would in a kitchen. You know, you just have to put your hands on things sometimes to truly understand the level of quality. And being in this space just allows you to interact with so many different lines and colors and textures. It's so awesome.
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Vittorio Bertazzoni5:05
For the beauty of the product and for the distinct Italian design, when we decided to introduce the colors on Bertazzoni appliances, we wanted to bring emotion. And we thought that the colors of Italy would have been the best way to create emotion into the kitchen. Red, yellow, orange – these vibrant colors were inspired by our land and of course by our food. Our company is based in Emilia-Romagna, which is a region of good food but also of automotive. So we had the chance really to use the same painted techniques that are used by the luxury sports car industry that is based in our region. Casa means house, so Casa Bertazzoni is the space where we want really the designer to feel and experience the value of the Bertazzoni brand. Here they can find inspiration, they can find authentic content, and of course they can see, touch, use, and experience the appliances. Always make the future is our statement for this year. We reflect on the past but we are always pointing at the future. We envision products that are for sure sustainable and that can help people to have a healthier lifestyle. We have built our company with a customer-centric approach. People are at the heart of what we do.