Interview & opening Hästens
Afgelopen dinsdag werd ik uitgenodigd voor een bezoekje aan Amsterdam, voor een interview en opening van Hästens. Dit interview had ik met de CEO van Hästens , Jan Ryde. Een zeer aardige man met veel kennis en liefde voor zijn bedrijf, dat al meer dan 160 jaar bestaat en nu in de 5e generatie zit in het maken van bedden.
De oorsprong van Hästens lag in 1852 waarbij Pehr Adolf Janson begon met het maken van zadels. In die tijd was het gewoon dat zadelmakers ook matrassen maakte en zodoende groeide het bedrijf steeds verder uit en werd het maken van matrassen niet meer een nevenactiviteit, maar juist de core business. Later in 1917 werd er door David Janson (2e generatie) beslist dat er alleen nog maar bedden gemaakt zouden worden, vanuit hier groeit Hästens uit tot een internationaal bedrijf dat in de top van de beddenindustrie gevestigd is.
Hästens is dus een bedrijf dat de meeste mensen wel kennen. Verder is het een topmerk dat zeker thuishoort bij Designaresse. Dit interview met Jan Ryde kun je hieronder lezen. Het zal in het Engels zijn, maar wanneer je toch liever in het Nederlands wil lezen, laat dan een reactie achter, dan zal ik de Nederlandse versie ook online zetten. Veel leesplezier en luister goed naar de tip van Jan!
Today is a special day, why?
‘Today, the first of september we will launch two new editions of already excisting beds. One is a Limited Edition of the 2000T version and there is a Special Edition of the ‘Luxuria’.
The Limited Edition of the 2000T version is different, because of the leather protectors instead of the metal protectors, on the corners of the bed. There are also leather handles on both sides of the bed. But the main aspect is that there will only be 200 beds for sale, that’s very Limited. You can also see which number your bed will be, because of the golden plate on the front of the bed. There will be mentioned your number somewhere between 1 and 200.
And why the leather? Because of the history of the company, they started as saddlers (zadelmakers).
The Special Edition of the ‘Luxuria’ is different because of the colour. We introduced a new colour: Ocean Blue. You can only choose this colour between the first of september till the 31st of december 2015. So this colour is also Limited.’
Can you tell me more about why the leather on the Limited Edition?
‘We are dedicated on product development and giving the consumer the best possible beds for sleeping. Normally we improve our beds on the inside, and we do that every year, it’s to increase the level of comfort and make it even better to sleep in. So it’s very functional design, and what we’re talking about here does not necesseraly have something to do with function, these leather attributes are a connection to our heritage as master saddlers since 1852.’
How does Hästens stand so well in this time of recession?
‘Because of the quality, to our advantage are all the ambassadors of loyalty, the consumers. Of course we had a bump in the road in 2008, especially in the Netherlands because we had a lot of partners that had invested in many new stores, it was a tough time for them to survive in times of crisis.
Internationally we are growing very fast, because people are coming to the stores, try the bed and realize how good the bed is. It’s something you either have to experience or you have to have friends that have a Hästens bed to tell how good they are. It’s kinda hard otherwise to explain how the bed feels. It is a product that has so much on the inside, that it’s not that easy to explain.
And we are on a mission. That’s because there are so much more sleepstudies. One study says you can live up to 20 years longer by sleeping really well. Another study focused on the short term benefits of sleep and also how attractive you look when you have 3 nights of good sleep. We know sleeping is very important. So we must do the best we can to offer everybody the best possible bed.’
Do you have a sleeping tip?
‘We don’t need to do anything or we don’t need to think to much about it either. Of course there are some basic rules, like don’t drink coffee after 3. That’s because the halftime of cafeïne is six hours. Coffee is really healthy for us, but only in the morning or before lunch. Another basic rule is do some fysical exercises during the day for at least 20 minutes and eat healthy.
The most important tip: don’t go to bed when you’re not tired. It really doesn’t matter, because the key is that the body will catch up later. Just relax. You will feel more tired earlier the next day and that will help you sleep better and longer so you can feel rested when you wake up. Everyone needs a different amount of sleep, so don’t feel guilty when you don’t got that 7 hours of sleep.
But the best advice I can give is: go visit a Hästens store. Because we make a bed with the best materials so you can naturally can fall asleep.’
What would make Hästens better than other companies?
‘We’re using the best materials and really putting it together in the best way we can, and we continue to improve that. It may sound easy, but what you’re getting is a bed that makes you fall asleep faster. It makes you stay asleep deeper and with better quality. The process by doing that is by lowering the body temperature in a natural way with the layers of horsehair and cotton. These materials are making it natural and very easy for the body to lower the temperature. So you can more easily fall asleep and in a deeper sleep.’
Is there a bed for children?
‘Yes, we have an assortment of mattresses. When your child is old enough (like the age of 2 or older) you can buy a mattress for adults. But only the top mattress, so your child could climb the bed by itself. There are also mattresses for children’s beds, so it’s for you to decide what is the best for your child.’ Lees hier meer over de producten voor kinderen
How long do you think a Hästens bed can last?
‘Forever, we test the beds to among 130 years, that’s theoratical. But we have also real customers, so we did a test in Sweden. And we found that more than 1.000 customers are having a bed that’s more than 50 years old, and they still use it. The bed can last for 50 years. And because of the testing every year the quality is much higher now.’
Why does Hästens have that checked pattern on the beds?
‘It is picked for many reasons. My father designed the bed and he wanted the bed to be modern and timeless. And the first response from the public was that it was ugly and didn’t work, but it was just different in that time (1987). He wanted it to be different, to stand out, so people should be interested on the inside, because that was more important. He had a sense of what was missing at that time. And now the pattern is still timeless.
There are also quality benefits. We can also make the fabric very strong in combination with the materials, and we also have a visual quality check. The craftsman can visually inspect and see that everything is straight and there are no flaws in the fabric, so he can say: this is perfect. ‘
Zoals je wel hebt gelezen wil Hästens vooral kwaliteit leveren en slaapcomfort bieden. Daarvoor kun je nu ook terecht in een nieuwe Hästens winkel, Oost Slaapcomfort. Daarvan was op 1 sept de opening, waarbij de Limited en Special Editions werden gepresenteerd.
Als je geïnspireerd bent geraakt door dit interview en graag meer wilt weten over Hästens en waar je de bedden en accessoires kan kopen kijk dan eens hier. En ga vooral eens langs een Hästens winkel in de buurt om het zelf uit te proberen!
XOXO
Designaresse
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