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                What opportunities do you see for the brand in the near future?  functions. You can propose something dramatic, like our in-house
                                                                    designed Tio Zen model with a six-meter kitchen island, but then
            While it is not a new market for high-end kitchens, the US, which   scale it down to a more reasonable size for the customer in a small
            is a huge market, is new for us and we see great potential there.   living space.  We had great success with Floo, an award-winning
            In addition, the company has diversified its product portfolio with   collaboration we did with designer Karim Rashid that explores
            the Mahlzeit range with the goal of introducing a simple kitchen   the design versatility as well as sensorial and functional qualities of
            targeted at a younger audience – it’s a less pricey, starter kitchen   Corian® Solid Surface. Rashid’s creativity and our engineering have
            concept. There are more colorful combinations and the idea is to   created a timeless piece: we didn’t reinvent the kitchen, we refined
            make the space a place for entertaining, for those who want to invite   it. It uses fronts sculpted in Corian® that are ergonomic and work
            over friends and cook for them.                         naturally as handles. Floo looks ultra-modern but it is not overly
                                                                    edgy. At Eurocucina this year we had a great reception for our
                How important are design collaborations in developing new products?  Cascade model, with door panels that stick out for a 3D effect and
                                                                    which incorporates Corian® Cosmos Prima in a nice deep finish with
            While we prefer to develop models in-house, design collaborations   a seamless pattern that works well with the design.
            fascinate me. Still, sometimes it is design for design’s sake and not
            really a product but a showcase. Our kitchens have to fulfill basic   rational.de

































                                                                                                                                               OPPOSITE: Rational’s Edition
                                                                                                                                               Cascade kitchen with worksurfaces and
                                                                                                                                               wall cladding in Corian® Solid Surface
                                                                                                                                               (Cosmos Prima color); photo courtesy
                                                                                                                                               of Rational; fabrication of Corian® by
                                                                                                                                               Moser.
                                                                                                                                               THIS PAGE (Clockwise from top
                                                                                                                                               left): Rational’s floo kitchen with
                                                                                                                                               worksurfaces in Corian® Solid Surface
                                                                                                                                               (Glacier White color); design by
                                                                                                                                               Karim Rashid; photo Alexander Böhle,
                                                                                                                                               courtesy of Rational; fabrication of
                                                                                                                                               Corian® by Hasenkopf.
                                                                                                                                               The headquarters of Rational in Melle,
                                                                                                                                               Germany; photo courtesy of Rational.





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