IP44.DE

IP44.DE, a.k.a. IP44 Schmalhorst GmbH & Co, is a young and progressive company that is conservative at the same time. We are conservative when it comes to quality standards and production details. Our technologies on the other hand are decidedly progressive. And our history? Well, this has only just begun.

It all began with a question that was both clear and obvious: why shouldn't luminaires for use outside be at least as aesthetically pleasing as those we have come to love for inside our buildings? This question led to the design of our very first outside luminaire, more than 25 years ago now. Many building owners, planners and architects liked our answer so that countless other luminaires have followed, together with materials, technologies, trials and errors, as well as successes. A tentative experiment turned into a real company: IP44.DE, founded and ever since managed by Bernd Schmalhorst. What has stayed unchanged is our focus on top quality design, and our basic conviction that every place deserves great light.

It’s not a coincidence that at first glance, people often think our outside luminaires are particularly attractive inside luminaires. After all, they are just as aesthetically perfect as the most sophisticated interior luminaires. Inside they're equipped with the most conceivably reliable technology for a long life in the fresh air. And so it is no coincidence that IP44.DE has been putting many extremely beautiful places in the right light for 30 years now.

Our name is taken from a well-established industrial standard. Basically, "IP44" says that a luminaire is robust and suitable for outdoor use. Without doubt this applies to our luminaires. But right from the start, we have gone far beyond all the standards. With surfaces that are both aesthetic and durable. With imperishable materials such as glass, stainless steel or aluminium die-casting. With top quality electronic components, such as an extraordinarily efficient, durable LED technology. And with production partners who put it all together for us in accordance with the strictest possible quality standards. And because our origin makes a statement about our typical German quality aspiration, one day we also added the "DE" identifier to our name. Since then, we've been called IP44.DE.

While the first designs were produced with our own resources, we soon decided to work together with experienced luminaire designers and their very individual ideas and concepts. This soon resulted in the first design award, to be followed by many more. After all, our outside luminaires are just as aesthetically perfect as the most outstanding interior luminaires.

At the same time, we have established our own position in the world of architecture and worked together closely with planners and architects on numerous commercial, public and private projects on a global scale. Today our luminaires can be found at many extraordinarily beautiful places not just throughout Europe but also in the USA and Asia. In fact, that's the greatest compliment we could receive.

When asked today what makes IP44.DE stand out from other, certainly respectable collections of outside luminaires, the answer usually refers to the combination of an extraordinarily aesthetic appearance with perfect functionality.

Over the last three decades, we have changed constantly in the search for the evermore perfect details. The world has changed as well: today the facade, outside space and garden are considered to be an integral part of every good architecture. After all, they are the first part of a building that you see. The significance attributed to outside lighting has also grown accordingly.

On the other hand, many things have stayed the same. For example, we are still a family company. In other words, we're a small firm, which can be a drawback at times when it comes to sales power. At the same time, it is also a huge advantage because it lets us concentrate on what we are really good at: uncompromisingly perfect outside luminaires with an unmistakable design. Then as now, we only produce luminaires which we ourselves would recommend.