Bordbar: from high altitudes to interiors

Transforming authentic aircraft trolleys into objects of design. This creative, successful idea was conceived by the duo Stephan Boltz and Valentin Hartmann, who launched the venture ten years ago. The company that has grown out of it is called Bordbar – a name that already identifies the products – based in Cologne.

The Bordbar collection is an imaginative tribute to functionality. Trolleys that are traditionally used on aircrafts by flight attendants to serve snacks on board become highly versatile furnishing accessories (for private or office use and for the marketing activities of  major companies): from the model with a cutting board to create a mobile kitchen surface, to the container with compartments for office use and optional integrated LEDs with an iPhone attachment, perfect for sharing music.

A variety of customizable interiors and options are also reflected in the outer design, which is mainly the responsibility of the company’s design department. Colours, prints, patterns, and designs make the product always unique and suitable for the most varied interior settings. The Pan Am Edition is one of a kind – a tribute to one of the largest US companies; the Black Edition has an elegant, completely black design. A new edition in 2016 is the Lufthansa Cocktail version, which has a peephole in the door. Their originality has been acknowledged with numerous awards, including the Red Dot Award, the Interior Innovation Award and the Designpreis Deutschland.

Their passion for design and old furniture has been the driving force behind the project. It all started with old cinema seats and steel cabinets, before they directed their attention to aircraft trolleys. In 2006, the brand launched the business with a modest 287 trolleys. Today it is a global player and in 2011 it began a collaboration with AirBerlin to make 450 trolleys for the German company.

The trolleys, which are disused objects, are manually repaired and overhauled. During the transformation process, they are polished, smoothed and laminated with an extremely durable coating. The result is an object with a vintage soul, but an absolutely contemporary look.