A Special Relationship

The first real test for the yacht interior outfitting side of the business came in the year 2000. It was the first time Deutsche Werkstätten had been appointed to provide almost the entire interior fitout of a yacht. And all this with a very pro-active owner who took it upon himself to visit Hellerau on a regular basis. For him, the goal was to create a ‘home’ on the water. “My home far away from my home”.

Project Manager, Torsten Thiemer, was a design engineer at the time and remembers how overwhelmed they felt by the task that lay ahead. “The list of special requests was long. This level of detail was new to us and we had to learn fast.”

This particular contract was an important experience in more ways than one. As well as pushing the boundaries of technical skills and craftsmanship we also learnt to respect the value of people and communication skills. In dealing with constantly changing expectations and requests on the part of the client we had to exercise patience and be flexible and open to change at all times. “I realized that in this situation my role was primarily to listen to the clients wishes and then find ways to realize them.”

“Unique fittings had to be developed, the owners favourite sofa, no longer available on the market, had to be re-constructed, for which the original 70s version was flown to Dresden to serve as a model. Other requests included black washbasins fitted with black taps. These exclusive taps were also no longer available, but we persuaded the manufacturer to produce a new limited edition for our use.”

Editorial note: This article was published in 2020.

In the end this project was a great success and became an important reference for Deutsche Werkstätten. The owner was more than satisfied with his floating ‘home’ and DW had the opportunity to demonstrate its capabilities. This special relationship with the client has lasted for over two decades. In fact, since its launch in 2001, DW has been entrusted with all interior fitouts, renovation and repair works. For Torsten Thiemer, this special relationship is as close as you can get to being part of the family, belonging to a closed inner circle; a relationship built on trust and confidence.