Starting its journey in 1927, Belvedere is one of the oldest salon furniture manufacturing companies that are still in business today. The company offers a wide range of services from styling chairs, barber's chairs, and its iconic wall-mounted shampoo bowl to even reception room furniture.
The Belvedere Maletti chairs are adored to date for their exceptional high-quality build and aesthetics. This nearly a century-old business venture has come a long way with profound inventions and market domination with their pioneering products.
The company started its journey in 1927 as an enamel company in Belvidere, Illinois. Its founder Walter Kiefer operated the company by the name Belvedere Vitreous Enameling Company during that time. In 1934, Kiefer designed a unique shampoo bowl that incorporated a "dip" at one end of the bowl — a design that later became popular in the hair care industry. Over a decade later, the company renamed Belvedere Products reflecting a new line of shampoo bowls and accessories.
Belvedere introduced its first line of hydraulic salon chairs in the market in 1957. However, a few years later, Revlon purchased the company and retained ownership for seven years. In 1971, when it was sold to 16 employees, including Art Weaver. Art Weaver directed the company until 1978 when Smith Investment Company purchased Belvedere and renamed it to Belvedere Company. Soon after, in October 1998, Wella Corporation acquired all assets of Belvedere Company to form Belvedere USA Corporation. In 2018, Belvedere associated itself with the Italian group Maletti to form Belvedere Maletti, which offers a wide range of salon equipment.
In 1934, the founder of Belvedere, Walter Kiefer, designed a unique shampoo bowl which he later applied for a patent in 1939. The shampoo bowl was primarily targeted towards beauty parlors and salons. The bowl provided better support for the user's head and made the process more comfortable. It also made the process easier for the operator. It allowed the user to adjust the head position with respect to the bowl and included a neck rest pad for better form.
The design included a "dip" or a depression that accommodated the neck and provided support. It had water drainage and a valve to control hot and cold water. The bowl was made of metal with a coating of porcelain enamel which was in accordance with conventional practices. Kiefer's design became famous worldwide as it allowed the salons to provide better services to their customers.
Belvedere's USA Corporation's innovation did not remain limited to the design of Kiefer's shampoo bowl. In 1997, they applied to patent another shampoo bowl design which was adjustable. This pivotally-mounted shampoo bowl was designed by Thomas G. Rasmussen that offered better neck support by allowing the user to tilt and adjust the height of the bowl. In 2004, Belvedere applied to patent the design for an automated pedicure system, including a receptacle for immersion treatment with jet action.
Approaching its 100th anniversary, the Belvedere company, now Belvedere Maletti, is dominating the salon industry with its innovative designs. Click here to check out Belvedere Maletti's top 5 best chairs for salons.
