Powder coating quality from Brillux Industrial Coatings for Metallbude Metal furniture design with a high-end finish

Consistent color quality is a key aspect of Metallbude's Europe-wide supply chains.

“Everything depends on this finish,” says Tobias Stern, running his palm over the surface of the Cosmo side table. The combination of a premium feel and an appealing color makes all the difference when it comes to a piece of furniture’s first impression. As a product developer and designer at Metallbude, Stern knows what he is talking about: every day, he deals with the expectations of discerning customers.

In a business driven heavily by online sales, however, customers do not experience the tactile qualities of a product until it has been delivered. This places high demands on the coating used for the designer furniture: it must look and feel premium, be scratch-resistant and UV-resistant and retain its color over time. Offering a wide range of colors is also essential for appealing to different tastes – and with that comes the need for consistent color matching throughout production. “Even if someone orders a matching coffee table for their side table at a later date, the colors have to be identical. That is our standard and our promise to our customers,” explains Vanessa Schwarkow, Corporate Communications and Content Manager at Metallbude.

A trend color as the starting point

This challenge marked the beginning of Metallbude’s collaboration with Brillux Industrial Coatings in mid-2025. By then, Metallbude had grown into a Europe-wide interior brand offering a diverse range of furniture categories. The next step was to take a bolder approach to color.

Metallbude wanted to introduce a new color accent with the trend color “Macchiato,” among others, but the project proved more challenging than expected. The challenge was to combine this distinctive color with the high quality requirements for the powder coating. This was where Brillux Industrial Coatings came in. Metallbude needed more than simply a supply of powder coating: the formulation itself had to be developed in the desired color.

“We developed and delivered the color in just two weeks with our R&D team,” emphasizes Marvin Dropmann, Technical Consultant at Brillux Industrial Coatings. The project marked the beginning of a close working relationship. For Metallbude, using a single powder coating for both indoor and outdoor furniture was an important factor in ensuring efficient coating processes.

From the outset, the Universal Polyester Powder 5944 in a matt fine-textured finish was used, meeting Metallbude’s high standards. The coating offers very good weather resistance, excellent gloss and color stability and good corrosion protection. Its high surface hardness provides optimum protection for the high-quality metal furniture.

Knowing that all of our coating partners can access the same level of quality through Brillux Industrial Coatings is perfect for us.

Maik Huebner, Managing Director and Head of Marketing at Metallbude

Metallbude applies the powder coating to a wide range of furniture geometries using its manual powder coating system.
Different colors are also required during production, depending on customer requirements.
Surface quality is critical to the customer experience and the longevity of the products.

Consistent quality at every location

At its production facility in Leopoldshöhe near Detmold, Metallbude uses a manual powder coating system. This type of coating process allows for quick color changes and flexible application across a wide range of furniture geometries. Following pretreatment, the furniture components receive a single powder coating layer. Minimal preparation and shorter curing times make the process even more efficient.

At the same time, Metallbude works with an international supplier network to support its strong growth. To ensure consistent, reproducible surface and color quality regardless of the production location, Brillux Industrial Coatings is Metallbude’s exclusive powder coating supplier, supplying all 14 partner companies. “Knowing that all of our coating partners can access the same level of quality through Brillux Industrial Coatings is perfect for us,” says Huebner, Managing Director and Head of Marketing at Metallbude.

Color matching using physical samples

Following “Macchiato,” additional trend colors such as “Pink Lemonade,” “Mango Lassi,” “Hot Choc,” “Orange Sprizz” and “Midnight Martini” were introduced. For new colors, Metallbude relies on the color measurement and development expertise of Brillux Industrial Coatings.

Accurate color matching is particularly important in B2B projects, such as furniture that Metallbude manufactures for hotels and restaurants. Brillux Industrial Coatings analyzes the desired color based on the requirements of the interior design or corporate identity and develops customized formulations using the polyester powder. Custom sample panels allow the color appearance, surface character and visual impression under different lighting conditions to be evaluated under real-world conditions.

Showcasing finish options

Colors, surface textures and effect options at a glance and in their original form: Metallbude also uses the Brillux Industrial Coatings powder coating sample collection when advising its customers. Vanessa Schwarkow explains the possibilities it offers.

Is the sample collection a useful addition to your customer consultations?
Yes. It is particularly helpful when we work with our commercial clients, such as hotels and restaurants. Especially when it comes to custom colors and individual requirements, the sample collection helps us showcase the available finish options and establish common standards with our customers.

What additional inspiration does the sample collection provide for product development?
The variety of possibilities is particularly interesting, for example the option of using clear coats or different surface textures. The sample collection has broadened our perspective and continues to give us new ideas for the design of our products.

The curing oven is regarded as a bottleneck. The new low-temperature powder coating creates additional capacity.

Higher output with low-temperature technology

As Metallbude continues to grow, so do the demands on its production processes. The curing oven currently operates for up to 20 hours a day and is increasingly becoming the bottleneck that determines production throughput. Metallbude is gradually transitioning from Universal Polyester Powder 5944 to the low-temperature powder coating B-Powder LT Coat PE 5954, while maintaining the same surface texture, gloss level and quality characteristics. At the same time, the technology offers opportunities to make production processes more efficient.

Initially, Metallbude plans to shorten curing times while maintaining the same curing temperature, thereby increasing output. Looking ahead, lower curing temperatures could also help improve its CO₂ footprint by reducing the energy required for curing. “The low-temperature technology is a real game changer for us,” says Huebner. The first color has already been successfully converted.

From start-up to European interior brand

Founded in 2020 by two brothers, a brother-in-law and a close friend, Metallbude has grown within just a few years from a small project into one of the fastest-growing providers of design-focused metal furniture. When it became clear soon after launching the company that the business had the potential to succeed, the four young founders went all in. Today, the company employs 55 people and ships its products to 26 European countries.

Fourteen employees work in production alone, alongside numerous international suppliers and contract coaters. The company’s growth has been substantial. According to the company, Metallbude now generates annual revenue in the tens of millions of euros. In 2025, the company grew by more than 50 percent, and it expects revenue growth to be even higher in 2026.