A BERLIN COMPANY HISTORY
Bettenhaus Schmitt in Berlin-Zehlendorf has been there for you for two generations and exactly 50 years.
As an owner-managed family business, we offer you a qualified, reliable specialist service for all aspects of sleeping and living. Our diverse and high-quality range extends from bedding, mattresses and beds to complete bedroom furnishings – including custom-made interiors on request, such as the box-spring beds from Schramm. Furniture for children has also been a focus since the company was founded.
Founded in 1969 in Berlin-Charlottenburg by the parents of the current managing director Mark Schmitt, the company was initially run purely as a bed store. In 1990, Mark Schmitt took over the management and expanded the current location in Zehlendorf. The sales area and the product range have been constantly expanded since then.
Today, with around 1,500 square meters of sales space, we are one of the largest and best-known furniture stores in Berlin. With our 100 square meter Schramm showroom, we are also Berlin’s largest supplier of box spring beds and other Schramm sleep products. Thanks to the high quality of our specialist advice, we have also made a name for ourselves beyond Berlin.
However, it was never just the figures and balance sheets that drove Mark Schmitt. What motivates him and his 28-strong team is a genuine passion for beautiful, high-quality interiors. Heart and soul is the simple secret behind the success of our bed house.
THE CAREER AT A GLANCE
Vom Laden zum kleinen Kaufhaus!
1969 Company founded in Berlin-Charlottenburg
The company was founded in 1969 by Egbert Schmitt, a sales representative, and his wife Karin Schmitt in Berlin Charlottenburg. Together, the couple took over the “Bettenhaus Leopold” in Nürnberger Straße. The store was called “Bettenhaus am Tauentzien” and included a children’s department as well as a bed department.
1975 Opening of the “Bettenhaus Zehlendorf” branch
When the bed store in Charlottenburg was soon bursting at the seams, the “Bettenhaus Zehlendorf” branch was opened in 1975 at Teltower Damm 28, the current location of Bettenhaus Schmitt. The property, which had housed the “Betten Haupt” bed house since the 1930s, had been in the family since 1900. Mark Schmitt’s grandmother, his father and finally Mark Schmitt himself grew up there.
1990 Expansion of “Bettenhaus Zehlendorf” to become the sole location
The post-reunification period also brought many changes for the bed house: after Karin Schmitt retired from business life, the parent company was closed in 1990 and her son Mark Schmitt joined the company. His aim was to expand the ward block in the family-owned property in Zehlendorf. The old building was demolished and significantly enlarged by the construction of two adjoining buildings: The former 250 square meter sales area was expanded to 1250 square meters and thus increased fivefold.
1995 Opening of the children’s specialty store “Baby’s In”
Together with his brother Derk, who had also joined the business in the meantime, Mark Schmitt opened the specialist children’s store “Baby’s In” on the opposite side of the street in 1995. Ten years later, this was integrated into the ward block. Since then, the children’s department has been called “Schmitt’s kids”. Following the successful integration, Derk Schmitt left the company in 2005.
2010 Addition of a 2nd floor to the ward block
Just five years later, a construction project took place that changed more than just the space in the ward block: a second storey was added to the building. The additional 250 square meters of sales space was used to offer not only beds but also other products related to the bedroom: Sofa beds and wardrobes, lamps, carpets and curtain fabrics. With the expanded range, Bettenhaus Schmitt became a furnishing provider – a significant entrepreneurial step that was communicated to the outside world by a small change to the logo: the addition of “schlafen + wohnen”.
2012 Redesign of the exterior façade: construction of a glass bay window
Another important construction measure was the redesign of the exterior façade: in 2012, a glass bay window extending over both floors was added to the two-storey building. The glass front, brightly lit from the inside, reveals what the traditional company is today: a state-of-the-art furniture store – one of the largest and best-known in Berlin.
2012 Opening of the SCHRAMM studio
In the same year, another long-cherished dream was realized: the establishment of a showroom exclusively for Schramm brand products. On an area of 100 square meters, a living landscape was created that is unparalleled in its size and variety in Berlin and is still unique today: In addition to ten box-spring beds and the various mattress systems with all fifteen mattress designs, handmade upholstered benches, side tables and, of course, bed linen from Schramm are also presented here. Mark Schmitt’s decision to dedicate a separate exhibition to Schramm products was not made overnight. The wish had been growing for years…
Owner Mark Schmitt