Light creates atmosphere inside the refrigerator
The night-time trip to the fridge – a recurring motif in films, cartoons and advertising. Liebherr has now considered this familiar behaviour from a product development perspective. The result: refrigerator lighting that does not dazzle tired eyes in the dark.
Light plays a significant role inside Liebherr refrigerators in general, as product designer Jan Ctvrtnik explained in his keynote presentation. At the Liebherr VIP event held during Milan Design Week 2026, he outlined to invited guests from around the world the role light plays in the manufacturer’s product development at its headquarters in Ochsenhausen, Swabia.
Liebherr Appliances specialises in refrigeration. Unlike most of its competitors, the company focuses on a single product field. Within this field, however, it offers solutions for a wide range of applications – not only for private households, but also for catering businesses, food producers and medical laboratories. ‘Laboratory equipment is incredibly demanding in every respect,’ says Maria Mack, Head of Global Communication & Brand Management at Liebherr. ‘Liebherr benefits from the extensive expertise we have developed by concentrating on refrigeration.’
The company’s highest-revenue product segment is household refrigeration. To meet its own standards as a premium manufacturer, Liebherr invests considerable effort in the ongoing development of its products – including their lighting. The small light bulb in the top right-hand corner of the fridge, activated when the door was opened, has long been a thing of the past. Modern Liebherr appliances feature illuminated interior panels and AmbientLight integrated into the exterior handles.
‘Light structures the interior of the refrigerator and creates atmosphere,’ explains Jan Ctvrtnik. In the high-end domestic refrigeration market, the focus is no longer limited to basic functionality. Another reason why lighting design is becoming increasingly important is that refrigerators are getting larger. Liebherr now develops XXL refrigerators that are significantly taller than conventional models, for example. In these appliances, the way light is distributed throughout the interior plays a central role.
Material selection is another key focus for Liebherr’s design department. ‘Inside, we limit ourselves to a minimum of different materials,’ says Jan Ctvrtnik. ‘This creates a sense of spaciousness.’ The exterior of the refrigerator is also carefully considered. ‘We test all surfaces under different lighting conditions to assess their effect,’ Ctvrtnik explains. The result includes models in warm metallic tones, which are currently in high demand.
‘Our design strategy is timelessness,’ says Maria Mack, summarising Liebherr’s design principles. ‘Users should feel at ease and experience every function as intuitive.’ At the same time, the company aims to offer planners and architects a wide range of options and a high degree of flexibility.
For Maria Mack, the Liebherr VIP event in Milan was also an opportunity to engage more closely with these target groups. She considers the event a success. ‘We were able to have genuinely meaningful conversations with customers from around the world,’ she says, summing up the outcome of the Liebherr VIP evening.
