TV in your living room? How to make it work with Philips and Georg Jensen
I’m going to be brutally honest with you. And I just know you are going to agree with me one hundred per cent. I hate having a TV in my living room. There, I’ve said it. It’s big, it’s black, a rectangular vortex that demands your attention no matter if it’s…
The Philips Georg Jensen TV – behind the screen with designer Rod White
What do you really know about all the different items you have in your living room? Why do they look the way they look? What went on during the design process? And how do you make sure they look every bit as good as the designer had in mind? I was…
Edwardian Times Bloom at JEE-O / an interview with Lammert Moerman
You may not be aware of the brand name JEE-O, but I bet you know one product they have designed: the iconic original shower 01. I first saw it at the opening of the C-More Concept Store, which is owned by my good friend Iris. A while ago, she invited me…
Jacqueline Louter-Hoos recreates art history with artificial flowers
Even if we don’t see each other a lot, photographer Jacqueline Louter-Hoos and I have a lot in common. First, we both didn’t embark on our creative careers until later in life. Also, we both love making bold statements in our work, preferably with color. Lots of color. I met up…
And I’m telling you, IJM not going to Milan this year (but that’s okay)
I’ve lost count of how many designers I’ve interviewed through the years – but this I can tell you with absolute certainty: the most talented creatives are modest, forthcoming and don’t mind talking about the mistakes they’ve made along the way. But whenever I interview someone who automatically assumes you understand…
Ten items I would have bought in a heartbeat at Design Icons but didn’t
One of my favorite assignments of these past few years, is curating for Gevonden op Marktplaats, a blog run by the best Dutch tastemakers who share their best interior design finds on Marktplaats – which is the Netherlands’ biggest online marketplace. Believe it or not, but this is hard work. I can…
I’m telling you now so you’ll be ready when you need a bathroom: Alape!
The moment I bought my new bathroom, I just knew that I was going to get a serious case of buyer’s remorse at one point in time. Tiles, shower screens, faucets, cabinets and a wash basin – I needed them all and I needed them fast. It was early 2017, I…
I got two Vitra chairs for less than the cost of a cappuccino
In 2006, Nora Ephron published an essay called Moving On in The New Yorker about how she once fell madly in love with her apartment on New York’s Upper Westside. You may know Ephron as the screenwriter and director of rom-com blockbusters such as When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got…
Object Rotterdam 2019 from top to bottom
Time flies when you’re having fun! One year ago today, I was racing against the clock to get my book finished. Together with designer Ingrid Robers, I was spending every waking minute tweaking the layout and making sure that everything was perfect. It was a hectic time, to be sure –…
Krystle – the short film that was shot at my home
Last August, my friend and filmmaker Abid Chand asked me if he could use my home as a location for a film that he wanted to shoot. He told me he was participating in the Rotterdam edition of the 48 Hour Film Project, an annual competition in which local filmmakers have…
Simon Schrikker, master of suspense
He used to paint dangerous-looking dogs and played with our associations with danger. Now Simon Schrikker focuses on rough seascapes in distant places. On a cold winter afternoon, I decided to put on my raincoat and visit the studio of a driven and fascinating artist who also happens to live in…
Hardcore antiquing at Anterieur Leiden
Take me to a good antiques store and I am a happy man. My friend Bianca knew this all too well when she took me along to Anterieur in her hometown of Leiden. On my own, I would have never found this shop myself. In fact, I think I would have…
It’s in the bag! My nine-year old nephew reviews Terapy’s Elly beanbag
Yes, you read that correctly. My nephew Kick turned 9 a while ago and, even though much like his uncle he is very well-behaved, I thought I’d teach him a lesson – about interviewing, art direction and photography, that is. Our subject? A new ergonomic beanbag that we could both enjoy….
Annebet Philips: “I Do What I Do Because It Is Who I Am.”
If you’re at home, like I am right now, you are surrounded by products that were each designed by a particular person. And you can bet that person has a story to tell. To find out more about the story behind the fabulous new knotted lamp in my hallway, I headed…
Spice up your bedroom with the new Auping Pixel nightstand
It’s the first piece of furniture you see in the morning. And the last one before you send yourself off to sleep. Yup, I’m talking about the trusty old nightstand. I’ve looked many, many years for just the right solution. The ideal nightstand does not only look good, it also has…
Snijder & Co: “Authenticity is always rewarded”
With their hand-painted wallpaper, Snijder & Co are taking the Netherlands by storm. And not without reason! Marcelo Gimenes and his partner Jaap Snijder use their craft with love and attention to every detail. Another thing these two gentlemen are good as, is talking. Lots and lots of talking. That is…
Kvik Prato’s X Module crosses the boundary between your kitchen and living room
True story: Last weekend, my best friend Michel texted me and asked for advice about his new kitchen. He lives in one of those typical late nineteenth-century homes in The Hague – very elegant and great to raise a family in. Like in many pre-war homes, the kitchen is located in…
Sebastian Herkner: “It’s high time we moved on to something more sophisticated.”
Slow down. And have a look at the chair that’s nearest to you. Take in its curves, its colors and the materials – they’re all there because the designer made a deliberate choice to use them. I don’t know about you, but it definitely sounds like a daunting task to design…
SWEETS Hotel Amsterdam – I slept in a bridge-controller house and am dying to tell you all about it
It is a fantasy that every Dutchman must have had at one point in their lives. I know I’ve had it and I’m sure you have it, too. And if you’ve never been to the Netherlands, hang in there…it will all become clear to you in a few sentences. The hypothetical…
Boris van Berkum’s Divine Winti Inspiration
In Winti, there are no coincidences. And that is exactly why Dutch artist Boris van Berkum became inspired with this Surinamese religion. Winti, you see, takes elements from African and European cultures and mixes them together into an outlook on life that deserves more attention than it does now. It definitely…
Pestana Amsterdam Riverside – Glamour! History! Interior Design!
Can I just come out and say that I love luxury hotels? As far as I’m concerned, they are the pinnacle of glamour. I don’t care about money or being rich, but give me a night at five-star hotel with all the trimmings and I am a happy man. The latest…
Farrow & Ball’s Colour Consultancy Manager Patrick O’Donnell: ‘In the end, your home is about you.’
If there is one thing I like best about being an interior design writer, it’s meeting new people who share my passion for creating wonderful homes. Patrick O’Donnell was no exception. As manager of Farrow & Ball’s colour consultancy service, he understands like no one else how colour can make –…
Via Antica – The Brussels vintage design store that made me go —> HOT DAMN!
For years and years and years, I used to go to Brussels and come back disillusioned. Where was the nice part of town? How come I didn’t find any cool vintage shops? I’m lucky to report that those years are OVAH because on a recent trip to the capital of Belgium…
I was at the Design Academy Eindhoven 2018 Masters’ Graduation Exhibition – and you were not
If you want to avoid the long lines for the Design Academy Graduation Show in October, then I have juuuust the thing for you. Because this prestigious Dutch school – alma mater of some of the best designers in the world – also happens to organize a Masters’ Graduation Exhibition in…
Is this burning an Eterne flame?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: your home should have an eclectic mix with accessories you’ve collected during trips to faraway countries. But what if it turns out the hand-crafted occasional table you’ve *just* bought at that souk in Marrakesh doesn’t fit in the overhead luggage…
What is it like to write a book – in two hours or less
‘Procrastination has always been my weakness,’ I confessed to my new friend Ron earlier tonight. ‘Oh, who cares? It’s charming!’ His reply was just what I needed. The time had come to sit down, overcome an insane bout of writer’s block and finally tell you what it’s like to publish a…
TEFAF, I love you but you’re bringing me down
I was at TEFAF Maastricht the day before yesterday. And I could easily write a quicky blogpost saying what a totally unique exhibition it is. I would challenge you to come up with an even finer fine art show that so effortlessly combines art from different eras in one single building….
Thanks to Maarten Spruyt, there is NOTHING NEW in Milan this year
There are two things that all the very best creatives I’ve met have in common – and take it from me, I met a lot of them the past few years. First, they are always down to earth. Tom Dixon, one of the world’s most famous designers, once told me that…
Como Audio – Tried, tested and found true
When it comes to audio, you can definitely say I’ve been upping my game lately. Late last year, I bought a high-end Bluetooth headset. It’s not just great for the road, but it also comes in quite useful whenever I want to listen to my music at home – which I…
Vitra Schaudepot – THE SCHAU MUST GO ON
You would not believe how tired I was after two days running up and down the Vitra Campus along with some of Europe’s most influential interior designer influencers that ever influenced. In spite of my humongous vintage Umbro benchcoat, I was cold, wet and desperate for my second wind to kick in….