As promised in the last post I’m back with my favourite things spotted during the Dutch Design Week, while being on the fanstastic tour with 15 bloggers, organized by my dear friends Desiree and Holly. The post has unexpectedly become very long (yes, there were plenty of things I loved in Eindhoven!) so let’s keep the introduction short and jump right into the good staff, shall we?
1 / Dutch Design Academy
As a BlogTeamDDW, we began our first day at the Dutch Design Academy, Graduation Show – ‘Mined’ curated by Formafantasma, a studio well known for the experimental material investigations. Wow, what a mind-blowing treat!
The show represented designer-as-problem-solver approach, featuring very creative and incredibly thoughtful projects. One of my favourite things about Dutch Design is that it’s not only about shaping the object, but also shaping the new ideas of the world, introducing interfaces, providing solutions to current issues. I loved so many projects but one that particulary caught my eye was the:
New natural material – Marbled salt by Roxane Lahidji
Roxanne explores new possibilities reinventing salts as a new design material which results in a set of tables and stools. She gives it shape and strength by mixing it with tree resin. Natural color variations and coal powder mimic the aesthetics of marble. I absolutely love the final effect and the idea of using salt as a new material.
2 / The Student Hotel
Oh what a vibrant, lively and fun place to stay in! If you are in Eindhoven I can definitely recommend you The Student Hotel – it’s right next to the main train station, in the heart of Eindhoven, filled with state-of-the-art facilities and cool design. “Always be curious, never ignore the student in you” – cheers to that!
3/ Concept stores – you know you love the city when it’s packed with beautiful interior stores.
- Sissy Boy – Located in the glass capsule, Sissy-Boy is a brand with Dutch roots. A mix of fashion, interiors, styling resulting in special connections and experiences, giving shape to the basic needs of life. Have a coffee on the second floor, under the spectacular glass rooftop!
- HK Living – A Dutch brand I adored for years now! A modern designs with a raw feel, a combination of styles that makes the collections interesting.
- Sostrene Grenes– with Danish origins this store located in the heart of Eindhoven is the budget-friendly answer to all your Design Dreams. A must see, when in Eindhoven!
4 / Dutch treats
(This one is important) If you ever talked to me, you quickly learned that I can’t live without carmel. It is an essential element to my well-being, hence when in Holland I eat Stroopwaffles for breakfast, lunch, dessert and dinner. The new discoveries however include – mint tea with honey and chips with… peanut sauce. I know what you are thinking, I thought I would never try that either. But then I did and I definitely will again. If you are in Holland, you need to taste it! (you really do!)
5 / Piet Hein Eek Designs
I absolutely loved their space, enourmous white loft, divided into sections featuring gorgeous designs. My two favourite were – copper shelving system and the little lamp (on the right you can see project in progress) So good. You can read about the special dinner we had with Piet Hein Eek in my last post.
6 / Free taxis
You wouldn’t believe it (maybe you would?) but it was a pleasent surprise for me – the taxis during Duch Design Week are free of charge. Lovely Dutch people volounteer to drive the vistors around. Now, I want to see that in Milan next year!
7 / Transitions III
On a day two, together with a BlogTeamDDW, we’ve had a delicious lunch at the Broeinest, followed by a quick tour through Tranasitions III Exposition – “From raw material to design object”. A beautifully curated project by Baars and Bloemhoff in collaboration with 6 Dutch Designers, showing unexpected techniques, applications and combinations of different material. I regret I couldn’t stay a little bit longer!
8 / The Sand Project
That’s right, it’s all about the sand. A beautiful project dedicated to the ‘Scarcity of Sand’, as one of the most quickly disappearing natural resources in the world. Atelier NL has been collecting wild sand from beaches, rivers, mountains all around the world to melt into glass, revealing the unique colors and textures of the world and share the origins and stories of both sand and people from all corners of the globe. As a result we have those beautiful cups we can keep at home.
9 / Streetfood shops
I talked about the Dutch treats above, but I haven’t mentioned the streetfood places selling the Dutch Treats. That’s a whole different topic – from little wagons to bizarre tiny shops, they are surely a treat for the eyes themselves!
10 / Design Apartment Tour
Last but certainly not least, was the Design Apartment Tour curated by Studio Thier & van Daalen. It was wonderful to wander through the residence of two young design and art collectors who open their doors to the public during the Dutch Design Week, in this refurbished thirties house. A perfect spot for anyone enjoying interior styling, it was like walking through the interior magazine pages!
…but the most beautiful (and precious) things of it all was hanging out with amazing group of bloggers. We work hard, party harder! Thank you for such a great company guys!
Spot anything you love? If you attanded Dutch Design Week what were your favourite finds?
Have a good day!
