It’s easy to pinpoint a Dutch design. Slick, impeccable, and modern, the Dutch have long been the patron saints of cool-kid decor. Unsurprisingly, then, Interior Design Show Vancouver (IDS Vancouver, formerly IDSwest) 2016, which takes place September 22 to 25, has chosen the design hub of Eindhoven to feature in the third installment of the Exchange program, bringing a bit of Netherlands style to the Pacific Northwest.
Following Los Angeles and Brooklyn in years prior, four design firms from Eindhoven will be highlighted with their own IDS booth specially fashioned by West Vancouver’s Burgers Architecture Inc. The featured designers—Ontwerpduo, Vantot, Dirk Vander Kooij, and Steven Banken—were all chosen for the Exchange by the team at Design Milk.
Each of the designers carries that distinctive Dutch style, which for two of the four was cultivated at the famous Design Academy Eindhoven. Ontwerpduo is known for quirky collaborations and playful designs, such as a birdcage chair—pulled off without a trace of gimmick; Vantot, headed by two creatives in their early 20s, utilizes graphic patterns in their pieces, all made in their workshop in Sectie-C.
The city will be at the centre of the conversation as each designer presents in the Dutch Exchange: 20slidesx20seconds speaker series, discussing the influence Eindhoven has on their work. The small, understated city holds a good deal of big, bold design helmed by a league of promising young talent. Sounds familiar.
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