Lace in Translation

Working out of Rotterdam, Demakersvan (“the makers of”) is a Dutch design house founded in 2005 by Jeroen Johan Verhoeven, Joep Verhoeven and Judith de Graauw. Its work is not limited to one category or style. Rather, this firm’s diversified portfolio includes architecture, furniture and product design for museums, architectural studios, furniture manufacturers and fashion companies, as well as self-generated projects.

Dutch design is world renowned for its conceptual, almost art-like products. Though Demakersvan often operates like an haute couture fashion house, designing inspirational single works, it also strongly believes that, in the end, the work must be made available to a larger audience. The Lace Fence is just one example of such a product. Originally conceived as a senior thesis project for Design Academy in Eindhoven, public interest for the fencing has been strong, and it is now mass-produced in India.

Demakersvan’s best-known product is perhaps, Cinderella, an ‘impossible’ table produced by means of a high-tech CNC 5-axes cutting machine out of 57 layers of birch plywood. Both New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and London’s Victoria and Albert Museum have Cinderella in their permanent collections.

When Cor Unum Contemporary Ceramics from Den Bosch commissioned a tabletop centerpiece, Demakersvan’s answer was to create a traditional porcelain teapot with a charm bracelet of the same material attached. Dubbed Lucky Charm, the piece is humorous, a work of great craftsmanship, and linked to the past. Demakersvan describes itself as story telling design studio, referencing history in all of its products.

Presently the team is designing a spa resort in Taiwan.

Demakersvan’s client list includes: DROOG Design;  Fornarina Italy;  MONTIS Furniture;  MVRDV Architects;  FATBOY; B.A.T.;  Boijmans van Beuningen museum;  Candy & Candy London;  CIBONE gallery;  Hauser & Wirth Swiitzerland;  Kakitsubata Tokyo;  Hartman & Visser; HugoBoss; ORANGE SHOP;  Contrast Gallery;  StudioMetrico - Hager & Partners;  Kreo gallery;  SeARCH Architects;  Wink architects – Wrangler; Swarovski;  Wieden+Kennedy – NIKE;  Carpenters Workshop Gallery.