{"id":218611,"date":"2023-12-05T08:52:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-05T13:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_news&p=218611"},"modified":"2023-11-27T14:53:14","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T19:53:14","slug":"piet-boon-celebrates-a-milestone","status":"publish","type":"id_news","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/designwire\/piet-boon-celebrates-a-milestone\/","title":{"rendered":"Piet Boon Celebrates a Professional Milestone With New Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"An
An outdoor space at the Brabant office project featuring Boon\u2019s GIJS loveseats. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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December 5, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Stephen Treffinger<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>courtesy of Studio Piet Boon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Piet Boon Celebrates a Professional Milestone With New Projects<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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\"The
The Studio Piet Boon cofounder. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Over the course of his four-decade career, Dutch designer Piet Boon pivoted from his early days as a building contractor\u2014realizing the creativity of others\u2014to spearheading an expansive multidisciplinary global firm. Cofounded in 1983 with his business partner, Karin Meyn, Studio Piet Boon<\/a> now encompasses over 70 people, working on projects ranging from private residences to luxury hotels for brands such as Andaz, Baccarat, Four Seasons, and the Rosewood Hotel Group. The company, headquartered just outside Amsterdam, is also a prolific furniture-design entity; recent introductions include Cara, a hospitality-focused swivel chair, and Layers, a hand-tufted rug collection for CC-Tapis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether creating kitchen systems or corporate offices, Boon\u2019s work is characterized by innovation and a restrained but refined materiality. To wit: On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, the studio just published a thoughtfully curated, 500-page monograph that celebrates its poetic yet pragmatic approach\u2014exemplified by the book\u2019s cover sleeve, which cleverly (and beautifully) converts to a display stand. We chat with Boon about what makes him tick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piet Boon Offers Insights into His New Design Monograph, and More<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

INTERIOR DESIGN: How did you shift from your early career as a contractor to designing your own projects?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Piet Boon: Building projects for other architects was always a bit frustrating; sometimes their designs didn\u2019t seem so long-lasting. So, I thought to launch my own studio, which started small but grew and grew. Eventually, I sold off the contracting business and began only designing. We started with villas, first in the Netherlands and then farther afield like Bonaire. Our first big assignment abroad was in Manhattan: a 7,000-square-foot apartment on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ID: What\u2019s been your formula for growth?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: In the beginning, I hired people who had the same mentality or skill set that I had. At a certain point, I thought, OK, but we\u2019re not growing<\/em>. Then I started hiring people who were much better than me. That helped us build a brand. It\u2019s important that Studio Piet Boon is not about me, but about the team and its spirit. If I drive into a tree tomorrow, this company has to go on, of course.rather than downtown?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"a
A Boon-designed kitchen and chairs at the Brabant project. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The interior of an office project in Brabant, Netherlands. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

ID: Were there advantages to locating your head\u00adquarters in Oostzaan, outside Amsterdam?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: It\u2019s hard to have a big-enough studio in the city center. We have quite a large building, and it houses three showrooms\u2014one each for bathrooms, living rooms, and kitchens. We also have a huge materials library and all kinds of mood boards here; because
we have such an international team, everyone brings in new materials from abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ID: How did the Aspen villa you recently completed come about?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: The owner of a New York apartment I was working on invited me to go skiing for a few days in Aspen, where he wanted to build a house. A lot of the residences there are chalets: They\u2019re huge and look like the house of Santa Claus. Whereas this client wanted a minimalistic villa\u2014ski in, ski out. We designed a freestanding box that looks beautiful year-round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a
A villa in Aspen, Colorado. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ID: You often collaborate with landscape designer Piet Oudolf<\/a> on residential commissions.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: Piet is a close friend and also my hero. Having him do the garden helps a house look beautiful in all weather and seasons. Landscaping is important when designing a house\u2014about 40 percent of the design\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ID: Your firm is known for refined materials and timelessness. How do those two things relate?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: We only use the best materials. Wood, stone, bronze, copper\u2014they last forever and get lovelier over time, whereas cheap materials diminish after a few years. I built my Amsterdam house 22 years ago, and I haven\u2019t had to change a thing. Well, of course we\u2019ve changed the furniture because I like to live with new models to test them out. Most important is that furniture be comfortable, then beautiful, and then long-lasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"two
The firm\u2019s Cara swivel chairs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ID: Was that your formula for the Cara chair?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: We wanted a slightly feminine shape, because many of our forms are more masculine\u2014very massive and heavy. Cara was originally conceived with four legs, but we got a lot of feedback from our hospitality clients who wanted a return-swivel base, so you can step in without having to move the entire chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ID: What sparked your new rug collaboration with Italian brand CC-Tapis?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: The Layers collection is about perfect imperfection. If a carpet is too perfect, you\u2019ll see every stain. We tried to achieve something more like natural stone or concrete. There is a little grading on the edges, and you can choose your own grades and colors. For us, it\u2019s always about the lines and the tranquility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"an
At Piet Boon Studio\u2019s flagship store in Oostzaan, Netherlands, the designer\u2019s Kekke chair and a rug from the Layers collection for CC-Tapis. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ID: You\u2019ve mentioned your Kekke dining chair is based on the look of a Chanel bag?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: In fact, a few Chanel boutiques<\/a> use the chair. The new outdoor version of Kekke has the same shape as the original, but it\u2019s like a convertible: Hidden at the back is a cover that you can fold over the chair for pro\u00adtection if it rains. The RAF indoor\/outdoor daybed also has a hidden cover, as well as moveable backrest pillows that can be used all sorts of ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ID: How did you approach the new book celebrating your company\u2019s 40th anniversary?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: At first, I thought about covering 40 years of my work, but it proved more interesting to highlight the studio\u2019s 40 best ideas. We\u2019re showing our best projects and giving away a lot of ideas: We talk about materials, how to build a villa, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ID: Tell me about the book\u2019s cover.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PB: We always try to do something novel, so we de\u00adsigned a sleeve that can be taken apart for use as a bookstand. A coffee table book just lying open on a table never looks beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a
A spread from the designer\u2019s new anniversary monograph, 40 by Studio Piet Boon. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Its cover sleeve, which converts to a book stand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The monograph\u2019s cover in use as a book stand. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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An outdoor space at the Brabant office project featuring Boon\u2019s GIJS loveseats. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The exterior of the Brabant office, a barnlike composition of volumes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"the
The Kekke dining chair. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Interiors of the Jane, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Antwerp, Belgium. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The RAF indoor\/outdoor daybed. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Boon\u2019s Fold collection for luxury leather brand Giobagnara, which includes desk accessories. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a
A mood board for a private client. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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