tord boontje
Working on the cusp of design and craft, Tord Boontje, the Dutch-born, London-based product designer combines advanced technologies with artisan techniques to create exquisite glassware, lighting and furniture. From his early projects like the tranSglass series of recycled green bottles, to ambitious recent work such as the sumptuous replica of a bough of Blossom that he created as a Swarovski crystal chandelier, Tord Boontje has sought to imbue his products with a magic and romance that transcends their function. Born in the Netherlands in 1968, Boontje studied industrial design first at the Design Academy in Eindhoven and then the Royal College of Art in London, where he now teaches. Studio Tord Boontje was founded in 2006. As well as making limited edition pieces, Boontje is developing designs for mass-production. The Studio seeks a delicate marriage of design with emotion that is as broadly accessible as it is enticing. It’s work derives from a belief that modernism does not mean minimalism, that contemporary does not forsake tradition, and that technology does not abandon people and senses. The Studio’s designs often temper edges with softness, borrow inspiration from nature, and employ a décor of form and layers to engage and entice an observer’s imagination and emotions.