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Our products
In Milan
Our first house
A collection of furniture, lighting, accessories and wearables to bring the Droog mentality into your home.
5135 items saved from liquidation sales and other leftovers
Commissioned by Amsterdam housing association, Ymere, Townhouse by Atelier Bow-Wow is a new way of living.
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Our stores
A festival
About us
Come by Droog Amsterdam and Droog New York, more than a store and gallery.
A festival of Dutch design, fashion and architecture to commemorate a 400 year friendship with America— a commission for the NY400 program.
What we stand for and how we work with designers, clients, partners and institutions on products, projects, and events around the world.
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85 lamps
Flex lamp
Clothes hanger lamp
Slow glow
Our products
A different way of seeing it Whether it is an element of humour, a surprise or a unique functionality, our products bring the Droog mentality into day-to-day living. Dutch roots Medieval pottery from the Dutch town Bergen op Zoom have been brought into the modern times by being cast in shiny red plastic in Red revisited by Bas Warmoeskerken. Imperfections of the handmade earthenware included. (1)
A bright future Sucker by Jan Hoekstra & Leon Ramakers is the playfully oversized knob that solves the problem of having to drill holes in tiles, glass or other smooth surfaces. It’s now available in vibrant yellow, red, green and blue. (2)
Long live packaging Packaging has much more potential than it is given credit for. Here, it has become a lamp that you can stick wherever you want—on the ceiling, door, wall or floor. This year, Sticky lamp by Chris Kabel has become longer lasting—the packaging outlives the light bulb. (3)
(1)
Bowls plus
Tableau tablecloth 4
Straps
Rag chair
Soft lamp
Bird house
Optic glass
(2)
Dishmop
(3)
Swing with the plants
Tree trunk bench
Hare doormat
Shady lace parasol 5
Chest of drawers
St. Petersburg chair
Chroma key cupbaord
Red blue Lego chair
Our studio work
Paper bone chair “It was made on one of the first rapid prototyping machines that have long since been superseded. But this technology gives the piece a unique quality. It turned out that this chair was made with the last remains of the paper for the machine, so it’s not even possible to make another one.” - Joris Laarman Paper bone chair is a previously unreleased early study of the internationally acclaimed aluminum Bone chair. Made out of paper with laminated object manufacturing technology, the one-off piece is an example of ‘antique high-tech’. Dutch designer Joris Laarman used 3D soft kill optimization software from the automobile industry to literally generate the shape of a chair as an evolutionary process. The aluminum Bone chair was first presented at Design Miami for the Smart deco project initiated by Droog and Friedman Benda in 2006, and since has joined various public collections such as MoMA NY, Vitra Design Museum, Centraal Museum Utrecht and the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg. Droog presented the Paper bone chair at Design Miami in 2009.
Bone chaise longue in resin
Bone chair in aluminium 6
Paper bone chair in progress
Paper ready for cutting
Chopper
Hoover
Mouse lift
Flip flop
Creatures Trained first as a goldsmith, and later as product designer at Design Academy Eindhoven, Tobias Rockenfeld’s series of Creatures must have been as fun for him to make as they are for us to play with. Made of dissected old and broken toys combined with other found material from nature, the household and trash, Tobias is stimulating us to imaginatively rediscover waste material. The result is 18 unique Creatures that can really swim, blink their lights, drive, fly, hover, crawl, feather-flap, dance, and even laugh… Who would have thought an old flip-flop could become a toy boat?
Crystal virus massive infection A large table has been completely overrun by Crystal virus vases by designer Pieke Bergmans working with glass blower Gert Bullée of Royal Leerdam. 30 searing hot crystal bubbles have been dropped on the table, each defining the shape of the crystal and leaving black burns on the wood. The making process is a spectacle, and what remains is a series of 30 unique crystal sculptures and a table covered in intricate burn marks.
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90 flower pots
448 wallets
50 safety vests
200 saltshakers
In Milan
saved by droog. Every month about 500 companies in the Netherlands go bankrupt. Where do their products go? In early 2010 we bid on liquidation auction items ranging from handkerchiefs to dog baskets. We acquired 5135 items—1 water cooler, 1 dining table, 2 bar stools, 4 metal trays, 6 wooden trays, 8 mirrors, 10 small bowl sets, 11 cups, 14 dog baskets, 20 dish towels, 40 glass vases, 50 safety vests, 60 sets of cutlery, 80 folding chairs, 90 flower pots, 100 candy pots, 102 wooden spoons, 168 plates of glass, 200 saltshakers, 448 wallets, 500 matchboxes, 720 cola glasses, and 2500 handkerchiefs.
Having invited 14 designers to consider these items as raw material for creative reinterpretation, the result is a new collection of 19 products, with outcomes ranging from folding chairs manicured by nail artists, to handkerchiefs that distribute selected daily news articles, to spoons with non-edible yet mouth-watering coatings. A pragmatic starting point with surprising outcomes, the collection celebrates the re-use potential of leftovers as a valid approach to product design and development. All items were immediately available for sale in editions dictated by the limited liquidation lot quantities in Milan—see our new owners on page 11. Revivers: Atelier Remy & Veenhuizen, Atelier Ted Noten, Ed Annink, Eric Klarenbeek, Erna Einarsdóttir, Luc d’Hanis & Sofie Lachaert, Maison Martin Margiela, Marian Bantjes, Marije Vogelzang, Mieke Gerritzen, Minale–Maeda, Roelof Mulder, Stefan Sagmeister, Studio Makkink & Bey
14 dog baskets
168 plates of glass 8
1 dining table
102 wooden spoons
Above: Three stars bomb! by Atelier Ted Noten Get ready for a three-star-performance! Ignite this bomb (don’t worry, it’s safe) and watch three bronze stars appear. A typical Atelier Ted Noten piece of democratic jewellery—from now on, anyone can become a general. Material: matches + wax, wick, bronze Lot: #2439 (500 Matchboxes) Left: 100 blue containers To the items that were not selected by any designer, we gave a uniform treatment. Material: ceramic, metal or wood container + flock coating Lot: #3294 (90 flower pots), #1593 (6 wooden trays), #378 (4 metal trays)
All photographs by Stefanie Grätz (excluding the photos of the original lots, prior to revival by designer)
Knotted scarf by Erna Einarsdóttir
Roll-on scent (masculine) by Eric Klarenbeek
Mouth-watering spoon by Marije Vogelzang
Happy wallet by Stefan Sagmeister 9
“A great concept and a business plan. And both work together.” - Mario-Minale “I loved the overall idea of the objects bought from bankrupt companies and said yes to the brief immediately.” - Stefan Sagmeister
“In no time we saw our product be realised! This is the way we like to work!” - Atelier Ted Noten
“The (unofficial) prize for the timeliest theme goes to Droog.” - NY Times
Above: Wannabe mirror by Minale - Maeda Glorify yourself and your surroundings by looking into this mirror. Material: mirror + plastic, coloured film Lot: #2859 (8 mirrors) Left: XX Chair by Luc d’Hanis & Sofie Lachaert Two stools brought together, just to make things a little easier. Material: bar stools + paint Lot: #1593 (2 bar stools) Right: New owner campaign by cmk1. Check out more of our new owners at www.droog.com/blog
Beware of software vest by Mieke Gerritzen
Daily handkerchief by Studio Makkink & Bey 10
Moustache guard by Maison Martin Margiela
Fun-for-dogs trolley by Ed Annink
Centraal Museum Utrecht is owner no.1 of Fun-for-dogs trolley
Fotis Terzakis is our very first new owner
Moustache no.2 bought by Giovanni Puncetti
Gabriel Weirich is owner no.83 of the Daily handkerchief
Klaus de Rijk is new owner of Onno, Ed, Ms. Teaspoon and the King of Gold no.5
Oliver and Alex are the owner of the day!
Proud owner of Roll-on scent no.4 (masculine)
3 stars bomb! with Aran 11
Our first house
Townhouse by Atelier Bow-Wow “In townhouse typology that is narrow and vertical, it is unavoidable for the staircase to dictate a layout that is clearly divided into floors and rooms. We break this by proposing a house without a staircase —instead the whole house becomes inhabitable steps. Each step performs as the place for Droog furniture and living.” - Atelier Bow-Wow You wouldn’t notice anything unusual from the outside, but the understated façade conceals an extraordinary interior. Imagined for a single, a contemporary family or as a VIP guesthouse, the one-of-a-kind layout is a seamless flow of spaces, each with its own functionality. Private rooms such as the master and optional guest bed, the bath, the balcony and a sound-proof recluse are on separate floors facing away from the street, creating a unique combination of contact and independence, spaciousness and intimacy. The unassuming interior of light wooden floors and white walls is animated with Droog products. The house could feature the classic 1991 Ragchair and Milk bottle lamp by Tejo Remy, the Heat wave radiator by Joris Laarman and the Tile kitchen by Arnout Visser, Erik Jan Kwakkel, and Peter van der Jagt. Commissioned by Amsterdam housing association, Ymere, and planned for a quiet street near Vondelpark in Amsterdam, the 180 square meter interior along with aspects of its layout and products can be customized. Not only is it our first house, but it’s also a different way of living. Visit our youtube channel droogamsterdam to see an animation of the house by Brooklyn Digital Foundry.
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Renderings by Atelier Bow-Wow, Bottom right two frames; animation stills by Brooklyn Digital Foundry
Our stores
Droog Amsterdam Nestled in the historic heart of Amsterdam, Staalstraat is home to our flagship store, where you can find the Droog collection of products and studio works, and to our office upstairs, where we work on projects and product development. Our 17th century building is where the Dutch ‘Staalmeesters’ met to sample products of the textile industry. In 2004, when Droog moved in, we invited artist Franck Bragigand for his ability to change the world around him using only paint. Our whole office and store has been transformed, down to the light fixtures and store mannequins. Come by for a visit, roll on the Come a little bit closer bench by Nina Farkache, try out Swing with the plants by Marcel Wanders, drink a cup of tea and make sure to ask for a guided tour. Opening hours Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday 12 a.m. to 5 p.m.
photo by Daniel Nicolas
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On Greene Street in SoHo
Our stores
Droog New York More than a store and gallery for our collection of products and studio works, Droog New York also contains a blueprint of a house—an imaginary house handcrafted in parts from blue foam by Studio Makkink & Bey. These parts can be realized in various materials as free standing or built-in additions onto your existing house, or as a starting point for a new house. A chimney for your kitchen or your backyard, a cozy desk to hide away in—take a part of the blueprint into your home. Droog New York photography by Ian Tong, Isauro Cairo
Opening hours Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
Blueprint house sketches by Studio Makkink & Bey
a study...
Blueprint of an entrance... 14
or a chimney for your kitchen.
a cosy bedroom...
Wall of furniture parts by Studio Makkink & Bey Studio Makkink & Bey took standard sheets of ply and, with laser cutting, created an interactive system for architecture, furniture and storage all in one. Stool, bench and table parts come out of the wall and can be easily assembled, and put back into the wall when not in use. A vision for efficient production and material use, Wall of furniture parts transports flat and can be made to suit different functions. What would yours be like?
Lace fence by Demakersvan Introducing a patch of embroidered wire within industrial fencing, Dutch design house Demakersvan combine the small and sensitive with the powerful, large and industrial. Lace fence is a customizable high-end metal fabric for outdoor and indoor use, suitable for anything from fencing, staircase railings, room dividers, to balcony railings and building facades. It’s brought to the United States and Canada exclusively by Droog. Hostility versus kindness, industry versus craft.
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A festival
Pioneers of Change “Pioneers of Change is a new movement in design that really makes sense. It is not object oriented, though objects may come out of it. It is contextually conscious and open to the public. It is very much in the spirit of Droog, which always has been conceptual and contextual, but Pioneers of Change has brought it to a new level.”- Renny Ramakers
Over 25.000 visitors took part in a festival of Dutch design, fashion and architecture on New York’s Governors Island, conceived and curated by Renny Ramakers. For two long weekends in September of 2009, eleven former commanding officer houses in Nolan Park were transformed by Dutch designers, artists and architects in collaboration with elderly New Yorkers, local students and the public. Part of the NY400 celebrations commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Dutch to New York, the event was about new luxury, new collaborations and the border between the ‘normal’ and the ‘design’ worlds.
image by Experimental Jetset
Participants: 2012Architecten, Atelier NL, Maarten Baas, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York, Franck Bragigand, Droog with Marije Vogelzang, Herman Verkerk, Rianne Makkink and Hansje van Halem, Experimental Jetset, Pascale Gatzen, Christien Meindertsma, MVRDV and The Why Factory with Work Architecture Company, Painted, Driessens & Verstappen, Arthur Elsenaar & Taconis Stolk, Parsons The New School for Design, Platform21 and Marcel Schmalgemeijer.
Open talks about new luxury
Dutch design for $100 or less 16
New collaborations
A moment for silence and care
Active repair
Getting broken plates back in use
Filling in moth-eaten holes
Mending chair seats
Platform21 = Repairing Platform21 favours repair over throw-away or recycling. Their house featured four different repair stations led by four designers, where the public embarked in the creative mending of moth-eaten sweaters and worn out carpets, broken cups and saucers, dilapidated furniture and damaged walls. Repair in this house did not mean bringing things back to their original state, but rather, giving it new value. Stop recycling and start repairing!
photos by Isauro Cairo, except Go Slow plate and arm chairs by Raphael Brion
Go slow By Droog with Marije Vogelzang, sloom.org (Rianne Makkink & Herman Verkerk) and Hansje van Halem Reacting to an accelerated society, Go slow is a movement for the appreciation of details and processes. At the Go slow café, elderly New Yorkers prepared food with attention and care and served it slowly. Teabags were sewn on the spot. The setting was serene and required the guest’s active participation and upkeep. Even the distance the food took to there was revealed, with ingredients coming from distant places served in tiny portions and food from the local garden served generously. Chew slowly, it’s a true luxury!
Portions show distance travelled
Elderly New Yorkers preparing
A relaxing place to eat
Reminders to take it slow 17
A royal visit at Pioneers of Change
Discussing the stores
The product development team
A creative agency conversation
About us Droog started in 1993 as a statement on design, a no-nonsense, down to earth design mentality. Our unique way of thinking has defined us as a conceptual design company over the last 17 years, and has played a role in defining Dutch design internationally. Droog values what it means to be human, with subjectivity, notions of beauty and meaning, and desire for high quality experiences at the core of what we do. Droog stands for a luxury of content and experience that change perspective on daily life—whether it is authenticity, humour, slowness, engagement, or nature, the abundance of what is scarce is true luxury. Co-founded and directed by art historian and critic, Renny Ramakers, Droog has worked with renowned designers such as Jurgen Bey, Tejo Remy, Marcel Wanders, Martí Guixé, NEXT architects, Arnout Visser, Tjep, Joris Laarman and Richard Hutten, producing products, projects, exhibitions and events that have been extensively published and collected by museums all over the world.
Finishing touches to Droog New York
Our pop up store in Brussels 18
Setting up S1NGLETOWN in Venice
Installing Tree trunk bench
Preparing an event
Eet smakelijk!
Sending a webshop package
Reviewing work in progress
Products We work with known and unknown designers and producers from all over the world to develop our unique collection of products, which have received acclaim from press, collectors, museums and consumers alike. Our products are available on our website, at our stores in Amsterdam and New York, and through distribution partners worldwide.
Projects Droog works on projects for clients seeking a unique perspective through brand development and interior design. Droog also initiates projects with partners that explore the future of design. Feel free to contact us with a project request.
Material samples and prototypes
The Droog al Arab team
Work in progress
Jurgen Bey, Saskia van Drimmelen and the rest of the Droog al Arab design team on a trip in Dubai.
A client event
Consulting the experts 19
Cover image: Chest of drawers for Droog by Tejo Remy, Photo by Robaard/Theuwkens, Styling by Marjo Kranenborg, CMK
Droog Amsterdam Staalstraat 7a/b (between Rokin and Waterlooplein) 1011 JJ Amsterdam the Netherlands T +31 (0)20 523 5059 shop@droog.com Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday 12 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Staalstraat
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Droog New York 76 Greene Street (between Spring and Broome) New York, NY 10012-4379 United States T +1 212 941 8350 store@droogusa.com Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Š 2010 droog Text by Agata Jaworska, design by Tom Merrell, printing by Dijkman Offset