...The days are getting shorter and supermarkets start stocking up on Holiday chocolates... that can only mean one thing: the Dutch Design Week is around the corner.

Obviously we'll be in Eindhoven presenting our latest projects. And we won't be alone: 
This year we'll be part of the Driving Dutch Design group exhibition.

Driving Dutch Design is a 10-month programme by BNO, ABN AMRO and Dutch Design Foundation, aimed at young designers and design studio's ready to take their creative businesses to the next step.

Since January we've been enjoying the company of a lovely group of designers and creatives in monthly masterclasses and coaching-sessions helping us focus on the bigger picture and be more strategic about the way we work.

​Driving Dutch Design is a masterclass program of ABN AMRO, Beroepsorganisatie Nederlandse Ontwerpers (BNO) and Dutch Design Foundation (DDF). It helps talented designers to professionalise their company within the world of entrepreneurship. 

As drivers, we are constantly looking to move forward, with a discerning eye. We share an ambition to professionalise our businesses, and to place our companies firmly on the map. 

This Dutch Design Week, we will not only present our new and popular Flower Constellations, we'll also debut the brand new circular ReCabinet.

We'd love to see you there and tell you all about our latest designs.

Dutch Design Week Eindhoven
October 20th-28th 2018

​Klokgebouw Hall 2, Strijp S 
Open daily 11:00 - 18:00

This years' Driving Dutch Design exhibition offers a varied group of designers in all lines of work: from interaction design and illustration to aesthetical concepts and industrial product design.

Find the full list to the right,
​check out Drivingdutchdesign.nl for more information.

Boyscout Designer - Conform Cox - Dorota Gazy - Family W - Fransje Gimbrère - House of Thol - Je Favoriete Ontwerpers - Julia van Leeuwen - Meike Fleskens - Mies Loogman - Olasol - Remortel - Roza Schous - Staalslagerij - Studio Doeke - 
Studio Gerjanne van Gink - Studio Mieke Lucia - Studio Mixtura - Studio Selma Hamstra - STUDIO THO - We Are - Wisse Trooster

When it comes to design fairs, it's hard to choose. Especially in the months of September and October there seem to be fairs and design weeks all over, with new design-oriented events popping up in cities all over the world every year.

Yet in the Netherlands there's one staple that has been around for ages: the 'Woonbeurs'.

​Aimed at consumers looking for new designs for their own living environment, the vtWonen&Designbeurs celebrated their 25th anniversary last year.

And we're very happy to participate in this years' fair at the Rai Amsterdam! 

Read more about the fair here.

VTWonen & Design beurs
2-7 October 2018
RAI Amsterdam Europaplein 1

Open on:
Tuesday 10:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 10.00 - 18:00
Thursday 10:00 - 18:00
Friday 10:00 - 21:00
Saturday 10:00 - 18:00
Sunday 10:00 - 18:00

<Click here for tickets>

<For an overview of upcoming events, click here>

Hey there Linda readers! 
Spotted the Flower Constellations right there on page 15?!
We're over the moon with this little mention as a 'hebbedingetje' (something you want) in this months' Linda.

Thank you for sending us a copy, Linda magazine people! It was a wonderful surprise to find our Flower Constellations in there.

This coming Weekend the Flower Constellations will have their national debut at Dutch tradefair ShowUP, which is by all means a great fair that definitely  attracts professionals from abroad as well as the Netherlands. 

A great way for us to test the waters before diving in the deep end: Maison & Objet in Paris.
THE international tradefair that takes place at Paris Nord Villepinte every 6 months and attracts business from across the planet.

​We actually visited the fair for the first time a year ago, back when Pols Potten chose Paris for the Thol lamps launch.
​At the time we were thoroughly overwhelmed by the magnitude of hall after hall of designs ready to hit the shelves from Texas to Jakarta.

We definitely did not think for a minute we'd be exhibiting our own products there anytime soon.

Yet we are!
Dutch Design Collections approached us in early spring to see if we would be interested in taking part in a joint presentation as one of three Dutch independent brands.
Seeing this would be the perfect timing for an international Flower Constellations launch, we happily agreed to participate.

We're super excited (and a bit scared) about this wonderful oppportunity to showcase our designs to shop owners and other professionals from all over the world. 
​
We'd love to see you there.
Visiting M&O? Let us know when, so we can meet!

Maison & Objet
Paris Nord Villepinte

Dutch Design Collections
Hall 4 - stand H.104

7-11 September 2018
Fri-Mon: 09:30 - 19:00
Tue: 09:30 - 18:00

<click for more information>

These last months have been all about getting the Flower Constellations ready in time for them to be shipped to our backers by the end of August. 

Well, the Flower Constellations are packed and will be sent to all early adapters this week.
Time for the next step: spreading the word.

Best place to start and nationally debut the Flower Constellations to stores, press, bloggers and other design loving professionals is undoubtedly ShowUP: trade show for home and gift.

So we're packing up our goodies and will be at the Expo Haarlemmermeer this coming Sunday and Monday (2+3 September).
​
Will we see you there?  

ShowUP
Trade fair for home and gift

Expo Haarlemmermeer
Stelling 1
2141 SB Vijfhuizen

Sunday September 2 2018, 10:00 - 18:00
Monday September 3 2018, 10:00 - 18:00

Only accessible for professionals
​Free entrance after registration

<Click here for more information about the fair>

We're very happy with this sweet mention in Plus Magazine. 

We're not exactly the Plus magazine target audience and would have undoubtedly missed this little publication if it wasn't for the nice people from Plus Magazine who sent us a copy of this edition for our administration.

Did you know they'r the largest monthly magazine in the Netherland?

Thank you for the mention @ Plus Magazine!

After months of eager anticipation they're finally here: The Flower Constellations!
And they're everything as wonderful as we'd hoped.

After receiving the final pieces of the Flower Constellations puzzle last week, we rallied friends and family and spent the Weekend wrapping constellations, printing labels and preparing packages.
Which means that the Flower Constellations are now ready to go!

For all Kickstarter backers and the people who pre-ordered in our webshop: your Flower Constellation order is packaged and ready to be shipped this week.

This first period after launch, the Flower Constellations will be available exclusively in our own webshop.
Get them there now, or in a store near you pretty soon.​

<Buy Flower Constellations now>

The Flower Constellations will be launched in a little over a week and Eigen Huis & Interieur featured them in the magazine that came out last week. 

Thank you, lovely people!
​
The large photograph and sweet text is definitely worth checking out. ​

Got this months' EH&I?
Scoop through to page 252 to get to the update. 

​No access to the magazine?
​Luckily the photograph above should make it possible to read the (Dutch) piece.

ps. don't forget: Earlybird discount runs out August 26th!

Hi Everyone!
We hope you're enjoying summer as much as we are?
We've just returned from a little sunny break with the kids and came back to the best of the best: 

The Flower Constellations are in the house and they're looking good!
​Photographs of all Constellations will follow soon of course, we just didn't want to wait any longer to let you in on the good news.

Last but not least comes the Pisces, or should i say 'come' the Pisces. My apologies if i'm getting it wrong.
Yesterday we were talking about the age of Aquarius (remember). It's believed by most astrologists we're currently in the 'Age of Pisces'. The age started around 1 AD, not coincidentally around the birth of Jesus Christ. It's the age of religion, of faith, believe and sacrifice, and it should be coming to an end within the next 130 or so years.
Considering the current religious turmoil all over the planet: let's move to the next age sooner rather than later.

Anyway, back to the Pisces star sign. Pisces means 'fish', and the story goes, Aphrodite, goddess of love, and her son Eros turned themselves into Koi fish in order to escape Typhon, father of all monsters.

So now we've unveiled them all, it's about time to pinpoint you to this page that has all Flower Constellations in one neat overview. 
​
Like what you see? Click on the button to pre-order now!

​January 21st - February 19th
​¢ 9,5 - 12 cm

element:           air
ruling planet:  uranus, saturn
colors:                blue, silver
birthstone:       garnet
houseplant:     monstera deliciosa
birthflowers:    orchid, strelitzia, gladiolus

Don't recognize the song? It's from the musical 'Hair' (obviously) and you can watch a video here. (remember, this is old-time video, the lyrics start about two minutes in).
My parents being multicultural hippies who got married in 1969, this did not go past unnoticed in my upbringing. (neither did Bob Marley, who, accidentally was an Aquarius)

Apparently, the astronomical markers in the song are bogus, but the Age of Aquarius is dawning.
Or is it?
Some astrologers consider it started back around the time of the American Revolution, while others say we have to wait until 2600.  General consensus however, is that the Age of Aquarius starts in 2150. So still quite a while off.
​Since some people consider the age of Aquarius to be an age of enlightenment and equality i'm all for it coming around soon. Preferably in my lifetime.

Capricorn is the smallest and faintest constellation of the Zodiac, yet has one of the oldest mythical back stories. 
It was originally depicted as a sea-goat: half fish / half goat. Which is without a doubt the silliest combination of animals you could come up with (i mean, imagine the walking?! What would it eat?). That said: feel free to add even sillier combo's in the comments. Thinking about stuff like that is the best for people with vivid minds like me. 
​Anyway, in Dutch, the translation of Capricorn is mountain goat, so that's what we went with for the packaging,

Using the more 'natural' approach gave us the opportunity to use a snowy mountain in the collage. Not only because it's wintery (the sign 'kicks off' right after winter solstice), but also because it represents the 'view from above' people born under Capricorn supposedly have: resulting in great management skills as well as sometimes coming across as condescending. 
Remember: that's just what the astrologers say, don't blame the messenger. 

Check out packaging for the signs Aries,  Taurus,   Gemini,  Cancer,  Leo,  Virgo,  Libra,  Scorpio & Sagittarius - Tomorrow: Aquarius

This publication in Volkskrants' summer magazine V-Zomer brought something about: orders started pooring in in our webshop and we ran out of stock! 

Nothing to be worried about though: a batch of glassware is on its way to our studio as we speak, and we'll be restocked by the time we get back from our little break. 

Definitely worth to check out the text, love the cheeky happiness (in Dutch)

November 23rd - December 21st
​¢ 6,5 - 9 cm

element:           fire
ruling planet:  jupiter
colors:                purple, scarlet, blue
birthstone:       topaz
houseplant:     monstera deliciosa
birthflowers:    thistle, carnation, peony,  dandelion

Sagittarius: the archer.
The ancient Greeks modeled the sign after centaur Chiron, a master archer, and mentor of Achilles in the era of the Trojan Wars. 
You might know the kind: wise and etherial, one with nature, yet untamed and violent when provoked. Centaurs in books and movies pretty much always follow that character (Hello J.K. Rowling / I see you C.S. Lewis). They're also usually very skilled archers, yet can be set in their way and difficult to live with.

Would the supposed character traits be similar to those projected on the mythological centaur?
​
Well.. Not really.

​According to astrologers, people born under the constellation Sagittarius are considered philosophical freedom seekers who love to travel and learn new things, but can be rather impatient and undiplomatic. 
Maybe a bit like the Chinese archer depicted on the packaging: a skilled traveler, roaming free in a foreign land.
​Talking about roaming free.. For this Flower Constellation we decided to not use the full set of stars, but chose about half of them to make the constellation a perfect fit for the brass base.

Have you seen packaging for the signs Aries,  Taurus,   Gemini,  Cancer,  Leo,  Virgo,  Libra & Scorpio? - Tomorrow: Capricorn