Artalent > Design > Michiel van der Kley


MICHIEL VAN DER KLEY

Michiel van der Kley [1962] started designing and producing furniture for his own company in 1989.

After several years, working as a 'selfproducing designer' he decided to emphasise exclusively on the designing of furniture.

Meanwhile his designs are being produced by leading furniture-companies in Holland and Abroad.


Michiel van der Kley: "I sometimes like a design because it makes a large gesture, and sometimes I like a design because its details turn it into something special.
For me, great design is autonomous.
That and the lack of unneccesary ornaments and details.
I believe that an objects’ shape is always something whole, like a sculpture and I welcome details as integral part of a construction, not as something just to decorate with.
I personally like something that has a certain similarity with things from nature, be it a structure , be it a shape or just a small detail like a transition from a leg to the fabric of a chair. Apart from that I am always attracted to monolithical things.

Recent clients:

Arco Winterswijk, Netherlands
Artifort Schijndel, Netherlands
van Esch Goirle, Netherlands
Gispen Culemborg, Netherlands
Spectrum meubelen ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
WKWu Products Taipei (Taiwan)
General Paper Kathmandu (Nepal)

Recente awards:

Merit award Singapore 2006
Best of the best award, 100%design 2006 Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Winner Lokta P aper Contest 2007 Kathmandu, Nepal


CHASE

design: Michiel van der Kley
manufacturer: Van Esch
year of design: 2003

The Chase coatstand is a design I initially made while making the interior of a Grand Café.
At that time I thought it was a strange sight that when more than 10 people hung their coat on the coatstand, you could not see the coatstand anymore.

It also happens regularly at someones home that a coatstand falls down because it is top-heavy.
That’s why I thought that it might be a good idea to hang the hooks on the inside.
That way, you can see the coatstand even with all the coats hanging on to it.

Apart from that it doesn’t change its appearance, with or without coats.


GLOBUS

design: Michiel van der Kley
manufacturer: Gispen and Artifort
year of design: 2007

Globus is a mobile work station (flexi-station) in two guises. In its closed form, this work station fascinates and intrigues. It hides its function and excites curiosity.

In its open form, the work station is inviting and multifunctional. In fact, the Globus is a flexible, mobile, all-in-one work station with a work-top and a comfortable swivel chair.

Gispen and Artifort were working together as the producing companies on this project with me as the designer. Both firms brought in their knowledge and experience, it has some techniques in it that were new to us, the braking system for instance, and the calculation of the exact moment used to open the ‘hood’.

You have to be sure about everything before launching the product. There is a lot of mould making involved in it. That’s another reason why you want to be sure.


i-CON DESK

design: Michiel van der Kley
manufacturer: Arco
year of design: 2006

the i-con desk-series consists of a desk with an integrated drawer, a table with two integrated drawers, accompanied by a drawer-unit on castors.

The drawer comes out of the desktop in a very natural and self-evident way. It’s as if the drawer grows out of the desktop.
The steel legs emphasise the transparancy and elegance of the desk furthermore.

material: Corian®, wood, stainless steel
dimensions: 240 (L) x 90 (D) x 75 (H)cm