Ten items I would have bought in a heartbeat at Design Icons but didn’t
One of my favorite assignments of these past few years, is curating for Gevonden op Marktplaats, a blog run by the best Dutch tastemakers who share their best interior design finds on Marktplaats – which is the Netherlands’ biggest online marketplace. Believe it or not, but this is hard work. I can…
One of my favorite assignments of these past few years, is curating for Gevonden op Marktplaats, a blog run by the best Dutch tastemakers who share their best interior design finds on Marktplaats – which is the Netherlands’ biggest online marketplace. Believe it or not, but this is hard work. I can spend endless hours trawling through page after page of vintage furniture, fully convinced that the most unique item will reveal itself on the next page. Whether I’m at my desk, on the train, in bed or – I’m going right ahead and admit it because I have lost all sense of shame – on the toilet, there I am: surfing Marktplaats. Now, some people are addicted to watching porn and crave real-life sex. I, on the other hand, am addicted to looking at second-hand stuff and crave seeing as much of it IRL. Yesterday, my wish came true when I visited Design Icons 2019 in Amsterdam. This fair brings together the very best that Dutch vintage furniture dealers have on offer and let me tell you, it was a joy to be there. Needless to say, I ran into three other Gevonden op Marktplaats curators, who I’m sure were also lusting everything on display. Now, without further ado, let me show you ten items I would have bought in a heartbeat at Design Icons 2019 but didn’t.
From left to right: Julien Rademaker, Jazz Rath, me and Nina Varga – all curators for Gevonden op Markplaats and loving every minute of it.
First, there’s this lamp. I cannot for the life of me imagine why anyone would still like all that austere colorless Scandinavian stuff after they have seen this beauty.
Haven’t we met before? I saw this Maison Jansen brass palm tree lamp at the Brussels Design Market last year. Or was it the year before that? In any case, it is definitely out there – although I have to say I’m a bit done with everything brass and Hollywood Regency. That lucid white chair is also to die for, come to think of it. I think I’ll fantasize about having it in my living room instead.
Another thing I’m totally over is ceramic leopards. There, I’ve said it. That lamp on the right, however…va-va-voom!
The name of the designer of this red chair is on the tip of my tongue. Should have asked, but I didn’t so there you have it.
Sometimes I take a photo and then only afterwards I see something I like. Case in point: that purple rug. Shoulda woulda coulda bought it.
Another chair that would look fantabulous in my pink living room. Wish I had the space for it!
The Togo sofa by Ligne Roset is a terrible cliché by now, but who cares right?
I arrived at Design Icons half an hour after it opened and these two chairs were sold already. Stunning color!
I bought the white version of this Pierre Vandel coffee table for € 12,50 on Marktplaats last year. This black edition had an asking price of € 750. Yikes!
Dutch industrial designer Friso Kramer passed away a few months ago, causing a bit of a price jump of all the pieces he once designed. No matter the price, this dining room table looks stunning with its brown top.