CELEBRATING DESIGN with Piet Boon

August 4, 2015

When asked what a designer needs to be successful in New York City, where competition can be a little wild, he had a simple yet strong answer: “I think you need to think outside the box and when you come to New York, or anywhere in the US for that matter, do not let your designs be led by building codes or restrictions”. Responsible for creating a unique and contemporary architecture and interior design style, the award-winning designer Piet Boon is being interviewed in the second edition of Coveted especially for our beloved readers. Here we would like to present the teaser of the interview with this amazing person. From the Netherlands, his status as a successful architect in NYC is on the rise. After reading this exclusive interview, everyone will most likely come to the same conclusion: the final result of each remarkable work created by Piet Boon is indeed a perfect match between functionality and timeless design.

Here is a small teaser from the second edition of Coveted :

“I draw my inspiration from my talented team, travels, the people I meet, the food I eat, the things I see, the different cultures I’m fortunate enough to encounter, and even the work of others.” (Piet Boon)

COVETED: Although you started your career as a builder, now you work as a designer – why did you make that change?

Piet Boon: I started my career in construction, realizing the designs of others and I was often frustrated with what designers came up with. Too many times I found myself realizing beautiful designs that although they were beautifully designed they just didn’t work, or the other way around. Call me stubborn, but I didn’t agree and believed that I could do a better job in finding the perfect balance between functionality, aesthetics, and individuality. I knew that if I wanted to realize this vision, I had to take full ownership of a design concept. And that’s how Studio Piet Boon came to life over thirty years ago.

CE: At this moment you are involved in projects worldwide. Do you have a favorite project or a favorite story about one of your projects?

PB: Because we are fortunate to work with different types of clients all over the world, all of our projects are unique in their own way and so it would be impossible to pick one specific project as a favorite. Having that said there are also many stories to tell, like our first big project in New York for instance – a real adventure, a 700m² apartment, an entire floor on Fifth Avenue. The client was (and still is) a very successful entrepreneur. We had very limited time to get the job done in order not to disturb the owners too much. This meant that at a certain point we had over 100 people working around the clock to realize the project in time. Can you image what that looked like? It still makes me laugh when I think of it.

CE: The results around your projects are remarkable. Possibly, they are a result of a perfect chemistry between you and your clients. So, when the chemistry really works, is it possible to predict what happens next?

PB: First of all, thank you! I think this kind of chemistry can be attributed to our motivation to truly understand the needs of our clients and embrace their values and way of life. The most important thing in achieving this understanding is being able to really listen. Over the years we have developed a strong set of antenna’s that help us gain insights that allow us to shape the individual identity of each project which is crucial for the creation of a unique, customized sense of space – be it a home, a hotel, an office, etc. Does that mean that we are able to predict what happens next? No. And that’s why I feel I have the best job in the world!

Check out as well : DESIGN INTERVIEW WITH LEMA

CE: Was there anything about New York City that made you approach this project differently than others?

PB: Every project is different because of many different factors that we have to take into account, though the approach is in principal always the same.

See also : TREND FILE BY AMY LAU