Studio Piet Boon is a globally operating exterior, interior and product design studio recognized for crafting the perfect balance between functionality, aesthetics and individuality. The multidisciplinary team designs acclaimed private homes, residential & corporate developments, hospitality experiences and an extensive range of products. Studio Piet Boon was founded in 1983 by Piet Boon and Karin Meyn in Oostzaan, The Netherlands.

Yinji: As an outstanding designer in Holland, your reputation has spread to the world. The media call you the "King of Dutch Interior Design". But in your early days, it is convenient for you to talk about why you established Studio Piet Boon, and how did you expand your reputation and gain the first batch of customers?
Piet Boon：After my studies I began my career as a building contractor. I started in construction, like my father,but design was always my passion. My experience in the field of craftsmanship as well as the frustration with design work that was not well thought-out, led me to discover that to realize my vision on residential living I needed to take full ownership of the design concept. I started to design and build kitchens, which were copied many times by other designers. Clients started asking me to do more of the project’s design work. I was able to successfully combine and use my knowledge of materials, insight in the building process and passion for beautiful details was successfully combined into innovative and functional solutions for exterior and interior spaces. Together with my business partner, creative director Interior & Styling Karin Meyn and a strong and talented team I developed my construction company into the multidisciplinary design studio Studio Piet Boon. Over the years Studio Piet Boon has grown into a globally operating design company, delivering exterior, interior, and product design excellence for residential and corporate clients and commercial partners.

Yinji：: The development of Studio Piet Boon is still inseparable from your operation management. How do you manage the team and make it the world's top design company?
Piet Boon：By combining keen technical insight and strong conceptualization skills and typical Dutch nononsense mentality, I and our management drive the team to exceed expectations on a worldwide basis. Our focus on functionality, comfort, timelessness and durability combined with a unique made to measure approach and long-lasting collaborations enables us to execute this shared vision on a global scale.

Yinji: After reading your design work, it is simple, individual, and full of naturalism. How did you achieve the unity of aesthetics? What is your design philosophy?
Piet Boon：Our philosophy is a creative balance uniting functionality, aesthetics and individuality. These ingredients define the Studio Piet Boon experience. Every design we create, must stand the test of time. In all aspects of our work. The design must feel esthetically relevant over time, it must be functional long after it was conceived, and our client must continue to feel completely at home no matter how much time passes. One of our guiding principles is whether a space or material can actually improve over the duration of living or working with it. Our team of seasoned designers blend heart and mind in each of our designs. A full service total concept approach of combining exterior, interior and product design is what makes us unique.

Yinji：How do you keep up with the times? Always at the forefront of design. For young designers, is it convenient for you to talk about your design methods?
Piet Boon：True to our roots our design studio and global headquarters are based in Amsterdam area. This is also the home of our flagship showroom where our guests and clients from all over the world can appreciate the unique brand experience, a total concept of interior, exterior design including Kitchen, furniture and styling. In our headquarters we work with a young and highly talented team of designers, architects, stylist and other professionals, the international team counts 65 people now. Our designers come from different places all over the world, from China to Italy and from the USA and United Kingdom. It’s great to hear about and to see their view on design, especially in these digital times. It can be extra challenging, but I think with our strong design principles and the freedom for the team to also do their research in their own way, it’s a great deal of inspiration to me.

Yinji: Have you ever contacted Chinese owners? How do you see the current status of contemporary Chinese design?
Piet Boon：We work with different companies throughout Asia. As we speak we are creating the overall concept for a new Chinese hotel brand. The principal is one of the main developers in China with multiple hospitality projects and brands. We see the current status as closing the gap between contemporary Chinese and European design. Probably due to the ‘new’ generation who travel frequently; has access to the whole world via the digital highway and distance became relative. I think this new generation has been influenced by foreign cultures, far more than in the past and with that in mind created clear expectations for their future hotel experiences.