Designer Piet Hein Eek spoke to Dezeen in a live Screentime conversation sponsored by Philips TV & Sound as part of Virtual Design Festival.
The Dutch designer discussed his work with Dezeen's founder and editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs.
A Design Academy Eindhoven alum, Eek operates out of a former Philips factory in Eindhoven, which he has renovated into a cultural centre that comprises his studio and workshop, a restaurant, an art gallery, a hairdressers and, from October 2020, a hotel.
Eek described his studio as "his own world; a dynamic centre where creativity, production and sales go hand in hand".
He is known for a rustic style, often using materials such as wood, metal and ceramics in his products.
The designer first applied this aesthetic to his graduation project, a collection of scrap wood cupboards made using salvaged floorboards and planks.
He has since applied this design approach to numerous projects including a collection of furniture and homeware products for IKEA that showcase imperfections rather than hide them.
He has also previously converted a 100-year-old barn in the Friesian village of Woudsend into a rustic guesthouse, highlighting original features like its aged timber roof.
This conversation is sponsored by Philips TV & Sound and is part of our Screentime series for Virtual Design Festival. The last episode of the series will feature a conversation with Anna Murray from London-based design studio Patternity.
Previous sessions have included designers such as Teresa van Dongen, Xandra van der Eijk and Sebastian Cox.
About Virtual Design Festival
Virtual Design Festival runs from 15 April to 10 July 2020. It brings the architecture and design world together to celebrate the culture and commerce of our industry, and explore how it can adapt and respond to extraordinary circumstances.
To find out what's coming up at VDF, check out the schedule. For more information or to join the mailing list, email vdf@dezeen.com.