Each year, ICFF Studio
Bernhardt Design honors the hippest new furnishings to spring from emerging design minds. One of the most exciting of this year’s participants was the Netherland’s team Bert (van der Grift) & Dennis (van der Burch), a thirty-something
design duo from The Hague with visually stimulating prototypical designs. The two met when Bert was selling a PK 22 by Paoul Kjaerholm, and Dennis, through his
design upholstery business, visited Bert to see the condition of the chair for a client of his. “When Dennis entered my house, he saw it was filled with experiments and drawings of chairs,” says Bert. “He felt he’d found a kindred spirit with a chair fetish!”
Bert studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in The Hague while Dennis is self-taught, opening his own upholstery workshop for design classics in 1995. He has provided upholstery for cutting-edge companies the likes of Cassina, Tecno Spa and Vitra. Bert has worked for several renowned design studios, including Sawaya & Moroni. We are both very passionate about making graphical designs that are a lust for the eye,” says Bert. “A design should give you the feeling like being in love…at least that's how we feel; but hey, we're the ones with a chair-fetish!”
Two of their introductions this year, Fold (shown) and Holdit, illustrate the pair’s fascination with chic shapes. They also prove that Dennis’ talent with upholstery has the team covered for future stardom. “Going to the ICFF and being selected by Bernahrdt was the most exiting thing so far,” says Dennis. “Going to NY and being able to show the designs to Americans was a great moment for us, but the greatest so far was the moment our first item went into production: It felt like a child had been born.” The design firm they’ve established, which they launched a mere 11 months before the fair, seems to be on the fast track for serious success. “This year since the lift-off has been a roller coaster,” Dennis remarks, “and from what we’re hearing from the market, there is still a lot to come.” I featured the future design stars in
my article about ICFF for MIAMI Magazine.
