Bertjan Pot.

Pot initially acquired this point of view while studying at the Design Academy Eindhoven in the 1990s. Pot instinctively reacted against the proclivity those days of making products smooth, sleek and inorganic, and made it his mission to work against the grain.

Today, at Studio Bertjan Pot in Schiedam, The Netherlands, Pot works on products for furniture companies and self-initiated projects. They start off small, based on a singular material or technique, and build from there. Technical prowess is paired with that mysterious thing, intuition, to create items that are "just a bit more than the function they have to fulfill." These creations include the famous Moooi Random Light and Non-Random Light, airy spheres made with strands of resin-coated fiberglass, the austere Slim Table and Slim Office furniture collection for Arco, as well as a line of beanbag furniture: the Lazy Bastard (for Montis) and the Molten Couch.

Look around for Bertjan Pot and you'll be hard-pressed to find any picture that actually shows his face. While this may appear the sign of a reclusive personality, it's really just Pot's way to avoid becoming a "celebrity designer," with a name and face that becomes more important than the actual designs. Bertjan Pot insists on staying in the background, letting his designs speak for themselves. And they're likely to be telling a joke.

Lumens carries Bertjan Pot designs for the Moooi brand. If you don't see the Bertjan Pot product you want, please Contact Us or call us at 877.445.4486.