Sandra Keja Planken and a team of talented designers give everything they have during the Messmerizing exhibition at Dutch Design Week.
Do you know those moments where everything comes together and you’re just perfectly happy and living the life you always were supposed to live? A friend of mine once said that whenever that happens, your id, ego and superego are fully aligned. I‘m not a psychologist, and so I don’t know if what he said is true…but it definitely FELT true when my fellow maximalist and tasteful friend Sandra Keja Planken asked me if I could open her crazy beautiful MESSMERIZING exhibition at Dutch Design Week together with her. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity - not just because it felt like a huge honour.
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Part of the items on display will be auctioned in a special MESSMERIZING x Catawiki auction that ends on Sunday 29 October 2023.Also: please note that I will finish adding the names of all the designers whose works are on display as soon as possible. You can check the full MESSMERIZING catalogue here.
Here’s Sandra and me doing the opening of MESSMERIZING last Saturday. the Highlight Olegi vase you see in the foreground is by Nicky Vollebregt. It is standing on a table by Teun Zwets (photo by Studio Floor).Give me a mic and I'm a happy guy - especially if I get to speak in public on a special occasion like this. A little cuddling for good luck and MESSMERIZING is declared officially open! MESSMERIZING has it ALL - wallhangings, lightings, tables, you name it! From left to right: GLEAM BABY BLUE by Celia Hadeler, table by Sarah Roseman, Liquid Collection lamp by Sjang Niederwieser, Swirl by Marijke De Cock. If you're looking for the quintessential 2020's interiors look, this is it! From left to right: Fat Furniture stools by Lambert Kamps, rug by Celia Hadeler, Sunset wall piece by Pepe Valenti, vintage design sofa daybed Ercol model 355 Lucian Randolph Ercolani, Alpha Owl sofa element by Sandra Keja Planken x Bestwelhip.All the beautiful paint colours you see by the way come from Sandra's own line at Green Paints. From left to right: New Horizon (pink) by Douwe Halbertsma standing on an occasional table by Rutger de Regt, Ligne Roset Kali Sofa available at Atkris, rug and tapestry by Sandra Keja Planken, table by Salt Gallery with the Erichera tray by Sarah Roseman on top.The cobalt blue Jesus lamp is RIGHT up my alley! Amsterdam School cabinet through Atkris, vase by Atelier Schaft, MUNNY by Kidrobot and tapestry by Sandra Keja Planken.I had to take go back and take another photo of the cobalt blue Jesues lamp, because THAT is how much I liked it. Amsterdam School cabinet through Atkris, vase by Atelier Schaft.I never would have thought of hanging a tapestry this way, but Sandra just makes it work. Something old, something new - as you can see, mixing things up always, ALWAYS, works best. Chandelier by Lucas Zito and Stijn van Aardenne, Ode Al Mar glass object by Sandra Keja Planken, Corinto dining table by Ferdinando Meccani available at Atkris.From left to right. Amsterdam School cabinet by Atkris, rug by Sandra Keja Planken, R400 chair by Arno Hoogland, table by Salt Gallery with the Erichera tray by Sarah Roseman on top. Planters by Rutger de Regt. Wall lamp by Wisse Trooster.Is it a lamp? Is it a tapestry? It's Ode al Mar by Sandra Keja Planken! So, what are we looking at here? Amongst other things a table by Rutger de Regt and a table lamp by Ori Orisun. Oh, and let's not forget the two Dreads chairs by Mariekke Jansen and a wall hanging by Sandra Keja Planken.There were some superbig versions of these lamps by Lucas Zito and Stijn van Aardenne in the main hall of the Eindhoven train station, by I forgot to take a phot of them. Very tempted to paint my own walls in this colour! Italian modernist showcase cabinet from Atkris, green vase by Elizabeth Lewis, glasses by Tiddo van der Schueren. Tapestry and carpet by Sandra Keja Planken.More is always more in a maximalist interior! I wonder how comfortable this In Fiore stool by Sofie Aaldering is to sit on - but then again, who cares? It looks stunning! Beautiful Helios lamps by Zoran Strijbosch.This is a magazine cover waiting to happen. In the foreground you can see a Ode al Mar glass object by Sandra Keja Planken standing on a Bleu de Delft rug by Victor de Bie. Behind it on the left the Helios lamps by Zoran Strijbosch. Ligne Roset Kali Sofa available at Atkris, and then finally the Sandra Keja Planken x Mondilab soft textile wallpaper. Sandra confided in me that she decided to bring this rug from her home at the last moment.From left to right: Wallpaper by Sandra Keja Planken, wood sculpture by Kasper Boelens, wall hangings by Sofie Aaldering.My personal favourite is this Wave chair by Mariekke Jansen. Above it, you see the Aura mirror by Shay Alfia and a wall object by Salt Gallery. And is it a dress or an object that you can hang from the ceiling...Gina Grünwald thinks it's both! A beatiful piece in cobalt blue by Marijke de Cock.So much to see at Messmerizing! Not sure who designed the chair, but the beautiful Fragile Collection on the right is by Thibeau Scarcériaux.Can you see how cleverly Sandra combined this coffee table by Erna de Bie with Celia Hadeler's work behind it? Hey look, it's Mariekke Jansen herself - in an outfit that matches her chair! Another great (and beautiful) example of 2020's design by Pepe Valenti!Everybody's looking for the ladder (that's a song by Prince in case you didn't know)! This appropriatelu coloured ladder is part of the Fat Furniture collection by Lambert Kamps.
