Object Rotterdam 2019 from top to bottom

Time flies when you’re having fun! One year ago today, I was racing against the clock to get my book finished. Together with designer Ingrid Robers, I was spending every waking minute tweaking the layout and making sure that everything was perfect. It was a hectic time, to be sure – but I still made time to visit Object Rotterdam. Fast forward to 2019 and here I am, definitely more relaxed than last year but still very excited to the best annual design fair in the Netherlands. Just like last year, Object Rotterdam is held in the beautiful Haka Building not too far from where I live. And so, Ingrid and I started all the way up at the 7th floor view point and worked our way down to the ground floor bar. I took tons of photos and needless to say, I’m going to share a small selection with you right now.

You can visit Object Rotterdam this weekend only. You can find all the details on the Object Rotterdam website.

If you’re going to visit Object Rotterdam, I hope you’re in good shape. The Haka Building’s paternoster elevator is currently being renovated, so in order to reach the 7th floor the only option is to take the stairs. Lucky for me, I’ve been working out like crazy and so I reached the top only slightly out of breath. The view at sunset was breathtaking, so it was definitely worth it.

What I like best about Object Rotterdam, is that it features a little bit of everything. There’s conceptual work, fashion, furniture, jewelry, ceramics – you name it, it’s there. Curator Anne van der Zwaag always makes sure that young designers are featured next to more established designers, which is basically a guarantee for some interesting combinations. This display by fashion designer Rachid Assoui on the sixth floor was both colorful and innovative, as you can see. And what about those dresses!

The last time I saw Boris Maas, was during the graduation show of the Design Academy Eindhoven. He was being courted by none other than Rossana Orlandi – so exciting! At Object Rotterdam, this young designer was a bit more relaxed as he told everyone about his wonderful project, An Ellipsis Machine, A City Light.

You’ll either love or hate these Get Lit lamps by Rrudi. I loved them, but even I thought that vagine was a bit of a faux-pas, pardon my French. Still, I wouldn’t mind buying the hand making the ‘okay’ sign at one point.

The Soft Sculptures  by Sonja Cabalt on the fourth floor are definitely an acquired taste, unless you’re like me and don’t mind hairy balls. All joking aside, Ingrid and I agreed that these wall objects were a sight to behold. BTW, architecture lovers take note: The three buildings you see in the background are the iconic Europoint towers by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.

In spite of its name, this Unusual Tapestry by Mariadela Araujo was a bit less unusual than Sonja Cabalt’s balls. That being said, it looked stunning as well. Come to think of it, I’ve been looking for a nice tapestry for my living room – and this smaller version might do just the trick.

Mirror, mirror on the wall – you are the fairest of them all! God, I loved this gold mirror by Fons Venner on the third floor. It looks so Eighties and futuristic at the same time, it’s making my head spin.

For something a bit less visual and more olfactory, head over to Merle Bergers and her absolutely lovely range of plant-based perfumes called LinguaPlanta. Check out this video for a brief explanation.

Lingua Planta is coming out in a few weeks but you can pick up a bottle at Object Rotterdam if you want. I was very tempted to do so myself, but then figured it would be nicer if I got it for my 50th birthday later this year – anyone?

Yaaay! My good friend Beatrice Waanders from The Soft World was at Object Rotterdam as well, presenting this new wool room divider. Beatrice showed me a few photos she took with the sun shining right trough it. Totally stunning!

Oh look, another familiar face on the second floor. If it isn’t Annebet Philips! Her lamp is one of the first things people see when they enter my apartment and it never fails to amaze them. Annebet is totally on a roll this year, just look at that red and white wool chandelier. And if that wasn’t enough, she also showed plenty of other new work that you just have to check out. Don’t forget to read the interview I did with Annebet last year. I promise you, it’s well worth your while.

Oh no! I took a photo of the very talented Cox Janssens and it looked way too dark. Which is a shame, because Cox has some great new work on display at Object Rotterdam. In fact, you can even buy it. How about that? BTW, Cox and I once spent an great evening sitting next to each other at Dutch Design Week. This woman is going places!

Down on the first floor, this resin colorful Jenga tower by Vincent de Rijk was a sight to behold – especially if you love color as much as I do. To be honest, I hadn’t heard of this designer before…

…which is really too bad, because I would have *loved* to buy this basin he designed a while ago. What a beauty, right? Oh well, next time around!

By the time Ingrid and I reached this display by Arnout Visser, our heads were pretty much full. Still, we both sincerely loved his beautiful lamps.

Talking about lamps, how about these new Crystal Knots by Isaac Monté? For some time now, I’ve been the proud owner of a vase, a table lamp AND a lapel pin by Monsieur Monté and let me tell you, his new work looks stunning as well. Well worth buying if you’re in the market for an instantly recognizable design (and let’s face it, who isn’t?).

Yaaay, we made it to the ground floor and that can only mean one thing: it’s BEER O’CLOCK. Before we head over to the bar, however, let’s take one last look at the Contour lighting system by Ontwerpduo. It is made-to-measure, fits in all areas and is constantly adjustable in color and intensity after installation.

Okay, so there you have it – another fine edition of Object Rotterdam. I understood that it will be moving to a new location next year. But no matter where it’s going to be, I’ll be there!