100% Magnificent - Lara de Greef

Auteur : Esther | 07-17-2010

Lara de Greef is a young designer from Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Her company, Studio Lara de Greef, is very active launching a wide range of designs, from glasswork, ceramic vases to bamboo furniture.

Lara’s main focus is on the design of bamboo furniture. She participated in a project called ‘Dutch Design Meets Bamboo’ in which she travelled to India to learn more about the possibilities and sustainability of bamboo. The result was a number of furniture prototypes, including this lovely chair called ‘100% bamboo’ made with exclusively natural materials.

Chair - ‘100%Bamboo’
Upholstered chair, which is virtually completely made of bamboo. The frame is made of bamboo board, the seat is upholstered with one-hundred percent bamboo wool, and the joints are made of bamboo dowels.

Lara so kindly took a moment from her busy schedule to answer some of our questions.

How did you come to be a designer?
I studied on the Design Academy in Eindhoven and founded ‘Studio Lara de Greef’ in 2005.

How would you describe your characteristic design style?
I’m a designer of applied utensils. I work with a great sense for aesthetics and shapes; in techniques that I further developed after graduation at the well-known Eindhoven Design Academy. Designs were made with many different materials, but for certain there is a clear preference for natural materials. Moreover I have the personal quality to exploit opportunities offered by my environment, in as well an artistic as business way.

High Heeled Service (2003)

What is your greatest source of inspiration?
Comes from everywhere... books, materials, shapes, people

What is the first thing you ever created?
When I was a child I made new clothes for my Barbie dolls, my mother did not really understand why my Barbie had to wear these weird rag-designed dresses.

Do you have a favourite among all your creations, if so why is this your favourite?
One of my favourite new works is ‘subjective measures’ made in the EKWC last year.
www.ekwc.nl

Subjective measures
Using the rigid typology of spoons and measures as vague and subjective as ‘a cup’ and ‘a teaspoon’, Lara designed a playful line of spoons. The spoons vary in form and size and thereby are, at basis, highly differing. By using the same clay as material for the line as well as by usage of a similar glaze in a specified and recognizable colour line, the line becomes one. This highly communicative series explores our experience of a series as well as our usage of measures while cooking.

Spoons - ‘Subjective measures’

What is your dream home? Or what is your ideal living space?
I would love to have a big garden where I can grow my own fruits and vegetables.

What do you like to do when you have a moment for yourself?
In my spare time I like to cook, at the moment I love to make Thai curries.

What are your current projects?
I’m working on a new line of fabric, with different techniques to upholster a new piece of furniture.

Visit Lara’s website for more information and to see all her designs.
www.laradegreef.nl

Porcelain Bowl - Olympic Gold (2005)