Piet Hein Eek

Making unique products out of so called worthless materials. That's the core business of designer Piet Hein Eek. According to his philosophy, waste should be treated as gold, and the labour and time it takes to transform it, as almost worthless. This reversed approach to the production process turned out to be both feasible and profitable.  His furniture and other products sell worldwide and can be seen in The Museum of Modern Art in New York as well as many other galleries and museums. It all began with this scrapwood closet in 1990, when perfection was still the norm.

Recently, Piet Hein Eek moved into a huge old factory in Eindhoven, employing around 50 people, most of them craftsmen. Upscaling the business was never a goal, but  it turned out to be the perfect way to let ideas grow slowly, taking the time to find the best way to produce them. With this approach, good ideas don't get wasted.

CREDITS: Commissioning editor: Geert van de Wetering, Producer: Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen, Produced by Submarine, Femke Wolting & Bruno Felix, Research: Liselotte Francken, Director: Noud Holtman, Alexander Oey, Camera: Wiro Felix, Sound: Eric Leek, Benny Jansens, Editor: Noud Holtman, Colorcorrectionn: Maurik de Ridder, Music Sound Design: Pastelle Music

Commissioned by DutchDFA