Maarten Baptist, a designer of interior decor items, has practically become part of the decor at Vij5 himself. Since 2014, one of his products, the “coatrack by the meter,” has been part of the Vij5 collection, and it has been a bestseller ever since. by Over the years, more of Maarten’s designs have been added to the Vij5 collection. Read more about the story behind Maarten’s designs in this interview!
Text: Daniëlle van de Haterd(Staaldraad Tekstschrijver)
Photography: Vij5
Being a designer isn't a given
Maarten grew up with parents who owned a hardware store. Naturally, he could often be found there, so creativity was practically instilled in him from an early age. Still, becoming a designer of interior items wasn’t something he took for granted; it was a series of coincidences along the way that led him to that profession.
"I make what I like and do what I enjoy."
Maarten Baptist
Become a Window Dresser
'I was always busy in my parents' store and eventually went to trade school. Then I did a window dresser training and wanted to start my own business in that field, I had even thought of the name for that. My window dressing business was going to be called 'Netraam'; a reference to a window display* but also my first name spelled backward, I thought that was a funny joke.
* ('raam' means 'window' in Dutch)
to Design Academy
The window-dressing business never got off the ground, and there’s a good reason for that. Maarten wanted to take another step up the educational ladder after all, so he applied to the Design Academy. He was accepted, and that marked the beginning of a career that still brings him joy every day.
Successful Specifications
Maarten graduated with a sink, a seat, and cutlery. The latter in particular was very well received and to this day it is an important 'cash cow' for him. 'Because my cutlery runs so well, I have a fairly stable income stream, this allows me to play around with other products. I make what I like and do what I enjoy.'
From Sketch to Product
For Maarten, a design begins in his sketchbook. In it, the initial impetus and all subsequent steps are drawn in black and white. When he is satisfied with his manual sketches, Maarten switches to the computer. Using Adobe Illustrator he creates a version that he prints and assembles, this gives him an image of the object in space. With that in hand, he links up with a 3-d illustrator who elaborates the design further. Maarten does not do the actual manufacturing of the product himself, for this, he works with a regular group of producers and craftsmen.
"When I see a paving stone, I don't just take it for granted."
Maarten Baptist
Naturally curious
By nature, Maarten is a curious person. 'Inspiration is actually everywhere. When I see a paving stone, I don't just take it for granted. I think about the process that preceded it before that tile was there.' So you could say that Maarten has an enormous eye for detail, but he himself sees it differently 'My wife designs jewelry and when I compare my look to hers, I still stand out a little sloppy.'
“Sometimes there are just little gifts hidden in the production process.”
Maarten Baptist
Making concessions
“I’m a designer who daydreams a lot. An idea in and of itself is almost never a problem. The real challenge lies in developing it into a product that can actually be manufactured. That takes a lot of effort, and it can easily take seven years before a chair is ready for production. That exploration of possibilities and limitations is really fascinating, though—it’s a constant balancing act of deciding which compromises I’m willing to make. I’m very clear on this: I’ll only make an adjustment if it improves the product. Sometimes the production process just throws up little surprises.’
"You won't see me making anything with a decorative print anytime soon."
Maarten Baptist
Little jokes in designs
In his “ Design ,” Maarten likes to sneak in little jokes; for example, the double-crochet “coatrack by the meter’ is exactly 19.76 centimeters instead of 20. This is related to his date of birth. Another characteristic of Maarten’s style is that the way something is made is visible. “You won’t often see me make something with a print; it’s actually the making process itself that I use as a decorative element.”
Timeless is sustainable
For Maarten, a design is successful when consumers want to buy it at retail price, but especially when he himself is happy with it. 'The condition for my products is that they must not become boring. They have to remain interesting and clean, timeless in other words. Somehow that is of course a sustainable way of working, I try to take that theme into account as much as possible, but it is not the starting point of my designs.'
Coatrack by the meter
The 'Coatrack by the Meter' is a nice example of how Maarten's designs can originate. 'I marveled at how laboriously the elongated coatracks in schools and locker rooms were made. Usually, they consist of a plate with hooks attached separately. I thought about how this could be made simpler and approached a coatrack manufacturer. They didn't like my idea, but I stuck with it. That's who I am; I'm good at understanding possibilities.'
Collaboration with Vij5
At a trade fair in Moscow, Maarten got to know Arjan and and Anieke better. Over lots of coffee, a snack and a vodka, a friendship developed that eventually blossomed into a working relationship. It was precisely the coatrack rejected by the 'mainstream manufacturer' that sealed the cooperation between Maarten and Vij5 in 2014. 'I put it on the table and it was received with tremendous enthusiasm by Arjan and Anieke. The only thing we changed was the colours, then we put it on the market and it became a success.'
Vij5 has good connections
The reason for cooperating with Vij5 is that Maarten wants to be able to really focus on designing. 'As an independent designer, it is a lot of work to sell your own products as well. Besides, I prefer to create, that's what I like. Once something is on the shelf, I'm already working on the next thing. But of course, it's not my intention that it stays on the shelf, it has to be sold. Arjan and Anieke are very good at that, they have many contacts in the world of architecture.'
Vertical coatrack
At some point, it was time for a new addition to the coat rack family: a vertical version of the Coatrack by the Meter. Whether the vertical version is a true counterpart to the original horizontal version has been a point of debate. “It’s actually a completely different product, but there are also many similarities. Of course, these two can be combined, which is why we chose to call this one ‘coatrack by the meter’ as well. We discuss these kinds of matters and make decisions together—it’s a true collaboration.”
“I let myself be surprised by the creativity of users.”
Maarten Baptist
The Creativity of Others
When Maarten launches a “ New ” product, he’s curious to see how consumers will use it. “Take the vertical coat rack, for example—I imagined it being used on narrow stretches of wall, or that it would create one section for moms and dads and another for the kids. But maybe it’ll end up being used in completely different ways; I’m open to being surprised by by users’ creativity.”
Vertical Coat Rack Manufacturing Process
Whereas production processes of new designs sometimes present a huge challenge, this was not the case with the vertical version of the 'Coatrack by the Meter'. Like the original horizontal version, it was cut with a 3-d laser. 'Of course, the brackets had to be bent out in a slightly different way, but this proved to be even easier.'
Future
When Maarten dreams about his future, he envisions a house with a garden right in the middle of the city, where he lives with his wife and dogs. Professionally, he’s already very happy with where he is now, and he hopes to keep it that way. “I’d be happy to keep working as a designer for another twenty years; I’m really glad I’m doing this for myself and not for someone else. If I had to change anything, it might be to add a few more retail locations and form partnerships like the one I currently have with Vij5 . That way, sales will keep coming in even when I’m not there myself.”
