Furniture designer Maarten Baas doesn't subscribe to conformist notions of beauty and symmetry. He finds appeal in the character of aged patinas and wear from usage. As such, Baas doesn't seek to create furniture or decorative objects that are perfectly proportioned — for proof, look no further than to the unconventional cabinets of his Close Parity collection or the chairs with oddly shaped backrests he designed for Lensvelt.
Baas breaks unspoken rules, and his influential work is as much art as it is functional design — he’s garnered support from likeminded creatives in his field such as Phillippe Starck and Marcel Wanders, and explores how he might put unusual materials to work such as clay or charred wood in the construction of his chairs and table lamps.
Baas was born in Germany and grew up in the Netherlands. After graduating high school, he began his studies at the Design Academy in Eindhoven. Before he had even graduated, Baas made an impression on instructors and students alike with his graduation project.
Using pieces of secondhand furniture he had procured online — some of which was manufactured by IKEA — Baas scorched the wood all the way through with a blowtorch. He soon found a way to preserve the wood once it was burned through, and this led to his inaugural Smoke series. The chairs and a lighting fixture from this line were put into production by Moooi, a furniture brand Wanders cofounded with Revised’s Casper Vissers in 2001. Hospitality guru Ian Schrager got in touch, and a pool table from the collection was custom-made by Baas for the Gramercy Park Hotel.
Since Smoke, Baas has produced numerous pieces, with his best-known efforts involving the repurposing of existing furniture and modifying it to look the way he wants. Ever the innovator, Baas introduced a series of clock designs as part of an art installation that began to take shape in 2009 at the Salone Del Mobile in Milan.
The designer’s clocks see an incorporation of video and other technology. Each piece, such as the ten-foot tall model installed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in 2016, presents the illusion of human figures toiling to keep time behind its face by way of a 12-hour recorded performance.
Baas’s works are held in the collections of many notable museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Ciliophora Round Carpet, Hand Knotted in Wool, 40 Knots, Maarten Baas
By Maarten Baas
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Ciliophora round rug, designed by Maarten Baas, presents an abstract design that creates a motif with an antique or tribal appearance. "An abstraction of the smallest living creatur...
Wool
$5,414 / item
W 84.65 in L 108.27 in
CHRYSALIS Hand Knotted Transitional Round Shaped Rug in Wool and Silk by Hands
Located in New Delhi, IN
The cocoon silhouette. Cocoons have always been valued for their appeal and magnificence, yet nobody can truly clarify why they are echoed so blatantly in the realm of craftsmanship and nature. Inspired by the intricate details, the shape, the pattern, the birth of a butterfly. A design which is reminiscent of its form. Cocoon confined by its wings, providing comfort to the body until it was the ideal opportunity for it to break free. Channeling the shape and form of a multifaceted cocoon to make a delineation of the process of a cocoon transforming into a butterfly. Shaped like a cocoon creating an ethereal gradient effect. Available in color Rustic Copper...
Wool, Silk
$600Sale Price|20% Off
W 52 in D 75 in L 75 in
Hand Knotted Indian Gabbeh Wool Green Modern Area Rug Figures Carpet 4 x 6'
Located in Dayton, OH
Hand Knotted Indian Gabbeh Wool Area Rug. Features a Modern design with green pile accented with red trees and figures. Dimensions: 75" x 52"
Wool
Blue and Ivory Mamluk-Style Hand-Knotted Geometric Carpet, 3x5, Wool
Located in New York, NY
This hand-knotted 3' x 5' wool rug features a classic Mamluk-style design, defined by its intricate geometric layout, layered medallion forms, and precise symmetry. Rendered in deep ...
Wool
Iris Peshawar Multicolor Hand-Knotted Wool Rug Carpet, Floral Design
Located in New York, NY
Hand-knotted in wool, this 8 x 10 Iris Peshawar rug carpet is a refined offering from our contemporary room-size rug collection. Woven in India, the piece reflects the elegance of th...
Wool
Exquisite Agra Multicolor Hand-Knotted Wool Rug Carpet, Mughal Design
Located in New York, NY
Hand-knotted in fine wool, this 8 x 10 Exquisite Agra rug carpet is a refined addition to our contemporary room-size rug collection. Woven in India, the piece reflects the enduring e...
Wool
Natural Raw Wool Flatweave Round Hand Knotted Rug
Located in Laguna Hills, CA
12' x 12' Round Hand knotted, flat-weave raw wool Origin: India Field Color: Ivory Accent Colors: Brown, Beige
Wool
Natural Raw Wool Flatweave Round Hand Knotted Rug
Located in Laguna Hills, CA
8' x 8' Round Hand knotted, flat-weave raw wool Origin: India Field Color: Ivory Accent Colors: Brown, Beige
Wool
$19,434 / item
Dm 118.12 in
Circular Moon Figurative Carpet Hand Knotted Wool India Round Rug Design Italy
By Barberini & Gunnell
Located in Ancona, Marche
“Moon” is a unique handmade example. This rug, hand-knotted with a high knot density, is available in New Zealand Wool, Tencel and Bamboo Silk in different pile heights cut with scis...
Wool, Natural Fiber
Jaipur Rugs 8x10 Feet Hand knotted Carpet Wool Modern Blue Rug
By JAIPUR RUGS
Located in Milano, IT
Jaipur Rugs The gradual decline of civilizations to disorder: the patterns within this collection seem to create that sense of disorder and yet there is an almost hypnotic sense of c...
Wool
Jaipur Rugs 5'6x8 Feet Hand knotted Carpet Wool Modern Ivory Rug
By JAIPUR RUGS
Located in Milano, IT
Jaipur Rugs Featuring modest-pile carpets with organic designs that convey fluidity and harmony, the Blythe Collection skillfully combines handcrafted charm with contemporary sophist...
Wool
Antique Agra Hand Knotted Autumn Hues Muted Wool Carpet
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
Beautiful old Agra rug with warm, muted autumn colours skillfully hand knotted in pure wool. This piece has a soft dreamlike feel and exudes tremendous warmth and dappled luxury. If ...
Wool
$21,620 / item
W 118.12 in L 137.8 in
White Silk, Wool Rug India Hand Knotted Highest Quality Carpet Minimal Design
By Barberini & Gunnell
Located in Ancona, Marche
Beautiful, high quality rug in 100% New Zealand wool and pure silk, handknotted by our skilled Indian artisans. The rug 'Shadow', designed by Atelier Barberini & Gunnell, is made of ...
Wool, Silk