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
7x9 Ivory Hand-Knotted Wool Abstracted Cloudscapeist Design Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-knotted wool rug, 7' x 9' (84 x 108 in), in ivory tones. Condition: new. Vibrant Laine Beige Hand Knotted Wool Rug, Country of Origin: Ind...
Wool
$122 / item
W 48 in L 72 in
4x6 Multicolor Hand-Knotted Wool Deconstructed Geometry Geometric Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-knotted wool rug, 4' x 6' (48 x 72 in), in multicolor tones. Condition: new. This multicolor jewel tone rug is a hand knotted pile wool ru...
Wool
6x9 Traditional Coral Geometric Medallion Hand Knotted Wool Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-woven wool rug, 6' x 9' (72 x 108 in), in coral tones. Condition: new. Exquisite Traditional Coral Hand Knotted Wool Rug, Country of Origi...
Wool
6x9 Beautiful Celia Green Geometric Contemporary Hand Knotted Wool Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-woven wool rug, 6' x 9' (72 x 108 in), in green tones. Condition: new. Beautiful Celia Green Hand Knotted Wool Rug, Country of Origin: Ind...
Wool
$255 / item
W 72 in L 108 in
6x9 Multicolor Hand-Knotted Wool Deconstructed Geometry Geometric Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-knotted wool rug, 6' x 9' (72 x 108 in), in multicolor tones. Condition: new. This hand knotted pile rug is crafted from wool and features...
Wool
6x9 Selene Moroccan Ivory Diamond Contemporary Hand Knotted Wool Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-knotted wool rug, 6' x 9' (72 x 108 in), in ivory tones. Condition: new. Selene Moroccan Ivory Hand Knotted Wool Rug, Country of Origin: I...
Wool
6x9 Graceful Vibrant Ivory Geometric Modern Hand Knotted Wool Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Chinese Modern hand-woven wool rug, 6' x 9' (72 x 108 in), in ivory tones. Condition: new. Graceful Vibrant Ivory Hand Knotted Wool Rug, Country of Origin: I...
Wool
6x9 Selene Oushak Rust Floral Contemporary Hand Knotted Wool Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-knotted wool rug, 6' x 9' (72 x 108 in), in rust tones. Condition: new. Selene Oushak Rust Hand Knotted Wool Rug, Country of Origin: India...
Wool
6x9 Traditional Blue Geometric Medallion Modern Hand Knotted Wool Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-woven wool rug, 6' x 9' (72 x 108 in), in blue tones. Condition: new. Traditional Blue Hand Knotted Wool Rug, Country of Origin: India. Th...
Wool
6x9 Luxurious Oriental Green Traditional Geometric Hand Knotted Wool Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-woven wool rug, 6' x 9' (72 x 108 in), in green tones. Condition: new. Luxurious Oriental Green Hand Knotted Wool Rug, Country of Origin: ...
Wool
$495 / item
W 60 in L 96 in
5x8 Multicolor Hand-Knotted Wool Abstract Mountainscape Geometric Carpet Rug
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary circa 2020 Indian Modern hand-knotted wool rug, 5' x 8' (60 x 96 in), in multicolor tones. Condition: new. This multicolor jewel tone rug is a hand knotted pile floor c...
Wool