Sheaves, Reed Bench

Steven Banken is a dutch designer located in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Banken uses the material origin and properties as inspiration for his designs. He mainly works with wood, often combined with other materials such as steel, copper or reed. He graduated Cum Laude in 2010 at Design Academy Eindhoven. His workshop with in-house production is a place where research, design and crafts meet. His approach results in a clear design with an eye for innovation, construction and finishing. The designs are sometimes a merge of applied and fine arts and made by hand. As an example of his projects, Steven Banken has been working on a Tannic Acid research project for several years, resulting in various products. “Never use steel nails in oak,” was the advice of Banken’s grandfather. He was a carpenter and blacksmith and forms the base of this project. Oak contains high concentrations of Tannic Acid, which turns dark blue when it’s exposed to steel. The project reveals the exceptional similarity in color of two radically different materials after the natural transition.