Taste
Onno Thijsen: "Designed to delight: that is our motto"
Text: Bart-Jan Brouwer Image: John van Helvert Dream garden. Strak studios distinguishes itself by three factors: design, display and deliver. MASTERS spoke with the founder, Onno Thijsen. "In essence, we direct emotions. With earthy colours, natural materials and harmony in proportions and dimensions, we create environments that are soothing and a pleasure to inhabit, where you truly feel at home."
Text: Bart-Jan Brouwer
Image: John van Helvert
Dream garden
“My background is in the communications industry. For years I managed a family business that consisted of an advertising agency, printing companies and logistics services. The combination of creation and production has always fascinated me. And I have always been interested in design and outdoor living. I had been thinking about designing gardens and outdoor spaces for some time now. Corona created the opportunity to make this concrete. In addition to my two graphic companies – Onno & Partners, which produces printed matter for retail organizations, and Magazine-Masters, a webshop for magazine printing – I started Strak studios. I can express my creativity even more in this, while I get a lot of energy back from it. Call it a hobby that got out of hand. We focus on Luxury Outdoor, because without budgetary limits the most is possible. Designed to delight: that's our motto. We create an inspiring environment where people delighted of becoming. To realize a dream garden, we work with top brands such as TUUCI, Flexform, Paola Lenti, Roda and B&B Italia. We also have our own furniture line, to which the chair in the photo belongs. The Nathan, named after my grandson, was based on the following principles: timeless design, beautiful appearance, even without cushions, and high seating comfort for every length. We master the entire palette for designing gardens and outdoor spaces, from lighting to greenery to furniture. I have just come from a customer in Rotterdam: a beautiful villa with one large wasteland in front of it. “Make something of it,” is the assignment. Look, that makes me happy!”
Delight
“Strak studios distinguishes itself, in particular, by three factors. The first is Design: creativity, functional thinking, the delight factor. The second is : through our design villa in Beusichem, our show garden spanning more than 3.500 square meters at the Linge in Deil, pop-ups throughout the country, print expressions and events such as MASTERS SUMMER EDITION in De L'Europe and MASTERS EXPO in RAI Amsterdam, we ensure that we are presentable, with the aim of helping people make a choice. And the third factor is deliver: we do it from A to Z, not only ensuring that it looks sleek, but also that it is neatly arranged, so that the customer is completely unburdened. Our clientele consists largely of hardworking entrepreneurs; They like it that we take care of it from the deepest groundwork to the roof of the pool house. All they have to do is sit down and enjoy it. How can you recognize a Sleek design? Timeless, not too many frills, Champions League level. This is not only about meeting physical needs such as space, comfort and functionality, but also mental needs such as beauty, harmony and aesthetics. Our work goes beyond exclusive furniture and decorative products. In essence, we direct emotions and, with earthy colours, natural materials and harmony in proportions and dimensions, we create environments that are soothing and a pleasure to stay in – where you really feel 'at home'. Our mission is to position Strak studios as an absolute pioneer in outdoor design and design.”
Outdoor feeling
“We are currently working on an estate of 66 hectares in the middle of a nature reserve on the German border, where a beautiful villa is being built. We use a drone to visualize the entire plot, so that we have the full dimensions as well as the complete location in 3D. This allows us to work very precisely. We are now digitally designing the outdoor space, whereby the greenery around the villa - trees, ornamental grasses, perennials - blends seamlessly into the landscape. What is striking is that customers especially want to have an outdoor feeling. The garden not as a dark, mossy environment, but as an inviting place where you would like to spend the whole day, preferably complete with outdoor kitchen and swimming pool. And they want the outside to be an extension of the inside. That is why we include the interior and architecture of the house in the design of the garden, terrace or veranda. We also always study what the viewing lines are when you are inside. How do you look into the garden? That image must be correct all year round, from the hottest moment in summer to the coldest day in winter. Where Strak studios can still grow? We can always continue to develop in the quality of our design and the way we present ourselves. And there are still a number of markets in which I see potential. Firstly, the hotels and restaurants in the high segment with their terraces, swimming pools and gardens. Secondly, the maritime market. We were recently asked to make a proposal for a 125-meter superyacht. All those outdoor areas on the various decks must be furnished with furniture. Then you are talking about enormous investments. Thirdly, the outer areas of companies and institutions. For example, we are now making an inventory of how we can design the terraces of a new port in Amsterdam. And finally, we want to focus more on the second-home market. Many people who invest in real estate in Spain, the South of France or Portugal, for example, prefer to engage a Dutch party for their garden there. And once they delighted are of the design that we have created for their garden here, then it is a logical consequence that they approach us for this. We are now working on the coast of Kenya, where a customer is having four villas built. If you complete a project satisfactorily, you will have another ambassador. We hope to further expand that network at MASTERS EXPO.”
MASTERS MAGAZINE #55
This article is from MASTERS Magazine. The magical autumn edition of MASTERS Magazine is now available. Artificial intelligence has now become an indispensable part of our lives. But, is this development something to celebrate or fear? Will Terminators take over or will friendly robots make our earthly existence even more comfortable? In this edition, AI is examined. According to philosopher Rowan Williams, it is important to remember that whatever AI does, it always imitates. And that we as humans distinguish ourselves through ingenuity. A good example is real estate entrepreneur André Snippe, who is developing an ultra-modern city district in Hoofddorp. Or nautical designer Jurjen Eerkens, who has developed a groundbreaking boat with his Hytender that is leading the way in making the yacht industry more sustainable. These and more resourceful entrepreneurs grace the pages of this edition. Which also looks ahead to MASTERS EXPO | The MAGICAL Edition, our exclusive business fair also born from ingenuity.
