Whether it is an office, a restaurant or a shop, when Robin Sluijzer takes care of the interior design, you will see his signature. Sluijzer's designs are sturdy, stylish and clearly have their own character. He started as a furniture maker twenty years ago and has now built up an international portfolio with his Studio Robin Sluijzer. Who brought Robin where he is now? Who was his wheelbarrow? Text: Jorg Bressers
Image: Studio Robin Sluijzer
“My very first job was a paper route for De Telegraaf. And on weekends I worked in Replay's warehouse. I would drive all those pants around. Replay was completely new in the Netherlands at the time. I was able to go there through contacts from my parents.”
“I wanted to learn to design anyway, but I first wanted to know how to make things. During my training as a furniture maker, I did an internship with Piet Boon. I stayed there as a furniture maker and my passion for design arose. For me, furniture making was more of an intermediate step towards interior design. After a few years I resigned from Piet Boon and went traveling for a year, mainly to Asia, to think about how I wanted to proceed. Back in the Netherlands, I started working part-time for Piet Boon's right-hand man, Dimitri de Roeck, who had also started his own business. There I worked two and a half days a week as a furniture maker and the other time I worked for myself. That's how I did it for a few years until I got my first design assignment. I remember that very well, that was Roberto Botticelli's showroom in Maastricht. Then the ball started rolling. Then I opened my brothers' shop in PC Hooftstraat and Jefferson Hotel. I then came into contact with Ronald de Waal who asked me to do Setpoint stores and everything from Van Gils. That was of course a great start to everything.”
“If I had to say who has been my wheelbarrow, I think it would have been my family. They come from fashion and that is why I was able to do those shops, which were contacts of my family. And of course Piet Boon and Dimitri de Roeck were also wheelbarrows during the phases that I worked with them.”
“That is materialization. By that I mean that I am always looking for new and special materials. That I always want to be the first with new materials and try to find the right combinations so that everything fits together nicely. Sometimes even to the point of sadness. A dream would be to design an entire hotel, completely from scratch, which includes all facets: the rooms, the restaurant, the spa, the gym, the logo, everything... right down to the menu. To bring all of that together into one beautiful story is a dream.”
Would you like to see Robin Sluijzer's work with your own eyes? On Masters of LXRY it is EcoCabins present. Robin created the design for these impressive holiday homes. Text continues below image.
“I have noticed that you have to build up buffers and ensure that you have stability. During the financial crisis, many others were forced to quit. I survived because of that buffer. And so I am well aware that I always have to keep reserves.”
“I would advise everyone to go on a trip for orientation and inspiration. In my designs you can still see influences that I gained in Bali and Japan. And I would advise everyone to look into other people's kitchens to gain experience and knowledge. Other than that, of course, you just have to work hard.”
“Yes, I think I can share well. I am open and honest, everyone is allowed to look behind the scenes. For example, we have many interns and they can work with us from A to Z, not just get the coffee. I think I am also an example in the way I work, I am quite idiosyncratic and follow my own path, without taking myself too seriously. Van Gils has a nice slogan that matches this: “Always in style, never too serious”.
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