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KOKKE House
About the brand
KOKKE House is an initiative of Romy Kokke and her husband Daniel Beasley. KOKKE is a design studio and a family business marketing the iconic designs of Romy’s father Ruud-Jan Kokke. KOKKE House’s vision is to create functional, purposeful, and aesthetic interior environments, defined by a variety of timeless objects, art works and iconic design pieces. “We believe strongly in a diverse, versatile and flexible interior.” says Romy, one of the KOKKE founders. “It is through the combination of unique pieces that one can find harmony and balance in any space or place of living.”
Ruud-Jan Kokke is a Dutch designer in the tradition of the iconic Gerrit Rietveld, a maker who excels in form and construction. KOKKE House design style is clear and surprising at the same time. 'Armchair 21’ was his first design. Kokke designed the chair in 1984, two years before daughter Romy was born. The KOKKE armchair has been included in the permanent collection of the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam since 1996 and the design is regarded as a real design classic. KOKKE House’s ‘Armchair 21’ was awarded, among other things, the ‘Red Dot Design Award’ in 1996, and is of fundamental importance to the history of Dutch design.
Armchair 21 is a typical ‘KOKKE chair’. At first sight it is a simple and pure design, but it is the result of a thorough knowledge of materials and a meticulous construction. The transparent frame is made of hard oak. The slats that are laid at intervals in the lines, are made of tough and pliable ash wood, providing comfort.
Kokke, who studied at the Academy of Visual Arts in Arnhem (1979-1981), started his own carpentry business right after graduation and made the first version of Fauteuil 21 for a friend. Over the years he developed into an all-rounder who has never been solely concerned with autonomous designs. In 1986 he turned his carpentry business into a design agency. Since then, he worked on the design of public spaces, government buildings, schools, and companies. He won many national and international awards with his work and his designs are included in the collections of leading museums such as the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam and MoMa in New York.
It took years before Kokke found a manufacturer who could handle the refined construction of his first chair, which he christened the ‘slat chair’. Initially, he made hundreds of chairs himself for interested retailers. From 1989 till 2006 the chair was produced by Metaform in Hardewijk.
‘I grew up between the wooden furniture of my father and the paintings of my mother. Being kids, playful and all that, we never had to be extra careful with my dad’s furniture. To me, that makes sense. Design objects become more beautiful when you live with them and use them in your day-to-day life. With KOKKE House, we want to breathe new life into the iconic designs I grew up with.
KOKKE House was launched as a brand for the first time on Belgian soil in the Graanmarkt 13 apartment in 2022. Soon after, KOKKE House was featured in the Dutch Vogue Living, C41 Magazine. KOKKE House has also previously been featured in ZOO Magazine, ELLE Decoration China and Vogue Korea.
As a celebration of the KOKKE HOUSE launch, KOKKE House introduces a limited edition of 50 pieces from our iconic F_21 series, ‘Lapis'. Each work is uniquely numbered and signed by designer Ruud-Jan Kokke and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Graanmarkt 13 currently sells lucky number 13 from this range.
Discover the full KOKKE House collection in the store or discover the chairs in our e-shop.