Amsterdam-based designer Edward van Vliet’s biggest dream was to live in a house filled with products he designed himself. Luckily for him, his dream came true. Nowadays his interior is filled with designs bearing his name.
This story is part of a series in which we sit down with Moooi Original designers and in which we explore how designers turn their dreams into reality.
Shortly after Moooi was established, Marcel Wanders became interested in Edward’s table lamp ‘Kaipo’. After searching for the right way of producing, Kaipo TOO was released. The development of Kaipo TOO was long and challenging. The shade and base of the table lamp are both made out of mouth-blown glass, a fragile material. So, you need to think about how to connect the shade to the base.
The Kaipo TOO stands through the test of time. Its classical shape is well suited for a Frivolous French parlour. However, by using only one material, the Kaipo TOO easily fits in a modern and minimal interior. “It’s like a sort of chameleon that goes everywhere”.
During the development for the Kaipo TOO, Edward continued working on other designs. He started designing another lamp that’s currently in the Moooi collection: The Chalice. A suspended light in different colours and sizes. Chalice’s light source sits inside a metal sphere. The light pours out through the glass chalices mounted on the sphere. The structured chalices diffuse the light in all directions.
“You can have ideas and design stuff, but when you get it realised in the end… that gives you a very good feeling” According to Edward, Moooi is not just a brand but feels more like a platform for designers. “They bring unique designers and unique designs together.”
The Chalice’s blossoms of tulip-like flowers define the lamp, diffusing light naturally and reflecting the floral pattern enclosed within each chalice.
