High-income-country-products (Probably not saleable)

 

Every year we think we have made the best presentation ever, and in any case the best of the whole Salone. This year we did not have time to daydream about making headlines and furore. Indeed: most of the products were only ready in the last 24 hours before the bus, always later than planned, departed for Milan. The planning has not improved over the years, but that’s not so bad because it was once again great to see at the last minute that we really are going to present some beautiful designs – perhaps the finest ever.

 

 

 

We will start with the least saleable and at first sight the least special products: we have made a table with chairs, crafted from planks that all have the same thickness and width. This has the advantage that only a few machine operations are needed. Very efficient. This is also the daily challenge we find ourselves in: spending as little time as possible and ensuring that the time we do spend is visible. The conclusion is almost always that, even though we are very efficient and work really hard, our products are still expensive. We manufacture all our products ourselves, in the Netherlands, at our place in Eindhoven. They are therefore high-income-country-products. Never mass produced and usually made to measure. The way we produce is completely focused on what is possible for us, and above all what is impossible. Alongside the probably unsaleable as-thick-as-wide-table and chair and other products from the collection, we have also created a few objects that can be produced in a limited quantity. These are, due to the enormous amount of work required to produce them, extremely expensive. Yet funnily enough, it is these numbered and limited objects that actually sell very well. 

 

 

 

Within the framework of professionalization, we have decided that added value could be achieved by offering our smaller products, the accessories, in attractive packaging. As we manufacture these products ourselves in small quantities and sometimes even as one-offs, we also make the boxes with lovely new printing and cutting machines. The packaging we are presenting will hopefully contribute to a successful attempt to sell larger quantities of these high-income-country-products.

 

With all these rather practical issues, you could almost forget that the essence of production is that something is made, and that making something gives an incredible amount of satisfaction, and that we produce in our own high-income-country not only beautiful and special objects but we also enjoy doing so and provide enjoyment to others.