After meeting during their studies, Freek Claessen and Daan Gescher started puik in 2012 to put up-and-coming Dutch design talent in the spotlight. Since then, the company has grown from a lone candle holder to a solid range of furniture and accessories with a twist. Conveniently, ‘puik’ is old Dutch for ‘excellent or ‘great’.

Freek: We want the products in our range to be as timeless and sustainable as possible. When we decide to include a new design, we intend to keep it in the collection for a minimum of ten years.

Daan: We ask the designers we collaborate with to create ‘wow’ items that are so iconic that people remember them. For example, if you put our Dost chair in the room, everybody remembers the chair that feels and looks like a hug. And I really hope that people get a special feeling about all our products.

Freek: Daan is responsible for transforming a sketch into a real-life product, while I look after sales and marketing. We are complementary, I believe that is what makes puik great.

Daan: For me the best part is working with our great team. All the designers are like friends to us. We all have the same vision, but everybody is specialized in their own area.