Maker Monday
An Aspire exclusive interview with Studio Seitz
Founded in 2018, Studio Seitz is a New York-based design studio driven by the past and refined for today. Along with a lineage of Swiss makers, the studio builds upon fading traditions through a timeless, yet distinctly modern furniture and home collection. With family craftsmanship dating back to 1795, co-founders Kevin Seitz and Rob van Wyen combine the best of Swiss precision, traditional craftsmanship and quality sustainable materials with a modern and tactile simplicity. We caught up with Kevin and Rob in this week’s Maker Monday.
What was your first job?
Kevin: My first job was when I was nineteen. I was a carpenter’s assistant one summer at the Mätzler Joinery Workshop in Berneck, Switzerland. It’s actually where our furniture is now produced. Urs, the owner, grew up with my father and uncles in a very tight-knit community. The workshop is the pinnacle of Swiss precision. I’ll never forget being on a job in Zürich where a client took a sheet of paper and showed that it could fit within the door gap. Mätzler ensured every little gap was as precise and as small as possible to make the client happy (and not allow a sheet of paper to go through). Swiss people don’t tolerate any possibility of a drafty door.
Rob: In eighth grade, I tried to get a job as a busboy at a local restaurant but was turned away due to a lack of experience. Instead, I was lucky to get accepted at an industrial advertising firm where I learned to design websites, printed matter and other marketing materials for industrial companies in New York. My boss was kind enough to take a chance on me. It was an invaluable experience and to this day I still think how lucky I was to get turned away from that restaurant. I owe my career to that start.
What would your dream project or dream client be right now?
SWISS—the national flag carrier of Switzerland. An airline is often the first touch point for anyone experiencing a country so the opportunity to be a part of that would be quite special. We look back at greats like Alexander Girard who designed everything—furniture, textiles, interiors etc… and think how exciting it would be to do the same for SWISS. Kevin’s father worked for the airline for 30+ years and we have both admired everything from the distinct branding and campaigns to the interiors and food service, within the cabin and lounge.
Are you a pet person? Why either way? Dogs or cats?
Yes—we have two beagles named Sofie and Lucy. There is no better greeting after a long day than the tail-wagging excitement from the both of them.
Style (or design) icon?
Jil Sander. Her collections are always amazing, simple and nicely made with interesting details that you might not see at first. That’s something we always want to bring to the work we do, but in our own way.
How would you define your work in three words?
Clean and functional with nuance. We always want to create a balance between form and function while revisiting value in cultural objects that may be ubiquitous or often overlooked. The biggest reward for us is to find a way to redefine how we may look at a seemingly mundane and sometimes dying tradition—reinvigorating its purpose and appreciation.
What’s inspiring you in life (in the industry) right now?
Seeing more designers of color. It’s always exciting for us to see design through various viewpoints and cultures—especially now that media outlets are finally highlighting them. Traveling and putting ourselves into new environments and cultures is always a humbling and inspiring experience. As a biracial outsider (Kevin) in predominant white spaces, it’s nice to see new representation in design that’s not solely white.