Dutch designer Maarten Baas was born in Arnsberg, Germany, and grew up in The Netherlands. Upon graduating from high school in 1995, he began his studies at the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven. Maarten designed the candleholder Knuckle, which was taken into production by Pols’ Potten, while he was still studying. In 2000 he studied for several months at the Politecnico di Milano, in Milan.
After graduating from Eindhoven in June 2002, Maarten unveiled the now famous Smoke series — a line of furniture and a chandelier which he charred, then treated the torched skeletons with a coating, turning them into useable pieces of furniture once again. Three of these Smoke pieces became part of the collection of Marcel Wanders’ international design label Moooi, which launched them during the Salone del Mobile in 2003, where they were welcomed with applause.
This sensation was followed by a solo-show at Moss gallery in New York, one year later, where the Smoke series was expanded with design classics from the 20th century, including pieces by Rietveld, Eames, Gaudi, and Sottsass. Soon the Smoke collection was considered by museums, critics, collectors, and the design public as an iconic collection of modern design.
In 2005, Maarten began collaborating with Bas den Herder, a firm now responsible for the production and development of almost all of his designs. The founding of Den Herder Production House (DHPH) made it possible to further work out Maarten’s unique, handmade pieces and to produce them on a larger scale. This new collaboration also allows Maarten to take on even more ambitious projects for hotels, restaurants, galleries, museums, and private commissioners from all over the world.
Now based in s-Hertogenbosch, Maarten has also worked for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Swarovski, Dior, Gramercy Park Hotel, Dom Ruinart, and Berluti.