How it all started

Bastiaan Spil grew up in Indonesia. He was one of the few Dutch kids who spent his whole youth in Indonesia, surrounded by the Javanese culture. As a toddler he was already in touch with furniture and the local crafts. He built secret hideouts among the cardboard boxes and products of his mother’s furniture company. He was an observing, dreamy kid that was always drawing. In high school design and graffiti gave way to his urge to express and explore creative boundaries. On his eighteenth he went back to his “second motherland” - the Netherlands- to attend university. The Netherlands had always been a mysterious distant land of chocolate sprinkles, raw herring, playing outside and a variety of seasons. After getting his degree in Economics and Law he felt a strong longing to develop his creativity further and applied for the academy of Arts to study Illustration.

Elements Concept Interior

After his life chapter in the Netherlands Bastiaan returned to Indonesia where he began designing custom and white label furniture. The experience and positive response to his products gave him the boost to establish his own brand through which he could express his own perspective on interior and tell his own unique story about the shapes, possibilities and crafts behind the products. This was the final step that bridged the gap between what he had learned in the west with his experiences growing up in Indonesia. Elements Concept Interior was born.

Design process

The Elements Concept Interior collection is designed by Bastiaan. From a rough sketch he works out the prototype together with craftsmen and the Elements Concept Interior development team. The prototype will be adapted until the design, construction, strength and efficiency have been approved. This approved master sample will form the blueprint for the production. During production every step is monitored by the Elements Concept Interior team to make sure the standards are maintained.

Natural materials

Elements Concept Interior focusses on local, sustainable natural materials in all its designs. Rattan, bamboo, clay, natural stone, banana leaves and rafia are among the mate- rials that make up our products. To create a more dynamic de-sign, various materials are often combined into one product. The combination of the light designs, the natural materials and the rich heritage of these crafts give each item its character.

Production

Elements Concept Interior prefers this form of production. It’s quite a contrast to factory-work where herds of people are gathered to perform machine-like tasks. It has a sense of liberty as these men and women are free to work for whoever they want whenever they want. They are close to their own social circle and family and carry a long standing heritage of crafts from one generation to the next. Different crafts are performed in different areas, so Elements Concept Interior goes to where the masters of a specific craft are located.

Tell a story

It’s a collection that embodies Bastiaan’s minimalistic designs with the rich heritage of craftsmanship and natural, locally sourced materials. Every piece has its own character and tells a story about the authentic materials and technique that is unique to Indonesia. The shapes, different crafts and combinations of materials give layers and personality to each item. The goal is not only to create compelling products but to tell the story of the process and the people behind the products