Is vintage sustainable?
Yes, vintage is very durable. When Dennis van der Burch started re-upholstering design classics in 1995, he had the hope that these pieces would become the new classics and so it happened. The quality and value of this furniture is so high that restorations are very rewarding for us and for our clients.'
Close to the source
Through exclusive partnership with manufacturers such as Fritz Hansen, B&B Italia, Cassina, Vitra, and Tecno, Dennis and his team are able to restore using original materials and parts where necessary.
Cassina and Vitra are by far the most represented in our workshop but in this context, Tecno is a great example to highlight. Tecno Spa, the company of designer Osvaldo Borsani was the first brand we were privileged to work with. This was thanks to the late Maarten Hijdra, then the managing director of Tecno Netherlands. Maarten quickly saw added value in our collaboration, for which I am still grateful to this day. It helped us to get other brands to do the same.
Seating machine
Tecno Spa's two most iconic designs are the 'sitting machine' P40 and the sofa bed D70, both by Osvaldo Borsani. The interiors of these pieces of furniture are made entirely of steel, this allows them to be repeatedly restored and can thus be passed on from generation to generation. Several of these skeletons' can be seen in the workshop as well as fully restored versions. This gives a great insight into Borsani's innovative designs.
Emotional value
Much of the furniture we re-upholster carries emotional value for our clients, e.g. because the piece has found a new place within the family. Of course, this used to happen with antique furniture as well, although in my opinion it was mainly the emotional value that made people decide to restore it.
With a piece of furniture like the P40, this is a different story. To someone unfamiliar with the furniture, it can still come across as state-of-the-art today, despite the fact that the P40 is a 1954 design. Once one understands the history of the furniture, one becomes amazed and impressed. Then, when it is the armchair that a family member once consciously chose, the knife cuts both ways.
We are very conscious of this while doing the job, it is honourable.
Are there any young classics?
Yes definitely and even from Dutch soil! E.g. the Polder Sofa
by Hella Jongerius for Vitra. The original 2005 model received a makeover in 2016 after which we were asked by Vitra if we could formulate an answer to re-upholstery questions for the first version of the Polder Sofa.
This led to us reupholstering a Polder Sofa in various colour schemes on a weekly basis. I would like to take this opportunity to pay Hella a compliment: the Polder Sofa is by far the most 'used' sofa we receive. Almost without exception, you can see that it has been gratefully used by the whole family. Such a design sofa may be perceived as 'beautiful' and 'innovative', it is and remains an object of use and in the case of the Polder Sofa, the traces of grateful use and the need to fully restore the sofa are a great compliment to the designer.