Smart Deco II by Droog Design
Droog Design
Smart Deco II, 2007
Presented during Milan Design Week in 2007, Smart Deco II by Droog explored a new kind of decoration — one shaped by technology, experimentation, craftsmanship, and imagination. Bringing together an international group of designers, the exhibition presented objects that moved beyond traditional ideas of furniture and interiors, combining advanced production techniques with playful and emotional design.
The exhibition showed how contemporary design could be both intelligent and decorative. Organic forms inspired by nature appeared alongside digital fabrication, handmade details, interactive concepts, and futuristic materials. Rather than focusing only on function, the projects explored atmosphere, emotion, and storytelling, creating an environment that felt experimental, surprising, and slightly surreal.
Among the works presented were Joris Laarman’s iconic Bone Chair and Bone Chaise Longue, inspired by the natural structure of bones and created using advanced optimisation technologies. Marcel Wanders presented the Crochet Chair, combining traditional handicraft with industrial production methods, while designers including Atelier van Lieshout, Maarten Baas, Wieki Somers, Jennifer Chan, Osman Khan, Jo Nakamura, and Niels van Eijk & Miriam van der Lubbe contributed projects that challenged the boundaries between design, art, technology, and decoration.
Crochet chair by Marcel Wanders
Artificial Bonsai Tree by Jennifer Chan
Bone Chaise Lounge by Joris Laarman
Body Table by Atelier van Lieshout
Maarten Baas
Jo Nakamura
Wieki Somers
Godogan table by Niels van Eijk & Miriam van der Lubbe
More than an exhibition, Smart Deco II reflected Droog’s vision of design as a space for experimentation and new ways of thinking. Humorous, innovative, and highly expressive, the exhibition captured the spirit of early 21st-century Dutch conceptual design and presented a future where decoration was no longer superficial, but smart, emotional, and full of imagination.
Smart Deco II was powered by: 3D Systems, Integral Light, DuPont Corian Solid Surfaces and Eurocarbon.