Stools by Studio Droog

Designer: Studio Droog
Material: cutting board (supplied by Makro Netherlands), wood coating

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In 2011, Droog launched UP, a project that offers a fresh way of looking at unsold products. Rather than treating this “dead stock” as waste, UP sees it as something that still has potential and can be transformed through design.

Together with companies like Makro, Vlisco, van Gansewinkel, and Mediq, designers were invited to rethink leftover items and turn them into new, useful products. These redesigned pieces are then brought back into use instead of being discarded or recycled.

The project was introduced at the UP Conference in Amsterdam, where discussions also focused on challenges such as costs, ownership rights, and how people might view these updated products. In the end, UP shows how design can give existing materials a new purpose and support more sustainable ways of producing and consuming.