The internationally recognised Dutch furniture brand, Pastoe, is a brand that stands for simplicity, timelessness, quality and craftsmanship. This year, Pastoe are celebrating 100 years of design innovation and are currently exhibiting their many designs at Kunsthal Rotterdam, including furniture, drawings, publications, photographs, posters and advertisements. Curated by Anne van der Zwaag and a host of notable designers, artists and architects, the exhibition includes design pieces from different periods of Pastoe’s illustrious history, all presented together. We have touched on a couple of Pastoe designs on Minimalissimo over the years, but I would really like to take this opportunity to share with you some of our favourite furniture collections. These include the calm, understated beauty of Vision and Vision Elements, the clean lines and elegance of Pure, and the bold colours of Shift. In addition to the exhibition, a book titled, Pastoe: 100 years of design innovation has been written by author and design critic Gert Staal and curator Anne van der Zwaag, published especially for the anniversary. This looks back on the past century, but also looks forward with a modern vision on living, interior and design. Furthermore, on 27 May, an auction of old Pastoe furniture will take...

Minimalist product designers Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings have created this contemporary and sophisticated storage unit, Shift, for Dutch furniture brand Pastoe. Introduced during the IMM Cologne at Design Post Keulen from 15-22 January 2012, Shift offers a beautiful blend of simplistic form with an expressive and carefully considered use of colours. Due to the translucent acrylate sliding doors of the cabinet, the colours create a play of reveal, conceal with tinted overlays when the cabinet is opened and closed. It is available in two widths and can be either frame or wall-mounted. Scholten & Baijings describe the design: Shift’s clear design appears timeless, while the bold use of colours provides the cabinet with a contemporary look. This meant creating a clear design with an emphasis on surfaces and volumes. The body has been crafted from very thin materials and the handles have been recessed. Not only is it a great way to subtly introduce colour to an interior, but the finish really impresses.

Pastoe, the Dutch furniture manufacturer, recently published the book “Vision – Space for Imagination” to mark the 25th anniversary of the Vision range of cabinets. Vision, created by Pierre Mazairac and Karel Boonzaaijer, is a cabinet composed of any number of boxes in various sizes. The cabinet is simple, without handles or grips, but contains a smart pressure-release mechanism borrowed from the car manufacturing industry. We wanted something that would exist in a home like a wall that plays with space, volume and line. At first some people thought the design was cold and ugly, but Mazairac and Boonzaaijer were confident about their product. It’s been twenty-five years and it’s still going strong, Boonzaaijer says. Space for Imagination is written by Karel Boonzaaijer in association with Ilka Helmig and Johannes Bergerhausen. You order the book under ISBN number 978-90-5856-357-6.

During its almost 100 years of existence, Dutch manufacturer Pastoe has made some great furniture design. These minimalist cabinets named Horizontals are obtainable in two height sizes and are suitable for storing such items as CDs and DVDs. In Horizontals, coloured metal sliding doors are mounted on a warm wooden or aluminium base. The elegantly extended cabinets may be joined to create a clear geometric object invisibly attached to the wall, functioning much like a painting. The sliding doors, which may be opened on both sides, can be used to highlight the horizontal play of lines. The bodies are divided in the middle by a partition. Horizontals are designed by Japanese Shigeru Uchida who has cooperated with several leading clients, including Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto. Uchida and Pastoe began working together in 1988. Japanese and Dutch design both distinguished themselves through modesty and an eye for detail.