About
Creme Fraiche is a Rotterdam-based design label founded by me Maarten Kok. I have studied design on the ArtEZ acadamy Arnhem and am specialize in creating handcrafted and limited edition products with an analog approach. I’m interested in creating form through materiality and enjoy designing with a strong emphasis on experimentation.
My designs need to be fresh, vibrant, and inviting to touch. The best shapes are those that reflect something tactile and spontaneous; for me, perfection tends to be boring. I am a hands-on designer, when great ideas emerge they must be brought into practice. It is not only thrilling to transform an idea into a tangible form, but also exciting to design for producibility and feasibility. I prefer not to outsource; instead, I keep all production in-house to maintain quality and avoid compromises in design and concept. That’s why all products are made, designed, and shipped from my workshop in Rotterdam.
The workshop is located in an old wharf just outside the city center of Rotterdam. It reflects the city's raw edge and practical character, offering numerous possibilities for collaborations and expertise, as the building serves as a creative breeding ground for various small businesses and artists."
An array of molds is ready to be filled with resin. It’s an amazing process to create, develop, and refine the production part
My cat will always deliver the final verdict :)
I love working with balloons; they give you something back when you manipulate them like no other material does. This aids in prototyping and can sometimes lead to the actual product.
These are the original designs for the first door handle. If you look closely, you can recognize KLINK I and II.
Unfortunately, all of these 'attempts' at a coffee cup were lost in a large fire that struck my last workshop. Luckily, these designs eventually led to the creation of the door handles.
The actual master mold of the 'handle' that is curing
