Frans was born and raised in the Netherlands as the oldest boy in a family with seven children. As a child, he would often bike to his grandfather to play billiards and spend time in his wood shop. His grandfather was a cabinet maker and had mastered the techniques of repairing and restoring old furniture using hand tools.

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Frans' academic studies and an international business career took him and his family with four kids around the planet. When that phase ended, Frans and his wife, Anneke, finally made their way to the mountains in Colorado.

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In his barn, he built a wood shop and his repertoire has been steadily expanding. His guiding principles and inspirations are as follows:

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George Nakashima’s “wood working gives trees a second live”. His love of woods, natural shapes and simple forms are a source of inspiration.

 

Hans Wegner’s designs, almost minimalistic approach to elegant furniture. And his philosophy that a chair is only “perfect when people sit on them”. The quality of Hans Wegner’s furniture is a standard to attain.

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Frans enjoys the design process, especially in cooperation with customers and Anneke. She has a very good sense for design and colors and is always a great sounding board for ideas.

 

Frans enjoys the challenge of trying out new things, which gives every piece of furniture something unique and hopefully entices daily use.

 

Frans has done various jobs beyond building furniture such as: making parquet wood strips, renovating a rooms and wooden in floor registers are a few examples.