KOKKE House - Interview
KOKKE House: Amplifying Family Legacies in Design
Romy Kokke on how she and husband Daniel Beasley built their design curation business to honor her parents’ craftmanship.
Interview: Kaia Herzog
Credit: Milou van Hoof
Can you walk us through your creative process at KOKKE House? How do you draw inspiration from your family’s pre-existing designs?
To me, creating KOKKE House feels like being in a candy store: I get to pick and choose what I love while collaborating with my family, craftsmen, and talented artisans to develop each product. My father has a distinct design philosophy that’s characterized by simplicity, functionality, and elegance. My mother's work, on the other hand, adds a touch of expressiveness and warmth. The inspiration from my parents' work flows naturally to me, and I'm a blend of both of their styles.
When I approach a new project, I draw on my father's original designs for inspiration. I decide on the direction we take and how to bring these designs to life in a way that resonates with today's audience. My creative process is rooted in the legacy of these designs, but I add my own touches. I think of my role as a curator, ensuring that the essence of KOKKE House is reflected in everything we create, while also pushing boundaries and exploring new possibilities.
How do you maintain your creativity and stay inspired despite your busy schedules as business owners?
It's not easy, especially since we try to keep our team small. The more people involved, the more complexity and distraction it can create. That's why we choose to work with a tight-knit group of people we can trust. It helps us keep our vision clear and our operations streamlined. We are also fortunate to have a circle of artist friends who are a constant source of inspiration. Conversations with them about their perspectives, their work, and how they view the world often spark new ideas for us.
One of the perks of running KOKKE House with my partner is that we get to travel together for business. Whenever we visit a city for work and our kids are with my parents, Daan and I make time to explore local art exhibits or museums. Still, the city itself usually inspires me the most. Taking these trips helps us boost our creativity.
Credit: Kasia Gatkowska
How has your time in Japan influenced you and your professional vision? What are some of your favorite memories from your visits?
We started visiting Japan in 2007 when my aunt moved to Kamakura. After that, we started traveling there almost every six months. For us, autumn is the best time of the year in Japan. Renting a car and driving to the beautiful forests in Hakone or Nikko with a bento box and a beer for a picnic, enjoying Shinrin-yoku, sitting in a foot onsen in the mountains- these are our favorite things in the world. Our visits give us fuel and inspiration that we take back with us once we return to work. We took our son Valentijn for the first time when he was five months old. Experiencing Japan through his eyes has been magical and has deepened our love for the culture even more. After a few months of being back in the Netherlands following each trip, we feel homesick again and start planning our next visit.
When COVID-19 came and closed Japan to the world, it was very hard for us to deal with. We have two kids now who attend school, so we have less flexibility to take long trips abroad. We haven’t been in four years and it hurts our hearts. My best friend is Japanese, though, and she spoils us with Japanese food and goodies, which helps with our homesickness.
We are also working on exciting projects that will lead to more visits to Japan for KOKKE House in the future. Expanding into Japan has always been a big goal of ours. This makes us even more motivated to make KOKKE House a success, so we can grow our business there. We love to combine work with pleasure, and taking our brand to Japan would mean a lot to us.
What role does music play in your lives? What activities are you often doing when you listen to music?
Music is central to Daan's life. From age 15 until before we started KOKKE House together, he worked as a producer and DJ. Music has always been a core part of who he is. Now, at KOKKE House, we create our own music for our campaigns. This way we can set the mood and complement our visuals, ensuring that the sound matches the feeling we want to convey.
Music is intertwined with almost everything we do. The genre or playlist we choose often depends on our current mood or the mood we want to get into. We use it as a tool that can boost our energy, helps us focus, or provide a sense of calm. Whether we are working on a project, relaxing at home, or traveling, there's a soundtrack to keep us company.
What exciting projects can we look forward to from KOKKE House in the future?
At the end of this year, we're launching our new collection, "Pootjes!". One of the designs has been selected for the permanent collection at the Rijksmuseum. We had the chance to preview "Pootjes!" at Milan Design Week last April, and the response was very positive.
We also have some exciting projects coming. A major one is the development of a large KOKKE House space near Amsterdam. It's a unique and rare piece of land. Unfortunately we can't share too many details just yet, but it's going to be something special.
In addition to that, my dad and I have been collaborating on several projects. We're currently building and designing a villa, handling everything from the interior to the exterior. We’re excited to infuse every aspect of the villa with KOKKE House's signature style.
Two KOKKE House chairs, Pootjes! and F_10, were added to the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
How do you hope to inspire others through your work at KOKKE House? What advice would you give to younger generations entering the interior design space?
My advice is to consider how the influence of others in your life might enhance your own way of creating designs. For me, I look to my father’s design vision for inspiration. He challenges me to grow constantly with his approach to design. In every interview he does, he shares insights that continue to surprise and enlighten me. For a clearer sense of what I mean, it may help to watch the movie we made about the TC stool. It provides a glimpse into his unique perspective on design. I think there is a lot to potentially learn from the challenge of breathing new life into designs that have already made their own success.
One of KOKKE House’s most iconic stools, the TC stool, is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Ruud-Jan Kokke explains why and how he created this design classic. Credit: OKA Foundation.