The Honest Stool - Making the Invisible Visible

An Everyday Object

A stool is one of the most familiar pieces of furniture. We use it without thinking about how it is made. Yet behind its simple form lie many choices: material, joints, construction, proportions, comfort and manufacturability. Behind every component are processes, time, knowledge and craftsmanship that disappear from view once the object is finished.

The Honest Stool starts with that familiarity. Because everyone recognises a stool, it creates an opportunity to look again. What actually lies behind an object that seems so simple?

What Normally Remains Hidden

The Honest Stool makes visible what lies behind the object. In a frozen moment of assembly, the components appear to float around their original positions. Joints, construction details and individual components are brought into view, along with the attention and actions required to make them.

The installation is not a technical explanation. It shows how much human attention, knowledge, time and craftsmanship can be embedded in a seemingly simple piece of furniture, inviting curiosity. What else do we overlook when we look at an everyday object?

A Way of Working

That curiosity is at the heart of NerfEcht Designs. Drawing on product development, engineering and woodworking, Arjen de Boer designs and makes furniture and bespoke pieces in which functionality, aesthetics, material, durability and craftsmanship come together.

The Honest Stool shows how I design: looking beyond the form, understanding what is needed and making conscious choices. I would be happy to talk about this during Dutch Design Week – including when you are looking for expertise for a new piece of furniture or your own project.