We Talked to a Guy Who Makes Furniture Out of Old Cars

Cool coffee table. BUT DOES IT HAVE A HEMI?

November 1, 2016 9:00 am

We can see the bumper sticker already.

“My other car is a cabinet.”

The inspiration? Arjan Kremer’s DIEZIJN VAN ARJAN, a Dutch design collection that consists of stop-you-in-your-tracks impressive home designs using “found” auto parts.

And while we couldn’t get Kremen to tell us where exactly one can simply stumble upon OG Land Rover parts well-preserved enough to make a $7k cabinet, we were able to sit him down long enough to learn a little bit more about his operation.

InsideHook: Ok, how the heck do you source these materials?
Arjan Kremer: By looking around. The usual things in life should not be taken for granted. But I often find a particular beauty in a common item or material. It could be in nature, a lamppost, a car, a special const, etc. Simply, the world around us is an inexhaustible source full of interesting materials.

IH: Fill us in on how you got into design.
AK: As a little boy I was already working with found materials. Wood, plastics, the inside of a music installation; I wanted to investigate everything. On my 20th, I started my own company: interior design and construction. I did my own furniture designs for several years until I created some pieces that made me very happy. And from there I started DIEZIJN VAN ARJAN.

IH: Why auto parts?
AK: Cars have been fascinating me since I was a kid. Especially iconic cars. They have been designed so well that they stay beautiful throughout their lives. Sometimes I get excited for an extraordinary hood, door or headlight. Certain cars are timeless. Those are the cars that inspire me.

IH: If you could get your hands on one vehicle to transform, which would you choose?
AK: The most iconic car: Porsche 911. But because its entire design is so fetching, it is very difficult to get just one part to use. But the rear window approaches this timelessness I seek out. It might still be the best. This is definitely going on my to do list!

Please someone send this man a Porsche 911 rear window. We’re dying to see this “everyday” item transform into another of his extraordinary works.

And should you be in the market to bring your garage into your home in the handsomest of ways, you’re in luck. DIEZIJN VAN ARJAN creates fully customer-specific works. Or as Kremer puts it, “I am creative and like to create beautiful things.”

For order inquiries and more information email info@diezijnvanarjan.nl.

Coming soon … 

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