Sebastiaan Van beest

Specialized in Furniture Design.

Sebastiaan Van beest

About Sebastiaan Van beest

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Sebastiaan always had a love for sound and design. Winning competitions at a young age for things such as the new Euro money at the age of 14. He spent most of his youth as a graffiti artist running from the authorities. At the age 18 he started to transfer his skills to canvas. Mostly for himself and friends. He never pursued and exhibition nor did he think he was ready, yet. At the age of 20, he moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he had to work for a living. He started producing electronic music as a hobby and performing around the world. He has had many releases on different iconic record labels over the years. He took a step back from music to focus more on work. Creating and designing took a back seat for about 5 years. Just recently he found new inspiration once again to create. He started painting again and making music. Built a workshop to build his furniture and sculptures. He believes now is the time to fully follow his life long dream of being a full time designer. His designs are minimal with focus on the use of negative space to make an impact. He has a strong belief that less is more and that the loudest notes are the ones that aren't played. This translates well into his furniture. Every design is meticulously minimal yet has a very strong presence. Use space without taking up space is his motto.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Furniture Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Furniture
Minimal Techno Arm Chair

Minimal Techno Arm Chair

Furniture Design

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Interview with Sebastiaan Van beest

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I have always been into art and design, whether it be painting, sculpting or music production. From a very young age I always had a pencil in my hand and was drawing. Not until recently did I really take the time to follow my life long dream of starting a furniture design company and try to make a living doing what I truly am passionate about. I still make music on the side as that is my other passion, but furniture design has definitely taken the forefront.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
Ooak Design, which stands for "one of a kind" was thought up years ago. I only recently made it official by starting the company under that name .
What is "design" for you?
Design is everything for me. I can not look at anything without studying the design and how I could improve that design. I find myself un able to sleep often as my brain just won't stop designing, hence I have a sketch book right next to my bed.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
I absolutely love light sculptures and it is something I want to spend more time exploring.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
There are so many stunning designs out there and as far as my own designs go, I only love them briefly, then I move on and start the next project.
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
I have never had the opportunity to design anything for a company yet.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
Wood will always be my favorite material, but I have recently really fallen in love with acrylics and am using them in a lot of my future projects.
When do you feel the most creative?
It comes and goes. Some days its right when I wake up and some times its late at night.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
I focus a lot on the flow of the object and how to make the biggest impact with the least amount of material.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
I am super focused so not much time for emotions, but I do tend to get a little excited from time to time when I really like what I've come up with.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
satisfaction mostly and then I always have a moment of, "wow did I just design and build that" followed by lots of excitement.
When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
The overall flow of any object is most important for me, function is second.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
As a designer, I try to create happiness and promote creativity through my designs. I want people to look at what I made and feel joy and/or motivation.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
I haven't given this much thought. I usually just lock myself off from the rest of the world when I'm designing and building. I would like to see more and more sustainable products and designs made from recycled and repurposed materials.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
I love scrolling through photos of beautiful furniture online. This is my main source for creative inspiration. Second is my dream to make a living out of this and that really pushes me to do my best every time.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
minimalism. I love the use of negative space. this is something I really learned from making music. Sometimes the loudest notes are the ones not played. I love detailed finished that aren't always easy to spot. Less is more and I love little subtle touches that sometimes you have to search for.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
Here in Vancouver, Canada, we live in a very multicultural society and have a very large Asian influence. Japanese minimalism has always been something I have been interested in. I also believe in feng shui and that every object emits energy and that the placement of objects with in a room can greatly impact your mood. everything should have a positive flow.
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
Do your research. Find a designer of which their designs excite you.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
I design everything in my head, then I go to the shop and start building. Usually through out the build I make a bunch of changes till I am happy with the design. Then I draw the blueprints.
What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
I love my watches. I have recently gone though a big move and sold everything. So I am living very minimal at the moment. We did just buy a very nice silver velvet sofa.
Can you describe a day in your life?
tons of coffee as soon as I roll out of bed, then straight to work either on my renovations or in the shop on a new design. I usually work 12 or more hours every day and then spend the rest of my day with my partner.
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
Well technically, even though I am almost 40, I am a young designer as I just recently decided to follow my dream. That being said, what I've learnt from life is take chances, never be afraid to fail, failure breeds success. Most importantly, do not lose track of why you are a designer. It's not about money or fame, it's about creating and making beautiful things. Always be humble and try to learn as much as you can from others. Don't talk, listen instead. As much as you think you know, there is always more to learn. There will always be people that won't like or understand your design, but there is always an equal amount of people that will. Focus on yourself, eat well, stay in motion and enjoy life. It's harder to create beauty when you're not happy.
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
I love creating anything and everything. It gives me a huge sense of fulfillment. The only downside is an over active brain, but that too can be very positive.
What skills are most important for a designer?
Follow through and the ability to stay focused to get the job done.
Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
I design every thing in my head. Sometimes I use a pencil and paper. I have been playing around a little bit with sketchup, but find I am fastest when just designing in my head and making adjustments during the build.
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
Well I have a girlfriend and they also require a bit of quality time. I love what I do, so for me it is not work. I am in the shop all day and when done, I spend whatever free time I have with my better half. She is 100% supportive of what I do and loves that I spend so much time on what I love doing.
What was your most important job experience?
carpenter. Learning to use all the tools properly to take what's in my head and make it a reality.
Who are some of your clients?
Thus far I have only built furniture for friends and friends of friends.
What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
Industrial design. I love designing things that get used on a daily basis.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
Winning this award has definitely given me a huge boost to really follow my dreams and take this company to the next level. I want a big warehouse space where I am able to employ creatives and give the m the space to create.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
I am currently exploring the use of colored acrylics in a lot of my new pieces. I think neon is about to make a come back and I want to add a little bit of crazy to my designs.

Extended Interview with Sebastiaan Van beest

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I do not have any education in design. I have always done my own thing. I just recently decided to pursue my passion of furniture design and try to make a living out of it. This is the first ever competition I have entered in and with my first ever chair.
How did you become a designer?
I see design in everything and my mind is constantly trying to improve on designs i see around me. It was only natural that eventually I would take the step to follow this dream professionally.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
I was always a designer, drawing, painting and just creating since a very young age. Unfortunately life doesn't always go as planned and I was not able to pursue a career in design as I wanted to until now.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I sculpt, paint, produce music and design and build furniture and lighting. I want to spend more time designing and building lighting installations. I would also very much like to design new permanent furniture and objects for the city I live in.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
I would hardly classify myself as a legend... I just have a deep love for design and creation and to take what's in my head and make it a reality. I love creating things that help uplift people and inspire them to create. Work hard, work your ass off!! I f you start something, finish it. Even if you have to put it aside for a while and work on something else. I find it's always great to have many projects at once on the go as something you design for one thing might fit better on another project. Believe in yourself and don't be afraid to put yourself and your work out there for people to see. You need feedback to grow.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
That's a hard question. There are many designs that at the time were not great, but later on became great. Just because something is not great right now, it can be. I think work ethic and attention to detail make a big difference between the good and the great.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
Craftmanship, precision, use of materials and how they work together to create the ever so important flow. Everything must flow. A truly great design will fit in any surrounding.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
Good design is art. No one can tell you what you should think is good design. If a design moves you and you want to see it often as it will bring value to your every day life, then only you can decide the value of that design to you. As for everyone investing in good design, well, design is everything around you. Whether its man made or natural. Everything is designed and with out design, there would be nothing.
What is your day to day look like?
I have the time now to design anything I want. If the materials I want to use are too expensive, I switch to something more cost affective. I would love to design for other designers, I don't think there's a higher appreciation than that of another designer.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I want to design and build my own house somewhere in nature. I want it to compliment the surroundings.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
Be bold. Do what you want. Don't conform to "what's hot" right now. Design to break the boundaries. Set out to create the trend. You might just hit a home run and be the next great designer!
How do you decide if your design is ready?
This might sound weird, but I don't really follow any designers. I live in my own little design world. I often run through google images to get some inspiration, but never delve much deeper than that. I am a fan of Christian Woo and his daring minimal designs. It takes a minute to get used to what he makes before you can appreciate it and I like that. It makes you think and and try to look at it from different perspectives and thus actually helps grow your pallet.
What is your biggest design work?
I am a huge lover of architecture and Bjarke Ingels is one of my favorites. He just recently designed "The Vancouver House" here in my city and it is something to behold. I love his designs as they push the boundaries of what is possible in architecture.
Who is your favourite designer?
I would have to say the "minimal techno arm chair" and in my opinion, the greatest park of it, is the negative space and how the chair uses it.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
Keep a sober mind. As much as you think substances like alcohol and drugs might help elevate your design process, they don't! Practice every day, fail a ton, learn from it and move on.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
With out a doubt my mother and my girlfriend. None of this would have been possible without them.

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