.aesthetic talk
Studio GdB
*Transforming Clay Tiles into Art
written Benjamin Schiffer
Tiles are rarely the first object you notice when entering a room. Not so with the designs of Studio GdB - the Dutch design studio makes clay tiles the absolute center of attention.
The two founders and former graphic designers Gilles de Brock and Jaap Giesen challenged the status quo within the tile industry after realising that their ideas could not be translated with any of the conventional methods out there. Consequently, the duo created their very own custom digital printer allowing for a computer-controlled application of liquid glazes. The results are vibrant, unique and customizable tiles in a range of uplifting colours and extraordinary patterns.
Studio GdB
Gilles de Brock + Jaap Giesen
“There was never really a particular reason or planning behind working with tiles. It was more or less the instant idea ´Let's make tiles´. Apparently, we both thought that this was a really good idea.”
Jaap Giesen speaks with Benjamin Schiffer
LE MILE Magazine ISSUE, Nr. 35
Benjamin Schiffer
Your backgrounds are similar, right? Tell us about how you both met.
Jaap Giesen
We met in graphic design school eight years ago and since then our friendship has matured.
After that we decided to do an internship in Antwerp together, we moved there together. Gilles decided to keep on studying in Den Haag, so I went to Rotterdam. Luckily, the two cities are not too far apart from each other, so we got to meet every weekend.
When did you develop your first interest in interior design?
JG
We are both trained graphic designers and I started to grow a great interest in vintage furniture design. Gilles was more interested in technology and building machines. Looking at it now, it is the perfect collaboration and we found a middle way bringing together contemporary designs and technology.
Gilles de Brock
There was never really a particular reason or planning behind working with tiles. It was more or less the instant idea ´Let's make tiles´. Apparently, we both thought that this was a really good idea.
…and you successfully found your niche in the market. Congratulations!
JG
All by accident though! It started as a blind passion. Once the business started developing, our fascination also grew and we became very dedicated.
GdB
During the process, we developed an entrepreneurial understanding. We were always self-employed before. You are not really a business owner then. If you want to sell a product it will have to entail certain qualities and all these qualities that we needed were just there. We could pretend that it was a super calculated move and that we are very business-savvy. If it did not work out, we´d probably still do it, but be broke. We were lucky that everything worked out.
JG: There were surely many obstacles that we needed to overcome. Tiles are very heavy, so the question arose on how we would ship them around the world without breaking. Luckily, we got to solve most problems. At the beginning we did not think everything through. Youtube tutorials definitely helped us a lot in the beginning! We did not really have people that had the level of expertise that we wished for. We still do not know much about ceramic glazes, everything is more or less a trial and error procedure that takes time.
When did you realise that conventional methods would not work for your ideas?
JG
When Gilles was working as a graphic designer for a client, he wanted to print some ceramic goods.
GdB
In an arts and crafts store we saw these beautiful glazed samples. We just thought that it would be enough to use those ceramic glazes, but it turned out to be much harder than we thought. We quickly found out that what we had in mind was not realisable with the conventional methods. That's when we had to come up with our own.
I could personally scroll through your Instagram feed forever. The number of colour and pattern combinations seems infinite. Which designs are particularly difficult or impossible to realise?
GdB
We definitely have tiles that are hard to produce, but we don´t put those on Instagram, because then everybody would ask for those. We have a set infrastructure of production, therefore experimenting within that system is not the easiest and not the most efficient. Certain things just do not work in it. This does not necessarily mean that they are objectively more complicated, they just do not fit into the regular production line. It also does not mean that they won't become available at a later point. For now, we want to keep things simple and organised.
Do you guys have a personal favourite colour/pattern combo?
GdB
It's so funny, it is always the designs that we put on Instagram that get the least response. Everybody just seems to like the same patterns. It's not like we don't like them, but it's comparable to listening to the same song over and over again.
JG
I personally love the classic striped patterns with the moody colours. Everybody seems to love the rain and the marble pattern. At this point we start curating some designs a bit more carefully, combining different tiles together.
I assume there are little to no marketing budgets at this point. How do you get your product out there?
JG
We indeed have no marketing budgets. The only thing we do is post things on Instagram. Maybe we will spend money on marketing in the future. For now, what comes in through this organic method, we are fully booked. We never needed to invest in proper marketing - this is an incredible luxury. As soon as we were ready to manufacture the tiles, we put them on Instagram and people started to immediately order them - it sounds almost too good to be true.
(c) John Tods
“In an arts and crafts store we saw these beautiful glazed samples. We quickly found out that what we had in mind was not realizable with the conventional methods. That's when we had to come up with our own.”
Gilles de Brock speaks with Benjamin Schiffer
LE MILE Magazine ISSUE, Nr. 35
Which artists or artistic epochs inspire you?
JG
Sean Scully! He is the best!
GdB
He makes nice paintings with interesting colour combinations.We are inspired by some of the Dutch designers who also have innovative ways of production. It is less their outcome, but rather their principle of creating machines to do what has not been done before.
I assume your bathrooms and kitchens are also tiled with your own designs. How do you decide which designs can move into your homes?
JG
I have to ask the wife! I prefer the more classic styles with a modern interpretation and more muted colours.
GdB
To be honest, I have a hard time choosing, even though my kitchen actually needs some tiles. It is scary to put tiles in my own house, I might grow too tired of them too quickly.
In what way do you consider your work approach typically Dutch?
JG
t´s very straightforward. If we decide on doing something, we are going to make it work and we are going to make it fast.
Let's talk about interior trends in general. What trend do you think we'll see everywhere next year?
JG
I think that things can be a bit more fun, less serious. Warmer and brighter colours could be a thing.
Where would you like to see your tiles?
GdB
At the very beginning we wanted to do tiles for metro tunnels and hotel lobbies. I guess that this is still the goal. Those metro stations in NYC seriously need renovation. What we also learned is that you can actually use tiles on the exterior of buildings such as facades.
JG
Yes, having tiles on a skyscraper would be amazing! Very high on our priority list.
What advice would you give to someone who is seeking to make a career from their creativity?
JG
Commit to one thing and keep on doing it very well!
follow artist @studio.gdb
discover online www.studiogdb.nl
all images (c) Studio GdB