Groof, Anton de

Anton de Groof was born in 1967 in Nuenen. With a father who worked as a technical production manager and designer of fencing, his parental home was littered with cardboard mechanisms. A fertile soil for De Groof’s fascination with traditional mechanics and old tools.

 

Anton started the furniture brand Masimo in 1993 with a friend. Ten years later he continues on alone. First with the design of tables and chairs, later with interior and lighting. For example, he sets up 130 stores for a successful clothing brand. For the chain's head office, he designs a lamp as well as the interior.

 

A few years later, that lamp appears to be the base for the Bolt series. In 2013, the designer - stimulated by enthusiastic feedback from his environment - took the design off the shelf again and developed it into what it is today. It turned out to be the striking start of the Tonone label: tough industrial lamp series recognizable by functionality in form, clean lines and by the iconic leading role for the wingnut. The Bolt is now available in 18 different models and in 10 colors. After the Bolt soon the Mr. Tubes, the Atlas and Ella series, made of hand-blown glass, and the smart Orbit series. In 2018 Tonone introduced the LED Beads serie and the LED version of the Mr. Tubes.

 

In addition to his own brand, Anton designs the lamp Thierry le Swinger for Fatboy, a wireless outdoor lamp that can stand or hang. He also creates the Air 65 for the Dutch furniture brand Qliv, a successful chair, representative of Anton's design style through the use of materials and the applied connections.

Anton de Groof's designs are recognizable by the typically Dutch design language: sleek, functional, and modern. It is undeniable he was influenced by Bauhaus and the architectural movement Bossche School. But De Groof's fascination with connection issues and the use of traditional and industrial mechanics make his designs distinctive. The execution of his designs in sustainable material emphasizes the individuality of Anton de Groof.