The 60th edition of Brussels Girl Geek Dinner is all about the love for design. Italian design brand Calligaris explains how they are able to create affordable design furniture. Olivier Depoorter from Depot Design gives tips and tricks on design hunting: find the best quality for the best price.

1. Pinterest safari
@depotdesignbxl
Welcome!

2. DESIGN HUNTING
since 1985
Olivier Depoorter
Founder of Depot Design

3. Dépôt-design version 1.0

4. Finding and selling design in the 80’s

5. What is contemporary design
(for me)?
•
Shape / aesthetics
•
Culture
•
Research

6. Furniture today: 3 levels
Relatively luxurious
High quality materials
Innovative
Mix of high & low level
characteristics
Little ambition
Little research
Conformist

7. Collection hunting
tips and tricks
1. Search “between the lines”

8. Collection hunting
tips and tricks
2. Find the most competitive manufacturer
for each product

9. Collection hunting
tips and tricks
3. In-house design and production

10. Collection hunting
tips and tricks
4. Collaborate with a unique brand

11. When buying design furniture…
tips and tricks
1. Be careful with big bargains and online price
stunts

12. When buying design furniture…
tips and tricks
2. Material is important!

13. When buying design furniture…
tips and tricks
3. Compare!

14. Thank you!

15. Calligaris &
Depot Design
November 2013

16. The Philosophy of
Calligaris Design

17. TITOLO
calligaris.it
In the CONTEMPORARY CLASSIC home there are
components with clean lines that are timeless

18. In the CASUAL LIFESTYLE home, however, you
will find more playful solutions, with a family feel
calligaris.it

19. In the INNOVATION & FUTURE home,
everything is inspired by the future
both in terms of technical solutions
and aesthetic choice.
calligaris.it

20. In the ESSENTIAL & FUN home we
used furniture and accessories with
more linear features, to balance out
the opulence of its features
calligaris.it

21. The EVOLUTION of
the Calligaris Design

22. The evolution
of the design
inside the brand,
from the beginning
to nowadays
The strength of Calligaris company lies mainly in the product
and it is built day by day.
Initially products were made mainly of wood, they were
designed in connection with local traditions and based on
handcraft manufacturing.
Later, the production changed to industrial, the design strictly
depended on manufacturing techniques of the time and on the
need to rank the products in a competitive price category.
Today we pay the utmost care to the selection of products.
They must have a valued design that combines quality and
technology in order to satisfy a wider public: people with very
different taste for aesthetics or functionality, people of
different nationalities, ages, lifestyles.
The company leads a continuous process developing new
projects, thought to meet modern life needs and to enrich
space with personality and functionality.
We work to create products that can be offered by our partners
to end customers and we trust our offer can be not only of
good design, but also functional, comfortable and wide.
calligaris.it

23. The EVOLUTION of the Design
chairs
1923
Air
2000
Milano
1966
Marocca
1950
Vienna
1987
Trio
1990
Sabrina
Alchemia
2005
2010
Parisienne
Duffy
2013

24. The EVOLUTION of the Design
range of products
1923
chairs
sofas
2005
beds
1999
tables
1980
1997
occasional
furniture
2002
cabinets
2006
lamps
rugs
objects
2013

25. How a new model
is created
(The product development process)

26. Commercial
input
Fairs-Events
Trend Books
Competitors
catalogues
Design
magazines
calligaris.it

27. Brief to
designers
Receipt and
preselection
of projects
calligaris.it

28. Priority schedule
of selected projects
Sales volume
target
Price target
Model and finish
turnover analysis
calligaris.it

29. Technical
feasibility
Engineering
process
Supply chain
testing
Project
industrialization
calligaris.it

30. Prototyping
the aesthetics
of concepts
Definite
prototyping
Testing
calligaris.it

31. Product plan
definition
Finish
definition
Sampling
definition
calligaris.it

32. Sampling
production for:
Fairs
Launch events
Flagship
Catalogues
ADV
calligaris.it

33. DESIGN FOR
THE RIGHT
PRICE

34. SKIN
design: Archirivolto – 2012
A new wood based material will be introduced beside the standard finishes. This biomaterial is a composite thermoplastic
polymer and is called liquid wood. It is produced with widely available renewable raw materials and is reciclable. One of
the most interesting features, other than its biocompatibility, is the technology behind the production of this material which
is moulded like any common thermoplastic polymer with the advantages of offering great versatility and an extremely
simple production process. Its main components are lignin and cellulose, which are the compounds forming the cells of
plant stems, together with hemicellulose.

35. CLAIRE
design: Orlandini Design - 2013
Nordic design chair with solid ash frame in Natural and Smoke finish. Fixed seat and backrest in padded, upholstered
plywood with fabric covering. Its main feature is the large, wrap-around and ergonomic backrest which, combined with
the padded seat, also softly shaped, ensures maximum sitting comfort.

36. BASIL
design: Mr Smith Studio - 2011
The shell is in Restilon® (structural polymer composite with mineral fillers) and is moulded with a co-injection of 35%
recycled material. The shape of the seat resembles that of a basil leaf. The central rib becomes both a structural and
decorative feature of the product. The shell can be fitted onto 7 different types of frame from the Jam series, as well as on to
a new wooden frame, to satisfy any requirement.

37. DUFFY
design: Design lab - 2013
Chair with sled base in 14 mm thick metal tube, with painted or chrome-plated finish. Seat in plywood with moulded
plastic backrest, both fixed, padded and upholstered with fabric or Gummy. As well as providing aesthetic and ergonomic
value, the rounded lines of the chair, and especially of the backrest, make it ideally suited to all tastes. The backrest is
joined to the frame in a special way to conceal the fixing points, making this model elegant and refined in every detail.

38. FACTORY
design: Design Lab - 2013
Collection of furniture units raised above the ground, made of wood with metal structure, offering multiple combinations of
forms and colours. The collection comprises four units: large melamine drawer unit (Hemp and Clay finish), doors and tops
always in coordinating flat-sliced wood (Natural and Smoke) or with mat white paint finish and painted structure (white,
taupe, mustard yellow and red). The outstanding features of the cabinet, which has no superfluous trimmings, are its pure
geometric design and sophisticated combination of colours and materials.
Three of the versions are also available with central, open compartment finished in the same shade as the large drawer.

39. HERON
design: Calligaris Studio - 2013
Varnished fixed metal table featuring square section legs joined to the corners of the top and adjustable feet. The
polyurethane top, sandwiched between two metal panels, is shaped and finished with matt epossidic powders. The colour
of the plates which join the legs match the colour of the top. The strengths of this model are the high stability, the extreme
lightweight, slim legs and slender top (only 3 cm) making this model classy, essential and extremely easy to match.

40. THANK
YOU

41. SAFARI
•Participants visit the showroom and pin/instagram
every piece of design they like.
•Every picture will be repinned on a dedicated board
on Depot Design’s Pinterest account.
•The participant who pinned the most liked picture on
that board by November 27th wins a 250 euro voucher
to spend at Depot Design!