DUM Office: Contract Furniture That's Too Good for Just the Office

Where circles meet squares, sustainability meets vibrant color, and traditional craftsmanship meets modern techniques—creating spaces where people connect and ideas flourish.

The Design Academy Origins

Some creative partnerships just make sense from the start.

For Wiebe Boonstra and Marc van Nederpelt, founders of Dutch furniture brand DUM Office, their collaborative journey began at Design Academy Eindhoven in the mid-1990s. What followed was a seamless transition from students to design partners, and eventually, to the establishment of DUM in 2013—a brand with a distinctly light-hearted approach to the often-serious world of contract furniture.

"We're in a field that tends to take itself very seriously," they've noted. "But we believe workplaces and hospitality settings deserve a bit of playfulness."

A Circle, A Square, A Design Language

At first glance, DUM's design philosophy seems deceptively simple: chairs, tables, stools, and armchairs based on elementary geometric shapes—circles and squares, primarily.

But within this streamlined language, they've found endless room for expression. Their slightly oversized dimensions, bold color palette, and robust feel create pieces that command presence in large spaces without overwhelming them.

"Circles and squares never go out of fashion," they explain, revealing a commitment to timelessness that belies their contemporary aesthetic.

The resulting collection ranges from eight-meter-long collaborative workbenches to intimate privacy chairs, creating a landscape of typologies that supports modern work habits while injecting unexpected moments of joy into contract environments.

The Human-Scale Approach

What sets DUM apart is their deeply human-centered approach to industrial design. While their pieces are modern and geometric, they maintain what the founders call "a relative connection to us as human beings."

In their view, design shouldn't be standoffish or aloof—it should be created with interaction in mind. This philosophy manifests in furniture that feels approachable and inviting despite its contemporary lines.

The slightly oversized dimensions serve both practical and psychological purposes. Practically, they suit larger spaces and buildings where standard-sized furniture might feel diminutive. Psychologically, they create a sense of comfort and generosity that encourages people to gather, connect, and share ideas.

Why Contract Furniture for Your Home?

While DUM's pieces were designed with professional environments in mind, there's a compelling case for bringing contract-grade furniture into residential settings.

First, there's the matter of durability. Contract furniture is engineered to withstand intensive, daily use in public spaces—meaning it will easily handle whatever your household can throw at it. DUM's solid beechwood construction and high-performance textiles offer longevity that typical residential furniture simply can't match.

Then there's the sustainability angle. Investing in pieces designed to last decades rather than years represents a more environmentally conscious approach to furnishing your home. DUM's commitment to sustainable materials and production methods adds another layer to this eco-friendly choice.

Aesthetically, contract furniture brings a certain confidence to residential spaces. The bold geometries and slightly oversized proportions of DUM's pieces create focal points that can define a room without overwhelming it. Their vibrant color options allow for personal expression in a way that more conventional furniture might not.

Perhaps most importantly, as remote work becomes increasingly common, the line between office and home continues to blur. DUM's pieces bridge this gap elegantly—professional enough to support productive work, yet warm and inviting enough to enhance your living space.

Sustainable by Design

For DUM, sustainability isn't an afterthought but a foundational principle.

Their material of choice—beechwood—is sourced from sustainably managed European forests. Unlike oak and ash, whose supplies are increasingly strained, beechwood remains readily available. Its lack of knots and irregularities ensures minimal material loss during processing, making it an environmentally responsible choice.

The water-based lacquers and stains they use contain no heavy metals and ten times fewer volatile organic compounds than conventional finishes—a choice that significantly reduces their environmental impact.

But their commitment to sustainability extends beyond materials to their entire production chain. By purchasing exclusively from European suppliers—more than 90% located in the Netherlands itself—they've created a local ecosystem that reduces their carbon footprint while supporting regional economies.

This localized approach offers another advantage: flexibility. The short distances between DUM and their suppliers facilitate rapid customization, allowing them to quickly adapt their designs to clients' individual needs.

The Textile Dimension

To bring additional color, structure, and comfort to their upholstered pieces, DUM collaborates with Kvadrat Febrik, a renowned textile producer from Tilburg in the Netherlands.

These knitted textiles add a tactile dimension to DUM's geometric forms, softening their angularity while maintaining their distinctive character. The collaboration represents a meeting of like minds—two Dutch companies committed to quality, sustainability, and innovation.

The Studio

DUM's headquarters, located on the Hembrugterrein in Zaandam (near Amsterdam), is more than just an office. Transformed by architectural firm Studio M10, the 550m² factory building dates back to 1951 and now serves as both workspace and showroom.

Like the furniture they create, the space balances industrial heritage with contemporary function, creating an environment where clients can experience DUM's pieces in context and understand how they might transform their own spaces.

The Lasting Impact

What makes DUM's approach particularly relevant today is their understanding that all environments—whether work, hospitality, or residential—are evolving. As the boundaries between these spheres become increasingly permeable, furniture needs to adapt accordingly.

Their pieces bring a playful sophistication to any setting, acknowledging that people perform and live best in environments that feel comfortable and inviting rather than sterile and impersonal.

By combining sustainable materials, local production, and a distinctive design language, DUM is helping to reshape our expectations of what furniture can be—proving that serious functionality and environmental responsibility can coexist with color, comfort, and a touch of joy.

In a world where many design brands strive to make bold statements, DUM's "Geometric Playfulness" offers something perhaps more valuable: spaces where people actually want to be—whether that's an office, a hotel lobby, or your own living room.

Explore the complete DUM Office collection now available at Design Public.