Founded in Antwerp in 2016, Nortstudio is the shared practice of Jef De Brabander and Kathleen Opdenacker, two designers with two very different backgrounds who found common ground in their love of working with their hands and manipulating materials. Kathleen trained as a graphic designer, and has an eye for the expressive use of color and geometry. Jef studied industrial engineering and worked in the construction industry before opting instead to hone his problem-solving and fabrication skills on the more intimate scale of objects.

Together, the pair create furniture and accessories whose colorful, graphic volumes blur the line between two dimensions and three, and belie the meticulous craftsmanship and material exploration that goes into each one-of-a-kind piece. Their work draws inspiration from the structural details of architecture, the daring shapes and palettes of Italian design, and color combinations sourced from paintings and fashion magazines — all filtered through the intuitive process of hands-on studio experimentation.