Designer Spotlight - Baptiste Vandaele
For Baptiste Vandaele, design has always been about making. From childhood afternoons spent crafting and building, to his teenage years immersed in visual and architectural arts at school, the urge to create has always been at the center of his life. By the time he discovered industrial arts, he knew he had found his place. “It felt like the ‘inventor’ in me had finally found the right outlet,” he recalls. After earning a BA in Industrial Product Design in Kortrijk, he was accepted into the Royal College of Art in London—but instead of taking the academic route, he leapt straight into starting his own studio at the age of 23.
For him, design is the magic of bringing an idea to life—transforming a sketch into something that can brighten a space and spark joy in everyday life. “Without design, everything would stand still,” he explains. That belief in design as movement, as evolution, has shaped the playful, colorful, and human-centered work he creates today.
His early projects leaned toward the futuristic—dynamic, grey-toned concepts that looked striking but didn’t really feel like his true personality. That realization set him on a path to refine his own design DNA. “I wanted to create something that brought joy, not just coolness,” he says. Now, his approach is rooted in bold colors, surprising details, and hidden functions—pieces that invite interaction and reward curiosity. His philosophy is grounded in ‘form follows function’, but always with a twist: products that catch the eye through aesthetics, and then surprise through thoughtful, often unexpected functionality.
Playfulness is at the core of Baptiste’s work, and perhaps it’s that childlike curiosity still alive in his practice. He often begins with an archetypal form, deconstructing it piece by piece until he finds an opening for innovation and playfulness. The result is design that feels honest and familiar, yet still brimming with freshness and personality.
Inspiration, he admits, can come from almost anywhere: the curve of a building, the pattern of a tractor wheel, the way a metal joint is welded. “The best skill a designer can have is the ability to really see,” he says. That constant observation fuels his process as much as his daily ritual: a 7:00 a.m. coffee in the office, a quiet moment before diving into new ideas.
At 26, Baptiste still lives at home with his parents and brother—something he laughs about—but his mind is already brimming with visions of what his own space might look like. His Pinterest is overflowing with possibilities, from mid-century modern filled with Eames classics, to sleek contemporary city apartments, to dream escapes in Cadaqués. Whichever style wins, one thing is certain: “There will be a Togo by Ligne Roset in it’’.
When he needs to recharge, he escapes to the Mediterranean, where the sea, sun, and slower pace of life bring him balance. And if design hadn’t been the path? He imagines he might have turned to photography or painting—other creative ways of capturing ideas and telling stories.
But for now, his studio walls are lined with his own designs, proudly displayed after a last-minute dash to the hardware store for racks before a photoshoot. It’s a small but telling glimpse into his practice: equal parts playful, resourceful, and deeply invested in bringing ideas to life.
For Normann Copenhagen Baptiste has designed the Colu Basket
Quick Ones
Design piece you admire:
Standard SP by Jean Prouvé
A film you return to:
Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood
A dish you love:
Vol-au-vent with crispy French fries
An artist/band that brings you joy:
Phil Collins
Something completely random:
I’ve always dreamed of moving abroad but we all know that in the end, I’m not going anywhere.
