Friso Wiersma is an industrial designer and furniture maker who graduated with honours from the Design Academy Eindhoven (Man & Well-being department). His design philosophy is grounded in his experience as a maker. He has worked as a woodworker, boatbuilder, and cabinetmaker. His dedication as a designer is reflected in his willingness to serve not only the material, but also the people he designs for. Mastery, to him, lies not in virtuosic skill alone, but in being guided by the material—and in his ability to communicate the values that reside within this perspective.
In the project Doerebout, Wiersma and the Veenweide Atelier examine how wetland crops like cattail—plants that store carbon and reduce CO₂ emissions—can be used to design with purpose. This is part of a larger movement called paludiculture, a sustainable agricultural approach for peatland regions with high water tables. But this project is not only about form. It’s also about meaning: How can we shape this material from the peatlands in a way that is beautiful, accessible, and honest?
Doerebout unfolds in two stages: from soulful showpiece to everyday object—from craftsmanship to scalability.
Inspired by the tradition of historical kunstkabinetten—refined furniture pieces where art and craft meet—Friso created a cabinet that uses wood sparingly (Fryslân has forests, but not many), combined with wetland fibres. The elm tree has long been planted around farmyards in peaty areas; the black alder thrives in wet, marshy soil.
The wood for the project was sourced from De Rat, a historic wind-powered sawmill in IJlst. Here, timber is still cut using techniques from the past—powered by wind, and speaking to the future. Ornamental carvings by Ashok Bhadra express the cultural and spiritual ties between people and the peat landscape. The result is a deeply layered, soulful piece that gives physical shape to the stories embedded in the soil.
The second part of Doerebout focuses on functional, scalable design—furniture made not as one-offs, but for daily use. Friso brings his experience as a designer for a major furniture brand to the table, now paired with industrial innovation and the expertise of Tjeerd Veenhoven, who previously developed sheet materials from wetland plants during the Veenweide residencies.
In collaboration with De Schoolmeester—a traditional paper mill in Westzaan—offcut fibres were turned into paper that wraps the panels, giving them a refined texture and finish. Friso also designed a furniture line, now produced in collaboration with SAM Panels and Empatec, a social enterprise in Franeker.
Doerebout shows how new materials from the peatlands can help shape our identity—through furniture that is crafted with care and in respect of the living world.
Partners
Meubelatelier Momentum, Houtzaagmolen de Rat, Empatec, Papiermolen de Schoolmeester, SAM panels, Ashok Bhadra, Tjeerd Veenhoven, Dijkstra Draisma.