“Our furniture is also made to be stroked!”

Can you describe your company in a few words?

Young, innovative, and dynamic!

How about a few more words?

Vondom is a leading company in the design, manufacture and sale of avant-garde, mainly plastic furniture, planters and lighting fixtures for indoor and outdoor use. Our aim has always been to put design first. I believe that is what defines us the most. We design and manufacture products at home, in Spain, and we fully assert a Mediterranean culture. However, this does not prevent us from exporting our products to the entire world. We are also very committed to innovation, which is a constant within our company. As a result, we are constantly developing and refining our production tools to create unique pieces.

You are known for working with renowned designers. How do you choose them? Do you give them specifications or do you leave them free to use their imaginations? 

We look at the work of designers from around the world and select those we believe to be the most talented. We particularly like avant-garde designers whose work has a futuristic touch. Although we do not provide them with specifications, we do brief them with regard to our expectations. Then, we embark on that journey together, one step at a time. One thing is certain, we endeavour not to limit them and we let them develop their own ideas.

We work closely with renowned designers such as Marcel Wanders, Fabio Novembre, Stefano Giovannoni, Eugeni Quitllet, Eero Aarnio, Karim Rashid and Javier Mariscal. It is a very long list! Some of their creations have found a home in prestigious locations, such as museums and conference and exhibition venues in Ibiza, Dubai, Cancun, Cannes, and more.

Although a piece of furniture’s design is its most significant asset, the material used is just as important. Which polymers do you use to create such a beautiful appearance?

We use several polymers, such as rotomolded polyethylene, gas injected polypropylene, injected flexible polyurethane and a recent addition we are very proud of, recycled polypropylene made from waste recovered in the Mediterranean Sea. Selecting the right polymer is one thing, but being able to “work” it to give it the desired shape and appearance is another. As I said before, we are constantly improving our technologies and pushing back the limits of what is achievable.

For instance, we have conducted much research on injected polyurethane to make it weatherproof for use in outdoor furniture. We put in the same amount of work when investigating polypropylene recycling possibilities. We wanted the material to have properties that were compatible with our very high quality standards. We are very involved in research, or at least in further developing the polymers that we use. In the same vein, we are always on the lookout for new developments.

We also like to play with light. One of polymers’ many advantages is that they are naturally receptive to light, but their texture has to be worked on to enable them to fully react to natural or artificial light. We spent a long time developing this technology and we have successfully achieved what we set out to do. We are now able to mould our objects with varying degrees of graining. That is the secret to offering dazzling products!

Is touch also important?

Yes, because our main aim is to create atmospheres designed to transform a given location into a space for rest and relaxation. Shape and design are therefore crucial, but they alone are not enough to create a sense of comfort when using our furniture. For our textures, we seek to reproduce those textures found in nature that we enjoy touching or stroking.

We see this in our showrooms; when visitors touch our furniture, we know that we have succeeded. This is why we attach so much importance to the quality of the textiles used, regardless of whether they are intended for use in indoor or outdoor furniture. For instance, we select softer textures to enhance the cosiness of indoor furniture. 

Finally, what is your environmental policy? We achieved ISO 14001 certification a few years ago, and we are currently awaiting approval for a new ecological certificate. We were also partners of the 2019 World Climate Summit held in Madrid last December.