Jan des Bouvrie has died at the age of 78, the NOS reports. The interior designer died in the presence of his family in his hometown of Naarden.
Des Bouvrie had been ill for some time, he was suffering from prostate cancer.
The interior designer was born in Naarden in 1942 and trained at the Rietveld Academy. Then he started a career as a furniture maker. He gained fame in 1969 with his cube sofa.
He started his interior design center Het Arsenaal in the 1990s. Des Bouvrie was known for his sleek, symmetrical and white designs. Des Bouvrie was associated with the color white and was often dressed in white.
In addition to his own design company, he worked for companies such as Gamma and Philips and designed products such as wallpaper and lighting. He also taught at several design academies and two courses were named after him, including the Jan des Bouvrie Academy in Deventer.
The designer was appointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2009.
Des Bouvrie was also a media personality. He presented the TV Woonmagazine program and attended many galas and other glamor parties with his wife Monique.
Des Bouvrie appeared frequently in Gert-Jan Dröge's Glamourland program, which Jan and Monique des Bouvrie invariably announced with 'Hello, there we are again'. The designer later said in interviews that this attention led to more sales of his work and other large commissions.
In 2010 he was arrested on suspicion of tax fraud. He would have consciously cooperated in changing invoices with incorrect work descriptions. However, the investigation did not show that the designer himself was aware of this method of invoicing. Des Bouvrie was therefore not prosecuted.
Des Bouvrie was married to Monique for 34 years and they had two children. He also had two children from a previous marriage.
Des Bouvrie had been ill for some time, he was suffering from prostate cancer.
The interior designer was born in Naarden in 1942 and trained at the Rietveld Academy. Then he started a career as a furniture maker. He gained fame in 1969 with his cube sofa.
He started his interior design center Het Arsenaal in the 1990s. Des Bouvrie was known for his sleek, symmetrical and white designs. Des Bouvrie was associated with the color white and was often dressed in white.
In addition to his own design company, he worked for companies such as Gamma and Philips and designed products such as wallpaper and lighting. He also taught at several design academies and two courses were named after him, including the Jan des Bouvrie Academy in Deventer.
The designer was appointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2009.
Des Bouvrie was also a media personality. He presented the TV Woonmagazine program and attended many galas and other glamor parties with his wife Monique.
Des Bouvrie appeared frequently in Gert-Jan Dröge's Glamourland program, which Jan and Monique des Bouvrie invariably announced with 'Hello, there we are again'. The designer later said in interviews that this attention led to more sales of his work and other large commissions.
In 2010 he was arrested on suspicion of tax fraud. He would have consciously cooperated in changing invoices with incorrect work descriptions. However, the investigation did not show that the designer himself was aware of this method of invoicing. Des Bouvrie was therefore not prosecuted.
Des Bouvrie was married to Monique for 34 years and they had two children. He also had two children from a previous marriage.
