bedMATE of the month #38: Niels & Gilles - Palet

Every month, we visit a creative and inspiring individual. They are the 'bedMATE of the month'.

The bedMATE is the most iconic item in our collection. This extra-long pillow serves as a headboard, but also as a cuddle buddy, a friend who offers support.

We get into bed with the 'bedMATE of the month'. We take a look at their home and their colorful (bed)rooms. In conversation, we discover how they experience the SUITE life. What's on their mind? Where do they get their inspiration? And in what color do they dream?

Multiple bedMATES this month - two of the three brilliant minds behind Palet. We visited Niels, where Gilles also joined us at the table. About tiles, color & print, dream collaborations, cat Kroket, and more.

'Palet stands for unique ceramic tiles. We've built a system that allows you to easily design your own tile, from color to pattern. Everything is produced to order, so design freedom and scalability go hand in hand.' Niels explains this to us at his
dining table, in his apartment near Amsterdam's Vondelpark.

Samples are spread out on the table: warm tones like off-white and vanilla combine beautifully with olive green, chocolate brown, and rusty red - and match perfectly with our oat cappuccinos and matcha cookies. Niels doesn't yet have Palet tiles on his own wall. 'Not yet,' he laughs, 'my plan is to tile an entire kitchen wall, but my wife still needs to approve that.'

'The three of us come from different backgrounds,' Niels continues, 'but we've been working on creative projects together since school, most of which were far less successful, haha. Precisely because we have very different talents, we complement each other well. But it's primarily our shared vision to approach ceramic tiles as a design tool that led us, years later, to start building Palet together again.'

Cat Kroket jumps on the table and sniffs the cookies. He, too, looks good with the Palet colors. When asked which project they are most proud of, it’s difficult to give a clear answer – understandably so. ‘All three of us probably have a different preference – and a new favorite every month. A recent highlight was the restrooms at Museum Villa in Amsterdam. It beautifully shows how much you can achieve in a small area with bold choices.’

And the dream collaboration? 'There are many designers and brands we greatly admire, so that door is always open. Applying our system in other materials and products is a dream in itself, but to channel our mid-life crisis: a collaboration with a brand like Porsche wouldn't be bad. Or, literally closer to home, a Palet rug from cc-tapis.'

Niels lives right next to the Vondelkerk, and his apartment is special: a sleeping area has been created in the middle of the home with a glass construction, both spacious and cozy at the same time. The interior exudes warm earth tones and wood, and our Smokey, Olive, and Pistachio colors blend in effortlessly.

What is currently your favorite color combination (per person)?
Niels: https://palet.shop/shop?design=camo-light&color-1=350&color-2=181
Gilles: https://palet.shop/shop?design=brick-vertical&color-1=320&color-2=181
Jaap: https://palet.shop/shop?design=marble&color-1=10&color-2=138

Favorite spot in the house?
The bench in front of the door. The ideal social activity for an ambitious introvert. And if the social buzz outside gets too much for me, I'm back inside in two steps.

What's on your interior wishlist?
A nice rug from cc-tapis, see dream collaboration ;).
How do you relax?

Watching TV with Kroket the cat.
Favorite weekend activity?
Museum visits always go down well.

Favorite snack?
I don't really snack much, but I can eat a whole bar of chocolate in one sitting. All or nothing.

What's always on your nightstand?
My glasses and a stack of books that I'm getting through very slowly. See also: Watching TV with
the cat.

Which SUITE702 colour combo did you choose and why?
I outsourced the choice to my partner, hoping that I'll then get to choose which Palet tiles we get. Besides, she has better taste than I do.

What will you use your bedMATE for (mostly)?
To improve my relationship with my books.