ABOUT US

Craftsmanship is in our DNA

Expect the unconventional

Functionals offers a collection of furniture and home goods designed exclusively for us by innovative designers. Each has his or her distinctive perspective, but they share a bold aesthetic, commitment to craftsmanship, and attention to detail.

We are equally detail-driven when it comes to manufacturing, packaging, and delivering our products. Our products are made to last, so they are made well. Components are made in small, but highly specialized factories in Europe, and many are finished by hand. We do much of the assembling and all the shipping at our factory and showroom in the Dutch town of Goirle.

We launched Functionals as a webshop in 2009, with the Bonsai candleholder and Swivel Floor light. Our collection has grown to include tables, seats, lights, tableware, and accessories. We’ve also expanded beyond the web into retail shops across Europe and beyond. Whether you order a Functionals product online or buy one in a store, we hope to exceed your expectations.

The Functionals Family Tree

Our interest in fine craftsmanship and attention to detail comes naturally. Siblings Ad and Simon van Esch, founders of Functionals, are also the second-generation owners of van Esch, a manufacturer devoted to “Products for places where people meet”. Van Esch makes coat racks, lockers, benches, show-cases and more. As with Functionals, van Esch solicits product ideas from exceptional designers.

Ad and Simon’s father, Henk van Esch, founded the company in 1972. He began his career creating finely wrought liturgical objects, then made the metal fittings for ships, and ultimately served as a metal engineer for several companies. Henk van Esch launched his own company with a coat rack product, and gradually diversified the catalog.

Ad and Simon literally grew up working in the van Esch factory, and helped transform it into the specialized business that it is today. The two decided that a more consumer-facing product company be a logical extension of their interests … and in 2009, Functionals was born.

Today, both van Esch and Functionals occupy the same factory/showroom in the Dutch village of Goirle. Ad and Simon’s children have joined the family business, ensuring the next generation of unconventional design.