Sometimes all it takes is a quirky design idea to start a new business. As for NLXL, a plan to find a unique way to decorate their beach house turned into a worldwide design label.
The creative couple behind the label
NLXL is the brainchild of the dynamic Dutch couple Rick Vintage and Esther Vlak, currently the creative director and the president of the company. Based in the medieval city of The Hague, where Rick designed their eclectic modern home, they both worked in their own design studio for 20 years before deciding it was time for something new.
A decorating project turns into a business idea
While looking for their next business venture, Rick and Esther started decorating their small beach house. As Esther wanted scrap wood planks to decorate the walls, they bought some, but realising that arranging them on the wall wouldn’t be without challenges, Rick decided to take photos instead in order to print some wallpaper. When they saw the prints, they were impressed with the details in the images. They soon realised that the final product would have a huge impact on the wallpaper scene and as a result, NLXL was founded in 2010.
The launch of NLXL Lab
In 2014, they decided to expand the brand by creating NLXL Lab with the aim to launch products outside of NLXL’s traditional collections. The Lab was originally designed to be an online-exclusive brand, selling via just a few retailers. Realising that there was growing demand by their established customer base, Rick and Esther decided to move the NLXL Lab to the brand’s worldwide retailer base.