A conversation with Jonas and Christoph from Gerdesmeyer Krohn

Design Studio Gerdesmeyer Krohn was founded in 2015 by Christoph Gerdesmeyer and Jonas Krohn and, in addition to product design, specializes primarily in interior design. Today, the now ten-strong team develops object and kitchen designs as well as individual design solutions for national and international clients.

In collaboration with ATELIER onomao, the modular candle holder 4BLOCKS was created in spring 2025. 

In this interview, the founders tell us more about Gerdesmeyer Krohn's design philosophy and the development process of the candle holder.

How did you two meet and what was your vision behind founding the design office?
We got to know each other during our studies and worked together a lot on projects. We complement each other very well and share the same design mindset. Christoph is responsible for design and communication and Jonas for planning and technical development. After graduating, we wanted to continue this and quickly had the vision of having our own office.

What design does Gerdesmeyer Krohn stand for?
Deliberately reduced.

Over time, your focus has shifted from product design to interior design. How did that come about?
We have always been fascinated by holistic projects. That's how it developed that we wanted to design the entire context, the space or the property.

As part of our collaboration with onomao, we created a modular candle holder. How did the development of the product proceed
Since candlesticks have a relatively simple and defined use, they are rightly a decorative element. Our aim was to design a series that would work both together and independently and thus integrate into the living space. With this objective in mind, we developed several ideas, built prototypes and discussed them in detail. The final product is reminiscent of building blocks and invites you to playfully assemble a wide variety of architectures.

Like onomao, you are at home in Cologne. What makes the city special for you and what are your favorite places in Cologne
Christoph: I like the warmth, the people and the city life. My favorite places are Ehrenfeld and the Belgian quarter.

Jonas: What's special about the city are the people, which is probably what everyone would say about Cologne, the warmth and the relaxed vibe. My favorite places are Flora, the Rhine, Ehrenfeld and Nippes.

To the candleholder

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