Gifted purveyors of spot-on-style – Joyce Urbanus and Dax Roll of Nicemakers describe themselves as unapologetically ambitious, and speak without a hint of timidity on their “destiny to make things nice.” A couple in both business and life, Joyce and Dax founded their studio in 2011 and were almost immediately recognized for their talents, earning international awards for projects like their greenhouse-inspired SLA cafe. Today, Joyce and Dax work with a small team of designers as they bring their effortlessly cool brand of NICE to residences, restaurants, hotels and so much more around the globe.

We hope you’ll join us for a twirl around one of Nicemakers most recently celebrated projects – The Hoxton, Amsterdam, all while getting to know the “dream team” behind it all.

 

 

 

DPAGES: Could you tell us a bit about your background and your path to establishing Nicemakers?

DAX OF NICEMAKERS: I always wanted to study product design at the Design Academy in Eindhoven (South of Holland) but decided last-minute to study marketing communication. I thought it was safer and would give me more job opportunities. After my studies, I worked for a small high-end fashion brand where I was responsible for marketing and sales. I met my girlfriend Joyce about 6 years ago and she was working for a Dutch interior design firm. We fell in love with each other and started living together after 2 months. She decided to quit her job and work as a freelance designer. At home we always spoke about each other’s jobs and I got more enthusiastic about her projects. During our brainstorm sessions we found out it felt really good to work together so we decided to start working under the name Nicemakers. After our first nightclub project we did for a friend of ours, everything went super fast. This is about 4.5 years ago… And now we are working (together with a team of 4 employees) on International projects.

 

 

 

DPAGES: When creating an environment, whether it be a cafe, home or hotel, what do you most strive to achieve?

DAX OF NICEMAKERS: We always strive for a space that fits its environment, the client’s business and its customers/users. It should feel natural, not over designed and preferably like it has been there for a while.

 

 

 

“It should feel natural, not over designed and

 preferably like it has been there for a while.”

 

 

 

DPAGES: As designers who are also business owners… could you offer some insight into the benefits and challenges that come with that dual role?

DAX OF NICEMAKERS: The benefits are that you are totally free to choose your own clients and projects. We can say yes or no whenever we want. If the project or client doesn’t feel right, we decide not to take the project. Joyce and I agreed that money may never be the reason to accept a project. The challenges crossing your path are the same as for many business owners: finding the right people to work on all the cool projects!

 

 

 

DPAGES: What advice would you like to give your younger selves or architects / designers just starting out?

DAX OF NICEMAKERS: Travel as much as possible! Depending on your focus, but we always walk in cool hotels and restaurants and ask for tours by the owner or manager.

 

 

 

DPAGES: What can we look forward to from Nicemakers in the near future?

DAX OF NICEMAKERS: [In] the upcoming years, Nicemakers will finish some really exciting International hotel and residential projects. Our team is growing and we will move to an amazing new office along one of the canals.

DPAGES: Thank you Joyce and Dax for sharing your work and for offering a bit of insight into what is to be ‘nicemakers’!

 

Photography courtesy of Nicemakers & The Hoxton.