Simplicity in design
Designer spotlight: Kho Liang Ie
Kho Liang Ie: the power of simplicity, material and space
Kho Liang Ie (1927–1975) is considered one of the most influential designers in the development of modern interior design in the Netherlands. With an international perspective, he introduced a new approach from the 1950s onward: design as the relationship between space, material and user.
Born in Indonesia and educated in Amsterdam, he developed into a designer who effortlessly translated international influences into a clear, human-centered design approach. His work, ranging from furniture to interiors and exhibitions, received international recognition and was characterized by simplicity, refinement and attention to experience.
Photo credit: Exhibition overview Kho Liang Ie – Mid-Century Modernist, 2026, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Photo: Peter Tijhuis
Kho Liang Ie: Linoleum Krommenie stand, Utrecht Spring Fair 1965 - ©Jan Versnel MAI
Kho Liang Ie: Linoleum Krommenie stand with gramophone, Utrecht Trade Fair 1957 ©Jan Versnel MAI
More than functionalism
Kho started from functionalism, but added something essential: atmosphere. With attention to light, material and space, and above all a focus on the user, he created interiors that not only function logically but also bring calm and experience.
Photo credit: Kho Liang Ie, 1965. Photo: © Jan Versnel / MAI
The floor as part of the overall design
During his short yet rich and impactful career as a designer, he also collaborated with Linoleum Krommenie, the foundation of today’s Forbo Flooring. For Kho Liang Ie, material was never a separate element, but an integral part of the spatial experience. In projects where linoleum was used, he employed the material to create calm and cohesion. Linoleum enabled him to make floors not only functional, but also a visual and tactile part of the design.
A striking example is the project Apartment for a Working Woman, in which a linoleum floor was used as a connecting element within the interior. The floor supports spatial calm and strengthens the relationship between the different functions within the space. This project can be experienced again today: a reproduction of the floor is included in the newly opened exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
Apartment for a working woman
Exhibition overview Kho Liang Ie – Mid-Century Modernist, 2026, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Photo: Peter Tijhuis
Space as a message: his exhibition stand designs
Kho Liang Ie also designed exhibition stands for companies including Linoleum Krommenie, Auping and Artifort. These presentations stood out because of their radical simplicity and thoughtful use of materials and space.
Where exhibition stands are often aimed at maximum visibility and abundance, Kho chose the opposite:
● plenty of open space
● a minimal number of elements
● a strong focus on material experience
His stand designs for Linoleum Krommenie literally allowed the material to breathe. Through the combination of emptiness, clean lines and carefully selected contrasts, he created an almost serene, poetic atmosphere.
Linoleum was not presented as a product, but as part of a spatial experience. This approach closely aligns with how Forbo views flooring today: not as isolated elements, but as part of a total experience in which user experience and functionality are central.
Kho Liang Ie, stand for Linoleum Krommenie at the Furniture and Home Textiles Trade Fair in the Jaarbeurs Utrecht, 1965. ©Jan Versnel / MAI
Exhibition overview Kho Liang Ie – Mid-Century Modernist, 2026, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Photo: Peter Tijhuis
International influence, lasting relevance
Kho Liang Ie connected different worlds. He brought international ideas to the Netherlands and gave Dutch design a place on the global stage.
His work for companies such as Artifort and major projects like Schiphol demonstrates how design can contribute to calm, clarity and ease of use. His approach, reducing design to its essence, focusing on materials and putting the user first, remains highly relevant for architects and designers today.
Photo credit: Kho Liang Ie, sofa 662 (later 680), 1968. Photo: Frans Grummer for Artifort
Exhibition overview: Kho Liang Ie – Mid-Century Modernist, 2026, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Photo: Peter Tijhuis
Kho Liang Ie, interior at Schiphol Airport featuring the 720 seating system designed by Kho for this project (manufactured by Artifort), 1967. Photo: © Jan Versnel / MAI, 1968
Now on view at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
From 14 May to 8 October 2026, the work and vision of Kho Liang Ie are being highlighted in a major retrospective exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
Alongside iconic designs and projects, the exhibition shows how his ideas about material and space still resonate today, including through the reconstruction of the Apartment for a Working Woman and the Schiphol lounge. It is an inspiring invitation to look again at the role of material in design and the power of simplicity.
Forbo Flooring proudly contributed to the exhibition by reproducing a historic linoleum floor from Kho Liang Ie’s Corversbos project. The original floor combined strips of Holland Granité in yellow and blue with Confetti linoleum, demonstrating how colour and material were used to subtly separate functions within a space. For the exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum, these colours and patterns were recreated as a digital print on vinyl.
It is remarkable to see this floor again. Kho’s vision of functional spatial organisation through the use of materials was ahead of its time and still aligns closely with the way floors can contribute to structure, cohesion and experience in interiors today.