In love with materials. Curious and geometrically structured. Designer and inventor, catalyst and partner. Exploring new ways while thinking outside the box. Admiration for traditional crafts and manufacturing techniques. Creating with clear forms, lines and tactile surfaces. Keeping up with the times, yet remain timeless. That is NIRUK.
We love materials. We are curious and geometrically structured. We are designers and inventors, catalysts and partners. We like to explore new ways and to think outside the box. We love traditional techniques and new ideas. We appreciate clear forms and tactile surfaces. We keep up with the times, yet remain timeless. We are NIRUK.
Designing, forming, drawing, pressing, melting, drying, searching, finding, smelling, immersing, completing.
Design is a process. In every project NIRUK immerses in that process, takes inspiration from materials and their properties to create new things. Alongside honest products full of character and emotion, the focus is on experimenting with materials to develop new products and new textures.
NIRUK is a reliable partner for companies and manufacturers. NIRUK distinguishes itself by her extensive and multi-facetted expertise and by the ability to immerse herself in new processes. NIRUK wants to design our environment and connect it to the people who live in it.
Designing, forming, drawing, pressing, melting, drying, searching, finding, smelling, immersing, completing. Design is a process. We immerse ourselves in that process, we take inspiration from materials and their properties, we create new things. Alongside honest products full of character and emotion, we focus on experimenting with materials and developing new textures. We are a reliable partner for companies and manufacturers. We distinguish ourselves by our extensive and multi-facetted expertise and by the ability to immerse ourselves in new processes. We want to actively design our environment and connect it to the people who live in it. We want to break new ground in the design of materials and products.
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A passion to create: Nina Ruthe founded DESIGN STUDIO NIRUK in 2011.
Nina graduated from Hochschule Niederrhein, where her education focused on artisanal and technical skills and was shaped by the Bauhaus tradition. This influence is perceptible in all NIRUK projects and ideas. The studio’s work is driven by curiosity and a love of experimentation. Being satisfied with the status quo is not an option. Nina Ruthe has continuously extended and refined her skills in many workshops involving different materials such as glass, cement, cork, wood, metal, and more.
From 2016 to 2024, she and her former studio partner, David Antonin, developed their own materials and product ideas, characterised by special production processes. The studio works internationally and has received several design awards, including the Green Product Award, the German Design Award, and the Biennale Interieur Award Kortrijk.
Since 2025, Nina Ruthe has been working independently again, creating new work for new clients. In June 2025, she presented the NIRUK Edition at Tokyo Interior & Lifestyle, a collection of small, limited-edition designs that combines design and creation while expressing materials and craftsmanship in a unique way. This is an ongoing collection, published by the studio itself. It embodies creative freedom in design and direct collaboration with European manufacturers and artisans. Each piece highlights the connection between design and craftsmanship and reflects the studio’s spirit of constant exchange between creativity, know-how, manufacturing techniques, materials, and the love of creation. More to come soon.
Nevertheless, all designs are characterised by a distinctive artistic signature. NIRUK’s love of materials, forms, colours, tactile qualities, and techniques, as well as a deep connection to nature, are essential elements of each project. Extraordinary light reflections, new surface textures, and specific material properties are central themes in the design studio’s Materials Lab. The development of new CMF concepts, including the topic of sensual emotion, as well as products inspired by these designs, are all part of STUDIO NIRUK’s portfolio. The individual approach, comprehensive know-how, and fresh ideas are embodied in product developments for her clients.