From linens, pillows to napkins, natural home label By Mölle makes all their linen in the studio in Overijssel. In a few years they have become the brand for sustainable and high-quality home textiles with a pure and simple style. Read the interview with Lucienne Dunnewijk and Marianne Maat. 

Text: Floor Roelvink.Marianne: "Our own collection consists exclusively of textile products, but we also design together with other makers. The name By Mölle is a combination of the English by and the word mill in our local dialect. We started the company from the miller's house. After a few years we moved to Dalfsen. The studio is a store too where customers can buy the collection. Our fabrics are of high quality, whether they are linen, wool or recycled denim. We test them extensively and see if they retain their quality and remain aesthetically pleasing. Our aim is that our products last a long time."

Marianne and Lucienne are constantly looking for sustainable materials and craftsmanship. A great example is flax. Marianne: "Flax is the only vegetable textile fiber with European roots. The plant needs our maritime climate and rich soil to grow and does so without irrigation and pesticides. In the weaving mill the flax is combed, spun and woven. We would prefer to do this in the Netherlands, but there are no more spinning mills here. Then the rolls of fabric arrive at the studio and we make duvet covers, table linen and cushions. When you order a product, we start working for you. We think it's important to work efficiently and not create a surplus."By Mölle works according to the principle of slow living. Lucienne: "We only work with natural materials and do as much as possible locally. If it is not possible to manufacture a product in our studio or in the Netherlands, we are looking for a sustainable partner in Europe. It is our ambition to make the world a bit nicer. "To experience the natural home collection of By Mölle, you can stay in 't Witte Huis on the Horte estate near Dalfsen or the Lemelerberg lodge on top of the 60 meter high Lemelerberg, one of the highest hills of Salland, in collaboration with Landschap Overijssel. Lucienne: "This house is very special: an old chalet from Austria, which was built in the twenties for a textile entrepreneur from Enschede. The chalet will soon be equipped with solar panels and we will collect rainwater to shower with. Slow living you do pre-eminently in nature and that we can offer these total experiences is a dream come true. "Marianne: "We can can tell how amazing linen sleeps, but it is even better to experience it yourself."The first step in the design process is searching for sustainable materials and production methods. Marianne: "For example, we first investigate whether a weaving mill can weave recycled yarns. If you already have a product in mind, chances are that you have to make concessions with regards to ​​sustainability. Because the material must come from far or the color is not good. We do not want that, so the actual design comes later. “

from old jeans to soft throws
Reuse of waste is an important theme. Marianne: "Textile is one of the most polluting industries in the world. In the Netherlands alone, we throw away 210,000 kilotons of textile every year. We would like to change that. We have done research on how to reuse textiles and that resulted in our collection of recycled denim. Old jeans get a second life by spinning the textile fibers into a new high-quality yarn. A traditional knitting makes soft throws and cushions. Because we use the original colors of denim, painting or bleaching is not necessary. The fabric has the same beautiful experience as a pair of jeans. We hope that it will become more and more normal to recycle textiles, just like glass and paper. Do not throw away your old clothes, but donate everything in a special textile tray. New fibers are made from these clothes, with which spinning mills and weaving mills can make beautiful fabrics. We want to show that you can make something very beautiful from an old sweater with a hole, which you can enjoy for years.Marianne Maat lives in an old miller's house in Hoonhorst together with husband and two kids. The house is currently being ecologically renovated with materials such as loam and flax. On the wish list for By Mölle "Ecological furniture with sofas and armchairs made of soft, comfortable and natural fabric."

Lucienne Dunnewijk lives in a bungalow in Baarn on the edge of the forest with her husband and three kids. "Solar panels have been placed on the roof for the electric heating and the house is being renovated step by step in an energy-neutral way." On the wish list for By Mölle" An off grid cabin in nature. In the past year we have investigated how we can best design this."