Tonone: Dutch designer lights with character
At Tonone, the tool itself becomes a design element. The brand's best-known piece, the Tonone Bolt, features a solid brass wing nut that you use to adjust the arm joints and the angle of the shade – exactly as you need the light. Behind it is a Dutch brand that doesn't hide its mechanics but deliberately puts them on show.
A founder fascinated by mechanics
Tonone was founded in 2013 by Anton de Groof in 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. Even as a child, he was fascinated by classic mechanics and old tools, and that enthusiasm still runs through every design. He designed the very first Bolt back in 2008 for a shop concept and then showed it at Dutch Design Week. Over the years, this single light has grown into an entire brand, which still manufactures in the Netherlands with local craftspeople.
Honest materials for an industrial look
The look is deliberately industrial and honest in its materials: powder-coated steel, an aluminium shade and visible joints, plus the signature brass wing nut. None of this is pure decoration – every part has a function, and it is precisely this way of making the technology visible down to the smallest detail that gives the lights their appeal. The result is a style that is hard to find elsewhere among designer lights and that always looks clear and well thought-out.
The Bolt – a tool as a design object
The Tonone Bolt is still at the heart of the brand today. Its wing nut is not just a signature feature but the functional core: it lets you move the arm and shade into any position you like. Because the principle is so versatile, the Bolt comes in numerous versions – from the Tonone table lamp and the Tonone floor lamp to the Tonone wall light, plus pendant versions. The same idea moves from the desk to the sofa and onto the wall, always with the same adjustable mechanism in steel, aluminium and brass.
Plenty of colours, from subtle to bold
It's not just the technology that stands out at Tonone, but also the colour palette. The Bolt comes in eleven powder-coated colours, ranging from understated to bold: neutral shades such as Pure White, Ash Grey and Smokey Black for calm rooms, plus strong accents such as Sunny Yellow, Striking Orange and Daybreak Rose. This means the same light can blend in discreetly or become a deliberate eye-catcher. The Bolt10, developed for the brand's tenth anniversary, adds muted shades such as Clay Brown and Burgundy Red. So you'll find a colour to suit every interior style and taste.
Made to stay
A Tonone designer light is made for the long term. Because the entire life cycle is considered right from the design stage, the lights are durable and can be maintained rather than quickly replaced. The adjustable arms also make these designer lamps flexible: they move house with you and adapt to new rooms. Newer series such as Beads and the Bolt10 also feature integrated, dimmable LED technology, so you can adjust brightness and mood in an instant. With Tonone, you get designer lights that have character and that you'll enjoy for years.
