Kiki Swinkels

Kiki Swinkels is a creative entrepreneur and writer. After turning 40, she decided to focus solely on doing things she enjoys. A passionate dreamer, she is brimming with ideas. She is married to the most wonderful Brabander in the world and lives with him and their daughters, Julie (12) and Pip (10), in the design city of Eindhoven. She now speaks Rotterdam Dutch with a soft 'g'. She turns brown from just one sunbeam thanks to her Surinamese grandfather. Kiki loves hosting dinners at home and even wrote a book about it. She dreams of a large garden with a goat and two ducks.

Karen Wullings

Karen Wullings is an artist, illustrator, and an avid collector. Known for her work with the printing and design studio Ogeltje, she has an enviable studio and creates artwork at an impressive pace… or is on the phone. She lives on the Zeeland coast (Scharendijke), where her husband kitesurfs to his heart’s content and her daughter Lenthe (16) grows up freely. She starts her day with a beach walk with her four-legged friends, Meis and Pip. Her dream is to have a finished house.

How It All Began...

Karen and Kiki are two old friends from Reeuwijk who went their separate ways. Karen headed to the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, while Kiki studied Journalism in Zwolle after some time abroad.

Years later, Karen illustrated the children's book Mijn Koning & ik. Kiki was instantly a fan. Always busy setting tables, Kiki had an idea for fun plates. She called Karen and asked if she could create illustrations for plates. It was a familiar request, as Karen embraces new adventures and challenges with enthusiasm. The next morning, the first sketches were ready. And so, Bordy’s was born… plates with a story.