Smoke was Baas’ graduation project at the Design Academy Eindhoven, in 2002. It was the end result of his research on beauty and perfection. “In nature, everything is in flux, which creates a certain beauty. Yet, it’s a very human tendency to keep things as they are supposed to be and keep them beautiful as they originally were. Smoke plays with both perceptions of beauty.” After the pieces are charcoaled, they’re preserved in a clear epoxy resin, which makes them usable again. When needed, pieces are re-upholstered or otherwise fixed so that they get back their original function.

The Smoke chair and chandelier from Baas’s graduation collection were taken into production by Dutch label Moooi in 2003. In 2004, Moss gallery in New York City commissioned Maarten for a solo show with burned design classics. Smoke pieces are in collections of main museums, such as the Victoria & Albert Museum & the Groninger Museum.