About
ICONIC FURNITURE SINCE 1963
1963
Walter Busschop designs a filing trolley on wheels. He invests the income from sales in the launch of his own office furniture company. The name? Bulo
1970
A remarkable marketing campaign, in which people are offered a free ‘Bulo’ paint job on their vehicles. In this way the brand dominates the Belgian roads with iconic black cars for years.
1980
Bulo offers a complete, all-inclusive office look: from its desks and chairs to curtains, lighting and plants.
1987
In the course of twenty years, Bulo has become synonymous with high-quality office furniture. The company prepares for international growth and in 1987 brings its various departments together at a new head office on the Northern industrial estate along the E19 motorway connecting Brussels and Antwerp.
1994
The Antwerp interior designers Claire Bataille and Paul ibens are commissioned to design their concept of the desk. Their answer is the H2O, a return to the archetype of the universal table.
1996
Launch of the Carte Blanche series, in which architects and designers from outside the company show their idea of the ideal work-table. They include Ann Demeulemeester, bOb Van Reeth, Annabelle d’Huart, Jean Nouvel and Edouard François. The M2 desk was also launched this year, designed by Luc Vincent and BuloDesigners.
1997 & 1998
Bulo opens its first showroom abroad. Its unique location at Butler’s Wharf in London, right next to the Design Museum, underlines Bulo’s commitment to good design. In 1998 Bulo expands: A second foreign showroom opens in Cologne. Followed later by Amsterdam and New York.
1998
Launch of Pub & Club, Bulo’s answer to the austere office chair, which adds a warm and loungey touch to the often uniform and technocratic working environment. Designed by Luc Vincent & BuloDesigners.
1999
Maarten Van Severen designs Schraag, an up-to-date interpretation of the trestle model.
1999
The Dutch interior architect Evelyne Merkx creates Spine, an impressive table made of laminated solid planks.
2000
The French architect Jean Nouvel designs the Normal collection, a contemporary interpretation of the director’s desk. This year the design is highlighted at the EIMU/Salon del Mobile in Milan.
2001
A new product is added to the Carte Blanche series: Mat, by the Belgian fashion designer Dirk Bikkembergs.
2002
Launched at Interieur 2002 in Kortrijk: Danny Venlet’s Easy Rider and also Double You, conceived by the Swiss designer Hannes Wettstein.
2004
The Tab Chair by the Brussels architect and designer Alain Berteau is launched at Interieur in Kortrijk. A new look at the office chair and above all at a way of sitting.
2006
Desk & Chair by the Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen is introduced at Interieur in Kortrijk.
2008
The new KEI desk concept, inspired by the organic form of a pebble, is presented at Interieur in Kortrijk and Orgatec in Cologne. This surprising concept immediately wins several international prizes: the 2009 IF Design Award and the Designpreis Deutschland Silver Award.
2010
Bulo presents its Collection Jules Wabbes Edition 2010. The oeuvre of this Belgian designer (1919-1974) displays timeless simplicity and fine craftsmanship.
2011
Launch of Overdose by Bram Boo, the Belgian Designer of the Year in 2010. A new creation in Bulo’s Carte Blanche collection: “The Overdose desk is a workspace inspired by my own untidiness and by the concept of ‘creating order by disorder’”.
2012
The Z Table by Bataille and ibens is on the shortlist for and wins the 2013 Wallpaper* Best Product Design Award. Jos Devriendt’s Hilde table and BuloDesigners’ grID furniture system are shown at Interieur in Kortrijk.
2012
grID is a height adjustable modular system with a clean and minimal approach. The design is inspired by the architectural language of ‘De Stijl’ movement.
2013
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, Bulo launches O Mr. President, a desk for the entrepreneur of the future. It is an ode to play, a unique and durable piece of furniture that can be fully personalised. In the course of the year the Bulo showroom is the perfect meeting place for architects, designers and businesspeople, who can enjoy a whole range of events there. The next 50 start now.
2014
The launch of the DAN collection: a modular and flexible wooden desk collection that breaks completely with the classic office culture. This draft is perfect for co-working solutions, a real trendsetter.
2015
Carlo Busschop becomes chief executive for export and assures, as (the first of) the third generation within the company, the future of Bulo.
2015
Belgian architect, Stéphane Beel designed a table collection for bulo in 2015. The design focuses on the V-shaped trestle structure in solid ash wood. Tops can be rectangular, round or oval.
2016
Bulo signs a contract with the family of Belgian architect and modernist Léon Stynen, for the reissue of his timeless chair “SL 58”. The chair is launched on Maison & Objet in Paris, Singapore and Miami.
2017
To round out the TAB collection, Alain Berteau designed a lounge version of the iconic TAB chair. Staying true to the sleek profile and keeping the typical horizontal ‘tab’ on top. A minimal, yet comfortable lounge chair.
2017
The modular DAN system embraced it’s softer side with the addition of a lounge collection to the family. The wood ladders are available in the same finishes as the desks and storage systems, allowing for an all-round approach by designers.
2017
Luc Vincent observed that the back of a chair is often used to hang a coat or bag, and found it fit to add a feature that allows for easy hanging. A notch was added to enhance this function. The oOstende chair is stackable and constructed out of a plywood shell and a wire steel base.
2018
To celebrate the 25th birthday of the timeless H2O, we wanted to bring back the iconic cross leg in a new material: wood. Oak and beech legs were introduced, making the H2O perfect for at home use.
2018
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic SL58 chair, designed by Léon Stynen, we have launched a new version in polypropylene called SLL18. The original design has been respected.
2019
Nathalie van Reeth wanted to bring back softness and tactility back to the work environment. An organic, flexible working area was developed in order to stimulate the natural workflow: warm materials, soft shapes and an intuitive adjustment system.
2020
Bulo crossed borders by working with the global architecture firm Gensler on a new collection. Monica is a contemporary lounge chair with a vintage look that’s well adapted to the technicality and comfort of today. Her little brother Lucca, is a height-adjustable side table based on wood. The wooden handle slides into a metal beam which is a unique technique. Gensler served as a Product Design Consultant.
2020
To celebrate 25 years of collaborations with designers, we’ve decided to give the iconic H20 designer piece by Bataille & Ibens a fun twist. The H20 is now available in a green mono colour. The tabletop and legs are all in Fenix.
2021
Bulo discovers the playful effect of the ‘monocolor’ and expands the SLL18 and Lucca collection with several colours.