The story behind iConfigure
From a coat rack to a complete configurator – how two nephews digitalized custom work.
Two years ago iConfigure was officially established. But the story behind it started way before, with a coat rack of scaffold wood.
Jurre started out as an accountant, but always had a passion for creating. He longed for something tangible, something real. In his spare time he designed a coat rack of scaffolding tubes and wood. And so, Firma Hout & Staal was established: a company specializing in oak tables, steel doors and custom-made furniture.
That’s when I, Joppe, entered the picture. While studying at the Grafisch Lyceum, I started helping out in the workshop. What began with sanding dining tables quickly grew into a role as designer, product developer, and eventually business partner.
Together, we noticed a shift: customers were increasingly asking for clarity. They wanted to see what was possible – in terms of models, colors, dimensions, and prices. We experimented with existing configurators, but found them too technical, too complex, too far removed from the customer.
So we decided to build our own.
Not as a tech company, but as makers – with hands-on experience in both custom furniture and design. We developed our own software and created the first configurator for Firma Hout & Staal’s tables and doors. That turned out to be the beginning of something bigger.
Today we help other manufactures do the same, make their products understandable and accessible to customers – visually, intuitively, and without errors. What started with a coat rack, has grown into a platform that helps thousands of people every day confidently choose custom-made products.
We're Jurre and Joppe – and this is how iConfigure started.
