Our Story

The Craft
STILT® is built on two kinds of expertise: our own and that of the Dutch craft trades we work alongside, workshops close enough to visit and run by people we know by name. We choose our collaborators with the same rigour we bring to our materials and we hold every stage of production in our own hands, from design to finished piece. Our materials are sourced from within Europe, chosen purely for how well they will serve and preserve what they are made to hold, in quality, strength, beauty, and durability.

Meet the Team

  • Emery Kruit

    I joined STILT back in 2021. Since then, I've become deeply involved in the design and production of our foldable products, work that keeps me both intellectually and creatively engaged. I'm currently studying Psychology full-time at the VU in Amsterdam, though I still come up to the north of the Netherlands now and then to support the Team. Outside of work, I paint, draw, and write and record music across genres, from alternative indie to noise art, and have released a full-length album and an EP.

  • Natasha Herman

    I'm the founder of STILT Book Cradles, where I design and engineer our full range of products, drawing on decades of experience in antiquarian book conservation and a background in the philosophy of conservation ethics. Since 1996, I've offered restoration, conservation, and preservation advice to collectors, booksellers, and libraries worldwide. I studied Design Arts at Concordia University in Montreal, founded Redbone Bindery in Amsterdam in 2001, and started STILT Book Cradles in 2020. I've also taught at institutions including the National Library of Australia, the University of Amsterdam, and the University of Groningen.

  • Melissa Winchester

    I recently joined the STILT Team as head of our hardware and package-making department, having developed STILT's ribbon stitching attachment for the Weights before starting a position in-house. I embroider everything from patterned blankets to miniature embroidered bookbindings, skills that carry directly into my work at STILT. I grew up in the US desert and have called the Netherlands home for the past ten years where I live with my partner and son. Outside of work, I garden, cook, game, and do gaming photography with my cat Toast and dog Lucca looking on.

Our Supporters

STILT would not have come to fruition without the enthusiastic support and generous encouragement of many key individuals, including Christian Westergaard of Sophia Rare Books; Rens Top, formerly of Koninklijke Bibliotheek Nederland; Erik Geleijns of Koninklijke Bibliotheek, formerly of Huis van het Boek; Jeroen Schierenberg of Antiquariaat Schierenberg BV; Gerda Huisman, former librarian at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Special Collections; Anne Hillam of Hillam Book & Paper Conservation; Nancy Boehm, former president of the Grolier Club; Nancy Campbell, author; Dr. Bill Wei, Conservation Scientist at RCE; Dr. Robert Waller, President of Protect Heritage Corp, formerly Chief of Conservation at the Canadian Museum of Nature; and all those who generously supported our Kickstarter campaign.

The First Chapter

Mahalia McNeill played a pivotal role in STILT's early development. Her understanding of exhibition display, eye for detail, and aesthetic sensibility shaped the design of our original products.

Mahalia now lives in New Zealand with her husband and two sons, where she co-organises the Single Fin Mingle, an annual international surf, art, and music festival.

Our Collaborators

Nadine was with us from the very beginning, helping advance production of our Weights. She's now studying two majors at once: Fine Arts at Minerva College and Jazz Vocals at the Conservatory of Groningen.

Anna Sophie helped us streamline our packaging and Ledge production, and is now studying Fine Arts in Maastricht.

Mascha is the quiet genius behind the design of our stickers, instruction labels, and printed matter.

As our materials preservation consultant, Nada brings a thorough and considered approach to conservation science and ethics — when she is not at the bench as a paintings conservator in private practice.

Andrea guides us on production procedures and shop-floor communication. He studies European Law in Brussels and is chair and founder of The Collective Thought.

Jan is our technical design consultant. He completed his studies in Architecture in Delft and is now working towards a second master's in Applied Ethics in Utrecht. He holds the secretarial chair at The Collective Thought.