Wingnut

T H E W I N G N U T

At first glance it’s just a small piece of hardware. But the wingnut turned out to be so much more. What started as a simple mechanical solution grew into the visual signature of Tonone and the foundation of a design philosophy that puts honesty, craftsmanship and mechanics front and center.

Back in time

Anton de Groof, founder and designer at Tonone, was born in 1967 in Nuenen, the Netherlands. With a father who worked as a technical production manager and designer of steel fencing, his childhood home was filled with cardboard mechanical models and old tools. It was a fertile ground for De Groof’s fascination with artisanal mechanics, engineering and construction.

“There were always mechanical parts lying around the house. I spent hours messing around with them. One day I held a hinge in my hands — meant for industrial use — and I thought: what if I used this differently? What if this became the adjustable mechanism of a lamp?”– Anton de Groof

That moment planted the seed for what would become the wingnut — and eventually, Tonone’s design DNA.

How a small part shaped a brand

In 1993, Anton started a furniture brand and spent years working on furniture and retail interiors. A lamp he designed during that time would later become the starting point for something bigger.

In 2013, he revisited the design. The result was the Bolt series and the beginning of Tonone. What immediately stands out is the wingnut. A wing nut that is usually purely functional, but here takes on a central role. Not hidden away, but made visible and tactile.

The wingnut is a fastening element that plays a key role in the construction. Its shape and placement give it not only a technical purpose, but also a strong visual presence — a detail that became Tonone’s signature.

From function to philosophy

The wingnut was never meant as decoration. It reveals the essence of the design: honest, bold, mechanical. The exposed construction shows exactly how the lamp works. Adjusting the lamp becomes part of the experience: you don’t just switch it on, you engage with it.

What started as a single technical solution has grown into the DNA of Tonone’s design philosophy: no-nonsense, rooted in mechanics and movement, with every detail serving both purpose and character.

Why the wingnut matters

More than a hinge, the wingnut is the emotional pivot of Tonone’s design language. It celebrates craftsmanship, durability and the beauty of mechanics. A small industrial tool transformed into a detail with both function and meaning. The voice of Tonone.