Dick Bruna, Miffy and friends

There is a connection between Mr Maria and Dick Bruna. His iconic design of the little bunny ‘Miffy’ is famous for its simplicity. Dick Bruna’s illustrations are renowned for the minimal use of primary and secondary color and the typical thick, black lines. Miffy looks at the reader or viewer in every book. No matter what she is doing. You can see all of Dick Bruna’s work in the Miffy house or ‘nijntje house’ in Utrecht.

Mr Maria designs the iconic Miffy lamps because it’s simplicity and friendly appearance matches the philosophy of Mr Maria. All our creations are based on the virtue of innocence. All of our miffy lamps, poufs and sitters are warm and stylish products that are safe to use for children and will stand out in every interior.

Discover all of our Dick Bruna Products

About Dick Bruna

‘Hendrik Magdalenus Bruna’ was a Dutch drawer and became famous all over the world with it’s iconic litte bunny ‘Miffy’. The Dutch Dick Bruna was meant to follow in his father's footsteps as the oldest son and become a publisher. To learn the trade he lived in London and Paris. When he discovered the museums and art gallery in Paris, he found his passion in becoming an artist. So he went to work at the publishing office A.W. Bruna en zoon, not as a publisher, but as a designer of book covers. Over the years Dick Bruna designed thousands of book covers and several posters and other promotional material.The first children’s book of Dick Bruna came out in 1953, called ‘the Apple’. This book already had the iconic design which made the Miffy books famous. Each page had a small image with a few lines off text. Two years later in 1953, Miffy was born. He drew a small story for his son about a little bunny. Dick Bruna’s inspiration for the Miffy books came from a bunny that he saw in the dunes when he was on vacation with his family. At the end of his career, Dick Bruna had published more then 120 books, with 34 books about Miffy. Other characters in Miffy’s adventures are Poppy the Pig, Barbara and Boris bear and off course Snuffy the dog.The Miffy books have been translated in 50 languages and are particularly popular in Japan. Next to Miffy’s original name ‘nijntje’, she is also known als ‘Mouffe’ in french or ‘Mi Fei’ in Chinese. You can recognize the Miffy books in every book store because of their iconic square shape. Dick Bruna kept working in his workshop in Utrecht until 2011. In 2017 Dich Bruna died at the age of 89.

About Miffy

Dick Bruna, was known as ‘Miffy’s dad’, but after the age of eighty he preferred to be called ‘Miffy’s grandpa’. Children all over the world love the adventures of Miffy. They can recognize themself in her adventures and can really empathize with her stories. The open and innocent character of Miffy gives children a warm and trusted feeling. It’s exactly this appearance that Mr Maria wants to recreate with the miffy lamps. This recognizable and trusted friend fills the room with a warm, soft light and creates a warm and trusted environment.

First light collection

Besides the Miffy lamps, you can also find Miffy’s friends in the First Light collection of Mr Maria. Next to Miffy, you can choose Lion, Boris bear or a Snuffy light. These lights are all created based on the characteristic design of Dick Bruna and will create a warm and atmospheric light in every room. Buy Miffy or one of her friends at Mr Maria or combine the lamps for a Miffy themed interior.