A fascination and ambition brought us closer together
In 2022, Damien moved to Dubai to start a new job, a new chapter, and a new life in a city defined by light, height, and perspective. His apartment was empty, his balcony generous, and the view uninterrupted. It felt like an invitation — to slow down, to meet friends, to relax, and to truly use the space between indoors and the city beyond. Yet when it came to furnishing the balcony, most available solutions felt bulky, generic, or visually dominant, taking away from the architecture rather than enhancing it. Intuitively, it felt clear that something better was possible.
It turned into a growing fascination with how balconies are used — or often not used at all — despite being some of the most valuable spaces in the city. When Tom, a lifelong friend since high school, visited Dubai, those reflections became shared conversations. Looking out over the city together, we began to notice how many private and commercial balconies existed, and how rarely they were designed to support meaningful moments of connection, rest, or presence.
What started as a personal search became a collective desire to elevate balconies into places that invite people to gather, pause, and engage with their surroundings — spaces that feel intentional, calm, and worthy of the view.
24th of Oct, 2023 | Damien & Tom, W-Hotel
“That first night in my apartment I was mesmerized by the night skyline of Dubai, it symbolized a new exciting chapter.”
- Damien Nunes, Co-founder
The love for design,
innovation and wine
What truly brought Surplus to life was how naturally our backgrounds and interests came together. Damien’s experience in architecture, experience design, and innovation met Tom’s background in marketing, digital product design, and entrepreneurship. Different paths, but a shared way of looking at the world — curious, observant, and always focused on how people actually live, feel, and connect. What we both value is not just how something looks or works, but how it feels when everything comes together.
That shared mindset extends beyond design alone. We both have a deep appreciation for great hospitality — the kind found in thoughtful hotels, well-designed bars, and restaurants where lighting, materials, sound, and rhythm subtly elevate the moment. A good glass of wine, a carefully mixed cocktail, a calm atmosphere — these experiences taught us that the real magic often lies in the details. Not the obvious ones, but the quiet ones. The hard-to-define X-factor that isn’t about ticking boxes, but about creating something holistic, balanced, and memorable.
For Surplus, this meant staying close to people and real situations. We spent time observing how balconies are used, talking to residents, hotel teams, and restaurant owners, watching how people move, pause, and interact with their surroundings. We explored what already exists around the world, filtered what felt right, and combined insights into new ideas. By constantly shifting between exploring widely and narrowing down thoughtfully, we kept the process open, human, and grounded in reality.
At its core, our approach was simple: listen carefully, experiment openly, and refine with intention. Always with the belief that when design, innovation, and atmosphere come together — much like a good evening shared over wine — the result is something you may not always consciously notice, but will certainly feel.
16th of Dec, 2022 | First sketches & prototypes
“I could see the potential of Surplus when I saw the first prototype. That same evening we worked throughout the night on our new joint project.”
- Tom Klaassen, Co-founder
It is all about memories
and human connection
Surplus was created to support moments that feel real and shared. The balcony platform itself is not the goal, but a way to bring people together in a more natural and meaningful way. Its wedged shape gently does something we felt was missing in many outdoor settings: it allows people to connect with each other while still staying connected to their surroundings. Too often, you either face one another and lose the view, or face the view and drift apart. We wanted to combine both — a shared perspective that invites conversation, presence, and reflection at the same time.
This balance is what turns everyday moments into memories. A quiet morning coffee that sets the tone for the day. An afternoon pause between calls. A long conversation over wine as the city changes colour. Small gatherings that feel effortless and unforced. These are not grand gestures, but simple experiences that stay with you because they are lived, not staged. Surplus is there to support those moments without taking centre stage, leaving space for people, stories, and the environment around them.
For us, this is also a personal journey. Building Surplus has been about learning together, sharing time with friends and partners, and discovering how people in Dubai live, work, and connect. It reflects our own appreciation for thoughtful environments, good conversations, and the subtle details that make experiences feel complete. This balcony platform is a beginning — a foundation from which more ideas will grow — but its purpose will remain the same: to create space for connection, perspective, and memories that last.
9th of Feb, 2025 | Steffie’s b-day, W-Hotel
“After a bottle of wine and some sketches we materialised the first ideas using cardboard, scotch-tape and a pair of scissors.”
- Damien Nunes, Co-founder
Meet the Team
Damiën Nunes (co-founder)
Damien started his career in architecture, where he learned how space, materials, and structure influence the way people live and interact. Over time, his focus shifted towards (re-)designing services and experiences, always grounded in real human behaviour and perception.
His move to Dubai in 2022 shifted his perspective both figuratively and literally, as he was born and raised in the Netherlands which is predominantly flat. It was in his first apartment where the seed for Surplus was planted as he was missing an elegant solution for his own balcony.
Location: Dubai, UAE
Linkedin: click here
E-mail: damien@monsurplus.com
Tom Klaassen (co-founder)
Tom combines more than 15 years of experience in designing high-end digital products with a masters in Communication Design and Marketing Management. He has institutionalised his vision, knowledge and skills in his own design agency which started 18 years ago as a side-job together with a friend.
His practical design and business knowledge combined with his ambition to expand his design discipline beyond digital products motivated him to embark on this entrepreneurial journey, together with Damiën, to elevate balconies in Dubai and beyond through design.
Location: Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Linkedin: click here
E-mail: tom@monsurplus.com
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Balcony Platform
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