De Stijl Themed Bluetooth Speaker

Creating a Bluetooth speaker inspired by the De Stijl art movement combines modern technology with an iconic, minimalist art style. De Stijl, founded by artists like Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg in the early 20th century, is characterized by a distinct visual language of geometric forms, primary colors (red, blue, and yellow), and black and white lines. This movement emphasized harmony, order, and abstraction, making it a perfect aesthetic to pair with sleek, contemporary technology.

In this project, you'll learn how to construct a functional Bluetooth speaker while incorporating the hallmark elements of De Stijl into the design. From designing the speaker's enclosure with clean, straight lines to printing the surface in bold, primary colors and separating them with sharp black lines, you’ll capture the essence of this timeless art movement. Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or a fan of modern art, this guide will help you build a Bluetooth speaker that’s both visually striking and highly functional.

Laser cutter

Laser MDF (white)

Acrylic (blue, red, yellow and black)

Saw (coping saw or band saw)

Wood (for framing)

Bluetooth speaker kit (from Kitronic)

8 x 20mm M4 bolts

8 x M4 nuts

Epoxy resin

PVA glue

Glue gun with glue sticks

Bar clamps

The primary features of De Stijl are geometric grids, bold black lines, and blocks of primary colours, So the design should follow these principals, although, there is always room for creativity and experimentation. When designing my idea, I wanted to model it on Piet Mondrian's 'Composition A', maybe the most recognisable De Stijl piece. I'd recommend that you create your own design, but feel free to use mine. Remember to reflect the minimalist and abstract principles when creating your design and to use the data sheet from your speakers to find out the correct diameter of the speaker. This will ensure your speakers can slot in the correct position once they've been laser cut.

Tip: copy the sizes of the cut out pieces from your original onto the blue, yellow and red pieces, by doing this the coloured pieces can slot right into the gaps you've left

The laser cutter will be able to cut the plastic and MDF to a very high level of accuracy to get the desired effect from your design. The other material will be the wood required to create a frame for the design to sit on.

I've taken some old pine from a previous project I had laying around, but obviously you could use anything. I'd recommend using something that you can have at about 35mm width, that way the frame will be thin enough that it could be wall mounted to emulate the painting that inspired it.

Measure the length and depth of your MDF (my design was 260mm x 210mm) and cut the using a tenon saw or a band saw if you have it available. A gap will need to be made in one of sides of your frame in order to for your Bluetooth speaker PCB's power supply

The final stage will mean bring everything together that you have made.

1. Using epoxy bond the acrylic to the MDF. in stages you'll need to add the black outline to the MDF, then add each coloured piece within the black outline. clamp until dry, the epoxy I used was ready within 10 minutes
2. PVA glue the wood frame together and clamp together to dry over night
3. PVA glue the frame to the MDF and clamp together to dry over night
4. Completely assemble the Bluetooth speaker, mine was done without the need for any soldering to help the project remain simple, and then use the M4 nut and blots to attach each speaker within the correct space.
5. Glue gun the PCB in place, wait to dry and then crew down a piece of MDF the same size the back of your frame.
6. Jam out to your favourite tunes like the sophisticated art lover you are!

Thanks for your time