Entrepreneurship in Belgium: Michel Devriendt and Be Home

Welcome to The Bulletin’s series, Entrepreneurship in Belgium. Every month, Brussels-based communications specialist Meg Stringer interviews an entrepreneur working in Belgium – whether established or just starting out.

Name: Michel Devriendt
Nationality: Belgian
Age: 42
Location: Brussels
Sector: Interior design

Belgium is a small country with a big, global influence on interior design. American companies like Restoration Hardware have created entire furniture lines that embrace the lived-in, European romance of Belgian design. Celebrities like Ellen Degeneres are touting their homes styled with Belgium’s soft pallet of neutral greys and browns and simple, understated elegance.

Michel Devriendt is an interior designer based in Brussels who has been capitalising on this trend for over 20 years in Europe. Now, he wants to take his brand global with Be Home International. 

What services do you offer at BE Home International?  

Michel Devriendt: We create timeless interiors with a distinct Belgian flavour for both the home and office. We design spaces and create bespoke furniture, especially for kitchens, bathrooms and closets. 

How did you develop your distinctive style?     

Belgium has a thriving antiquities market that centres on the Sablon in Brussels. I worked in and later owned my own shops in the neighbourhood where I bought and sold fine art and furniture from around the world. During this time, I developed my aesthetic and learned the fundamentals of running a business.  

Your prices are lower than many custom furniture-makers in Belgium. How do you keep your prices so competitive? 

We think of ourselves as part of the affordable luxury market.  Our competitors have much higher costs than us. We don’t have an expensive showroom in the Sablon or pay for advertising. We get all of our clients from referrals and word of mouth. I also have a small team with just seven employees. Most importantly, we design our furniture in Belgium, but manufacture it in Poland where they have exceptional craftsmen and lower labour costs. 

What is your client profile like?

Currently, just 20% of our clients are Belgian. The majority of our business is in France where Belgian style is in demand and where we have developed a reputation for excellence. We have some celebrity clients whose homes have become showcases for our work and have helped to build our brand.  

How do you plan to expand internationally?

I have developed a strong network of interior designers with a similar commitment to the timeless, understated beauty that makes Belgian style so distinctive. My goal is to develop sales partnerships in Sweden, Switzerland and England by Christmas. If I succeed, I will look to expand outside of Europe where there is interest in our brand.

What has been the greatest challenge to your business?

In 2012, we had a terrible flood in a warehouse that was full of 200,000-euro worth of custom furniture and antiques. We lost almost everything and devastatingly, my insurance company did not cover the losses. This occurred at the same time as the financial crisis and it knocked me right on my back. I was depressed for two months, but I fought my way back. It took me a year to recover, but I’m proud to say that the company is actually stronger today than before. 

What can Belgium do to attract more entrepreneurs?

I would like to see the government make it easier for small businesses to get started. If you want information about how to start a business in Brussels, the Wallonia government gives you a long, super complex document. You have to be a lawyer or an accountant to understand it. The government needs to encourage entrepreneurs, not intimidate and overwhelm them.