Originally published on CaliforniaHomeDesign.com
H.R.H. Prince Philippe of Belgium was on hand last week to celebrate the opening of the new Atelier Vierkant showroom in San Francisco. His arrival was announced by the small fleet of secret service that filed into the showroom ahead of him, and after the Prince did a quick round of greeting guests and shaking hands, the Atelier Vierkant team got down to welcoming everyone with a champange toast.
If you're not familiar with the company, it's worth your time to visit its minimalist new showroom in the design district. The light-filled space is as close to a meditation room as you can get indoors, and the handmade clay planters they create in their Belgian factory are both stunning and practical. The firm is also a family-run affair—founded by a husband and wife team, Vierkant is now run by the couple's two sons, Dries and Ward Janssen (who, with their mother, Annette, chatted up the crowd last night).
H.R.H. Crown Prince Philippe, right, chats with the Larsson family at the Atelier Vierkant showroom opening.
The royal support is part of an overall larger mission to support the Belgian design sector on the West Coast. Delegates from a score of great firms, including Royal Botania, Rik Storms, Tapestry Art, and Extremis, rubbed elbows with local designers and architects.
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