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What happens in an Interior Advice session?

Meet Maité; one of the talented Interior Advisors in our Antwerp store. Among many things, Maité is an expert in fabric selection after studying Interior Architecture and with previous experience designing and choosing fabrics for hotel interiors. She joined our team here at HENK last year when the new Antwerp store opened. Living a convenient 500m away from the store, you can always spot her cheerful smile when she arrives to open the door each morning.

Our team in Belgium have been welcoming customers for free Interior Advice sessions, along with our Amsterdam Interior Advisors. Today Maité explains how her team helps to provide guidance, tips and detailed product information for customers looking to make a conscious purchase and style HENK pieces in their homes.
 

Booking and preparing for an Interior Advice session

Our Interior Advice sessions are free to book here where you can select a time slot for an appointment to visit our Antwerp and Amsterdam stores. 

Before the session we suggest that you start thinking about things such as what parts of your interior you’d like to work on and the qualities you are looking for in a possible new piece. Maité explains, “When a customer makes an appointment they usually come with some products in mind, or a layout of the space in their house that they are looking to style.”

However, if you still don’t know where to start, our Interior Advisors are also eager to begin the brainstorming process together with you.
 

Finding the right design for your interior

After a friendly introduction, our Interior Advisors start off by helping you to get familiar with our designs. “I like to walk the customer through the store to show them the collection and get a sense of their taste and style.” says Maité.

Our customisable range of furniture means that each piece can look different depending on the finish and upholstery chosen. Maité explains, “For example, if a customer is interested in a new dining table, I describe the different shapes available, the materials they are made from, and the type of frames the tabletop can be matched with. With this in mind we can go through the store and have a look at all of the products that they are interested in.”

Another important factor to consider is how these pieces can fit into your space, which Maité has an effective solution for. “I like to do sketches for customers because then they can see really quickly if it fits.” she says.

Using a sheet of tracing paper over a house plan can quickly help to visualise possibilities. Maité describes, “If someone is debating between a rectangular or a flat oval tabletop for example, I draw both of these options over a house plan so they can imagine it in their own home and make a more informed choice.”
 

Choosing the perfect fabrics and finishes

Once we know what design could work, it is time to start looking at fabrics and/or finishes. “Many people like to choose colours that will match the other pieces in their interior, and then choose one brighter colour that will pop out.” says Maité. 

The Antwerp store has a large wall displaying all of the fabric options available in various colours and textures. “It is really nice to show people the wall so that they can feel the fabric for themselves, and also drape it across the pieces to help them imagine what it could look like.” says Maité. 

There are also various wood samples available to view the finish options for our oak and walnut products.
 

What happens next? 

The Interior Advice session can last for varying amounts of time, depending on if you are looking to choose just one product, or maybe even refurnish a whole house or office. 

“After answering all of my customer’s questions, I can make a quote about what we talked about so they can take it back home and reflect on the advice. After this the customer might want to return with more questions or come back ready to buy their new piece.” says Maité. 

If you are interested in connecting with one of our Interior Advisors in Amsterdam or Antwerp, we welcome you to book your session here. We look forward to seeing you soon!