About the foundry
A small Antwerp studio for settling antiques into lived-in rooms
Then
Mira Claessens trained as a furniture conservator in Mechelen and spent weekends hunting Kloosterstraat dealers for clients who wanted one honest cupboard, not a catalogue room. Her partner Tomas Vermeulen drew room plans for Zurenborg renovations where new kitchens had to meet century-old dining tables.
They opened Friendly Foundry Antiques on Schuttershofstraat after a client asked them to stop recommending pieces and start placing them end to end.
Now
The studio works on apartment flats near the Meir, townhouses in Berchem, and loft shells by the Scheldt. We still buy locally when Belgian and Dutch stock fits; we travel to Ghent and Lille markets when a client needs a specific scale or timber.
Three people handle surveys, sourcing shortlists, and restoration briefs. We do not run a showroom floor of unmarked stock — every piece is tied to a room plan.
Next
We are expanding textile partnerships for winter curtains in tall Art Nouveau windows and documenting salvage rules for clients who inherit family furniture they want to keep beside newer finds.
Appointments remain by booking only; walk-ins on Schuttershofstraat are rare so we can stay on site for measures.
Why Antwerp homes need a measured hand
Narrow stair cores, high skirtings, and uneven floorboards change what a sofa can do. We treat those constraints as design material rather than obstacles to ignore.
Clients often arrive with one inherited sideboard and a fear of clutter. Our job is to build a short, coherent set around that piece so the room feels finished without looking staged.
How the team splits the work
Mira leads condition checks and restoration notes. Tomas handles placement drawings and radiator clearances. Elise Van Dyck manages dealer contacts and delivery windows through Antwerp’s one-way streets.
You meet the same people from first survey to final hang of a mirror — we do not hand projects to anonymous freelancers midstream.
What we refuse to do
We will not strip original finishes solely for a fashion colour, or source pieces that cannot clear your stair even if they photograph well. We also decline projects that ask for fake antique certificates.
Honesty about age, repair, and provenance sits at the centre of every invoice we send from [email protected].
Visit and correspondence
Studio days run Tuesday to Saturday by appointment. Write to [email protected] with floor photos and approximate room sizes, or call +32 3 555 4412 for a brief scheduling chat.
First surveys in Antwerp city centre start at €420; travel outside the ring is quoted before we book.