A house we carry
Two engineers who met at the University of Antwerp, Kris Van Puyvelde and Frank Boschman, imported a container of teak furniture in 1992, spotted on a trade mission to Indonesia. It sold out in a week. They judged the quality insufficient and decided to manufacture themselves. Royal Botania came out of that decision.
Thirty years on, the company controls its whole chain. It bought a production site in Thailand in 2002, around 13,000 square metres near Bangkok, then in 2011 established its own plantation, Green Forest Plantation, with more than 250,000 teak trees over 200 hectares by its own figures, before opening a teak factory at Ayutthaya. Head office and logistics remain at Nijlen, in the province of Antwerp.
The materials go well beyond teak: cast and powder-coated aluminium, stainless steel, brass, zinc, and Batyline technical mesh, whose integration into frames the company patented. Kris Van Puyvelde designed most of the catalogue, from the Ninix and Exes seating to the Organix lounge, along with outdoor lights such as Fungy and Beacon. The range also covers parasols, planters and outdoor rugs.
Artopia carries Royal Botania in Geneva.