We are Annelie and Ernest Veldhuizen and we moved to Spain almost 5 years ago. Ernest is born in Zwolle and Annelie is from Breda, The Netherlands. While both working in a Dutch bank, we decided we wanted something different.Â
We visited Barcelona several times and we really liked the city. In August 2018 we quit our jobs and moved to Barcelona. When we arrived we needed to furnish our new apartment, and we found it very difficult to find nice and good quality furniture for a reasonable price. While in the Netherlands we had plenty of choice for furniture stores, here it was very limited. This is where the idea of opening a furniture store was born.
After coming to Barcelona 4-6 times a year we decided to start living here instead of only visiting.
Annelie already had a passion for interior design and Ernest did some renovation projects in the Netherlands. This was a perfect fit for the interior branch. First we made a business plan and we went to one of the biggest Interior Design fairs in the world in Paris. Here we made contact with the suppliers we are now working with. The next step was finding a nice place in Barcelona to have the store. After several visits all over the city we landed in El Born. We really liked the neighborhood and we have been here now for 4 years but next month we will take a new step and we will move the store to Eixample. Hopefully more people can find us when we are there and we can make more people happy with a nice interior.
We never experienced moving very difficult. Of course there are moments that we miss(ed) our friends and family but luckily they are a 2 hour flight away. Barcelona has a big expat community and we now have a great group of friends. Also through the store we met a lot of people.
When we started we were focussing on selling our collection mostly through the store. But because we didn’t like to sit and wait we came up with different business ideas. At the moment we mostly do interior projects for foreigners who are buying a (holiday)house/apartment in town. We make an interior design plan and once the client is happy with those ideas, we make sure everything will be delivered, assembled and styled before they arrive. So when they see their new home it is finished from A to Z. We have furniture, outdoor furniture and beds so we can take care of everything.
BANQA is an interior design store where we try to give our clients the best service (something that we are more used to since we are from the Netherlands). We understand that it can be difficult when moving to a different country and not speaking the language well, so this is where we are to help. Also when our clients have other questions regarding their houses we are happy to give assistance.
Our clients are mostly foreigners who are looking for more modern furniture and a company that takes some of the moving stress away.
Find more about BANQA at www.banqa.es
If you have questions about how to establish a business in Spain, you can contact Gimbrere Legal for advice!Â
Contact:
+34(0)936288201
