Relax, revive, unwind – soft perfumed air, gentle sounds and a body massaged into a blissful trance mean you are happily ensconced in a luxury spa. The best spas make creating a seductive and rejuvenating environment seem easy, but there is a true art to selecting the right, low-key lighting and the kind of ultra-comfortable furniture that your body melts into almost without noticing it’s there.

Time is precious and time with my family is the most precious of all. My ideal weekend is one without plans, when we can pack up a couple of beach chairs and escape to the coast. The open sky and the slow rhythm of the waves are the ideal setting to unwind in and to reconnect with what is most important.

In the series "Collection Portraits" we give the floor to our designers and let them talk about where they got their inspiration for their collections, their choice of materials and what's important when designing a timeless outdoor furniture piece.

The first designer we would like to introduce to you is Marc Merckx who designed the Illum collection together with Pieter Maes.

Velvet is shrugging off its vintage image. No more a faded fabric for retro interiors, Tribù has taken this gorgeously soft fabric and reinvented it for outdoor living. A contemporary sofa clad in velvet that is durable, breathable, colour-resistant and waterproof is both beautiful and unique. That’s because Tribù is the only brand of exclusive outdoor furniture to offer this fabric. So who’s sitting pretty now?