The Real Belgium Craftsmanship.

Michèle Lievens is a young enthusiastic product designer, who lives and works alongside with her incredible family of creatives in the artisan workshop in Koekelare, Belgium. Michele has spent her childhood watching her parents building a successful bespoke sofa-making business - LF Selection, which was founded by her father Filip Lievens in 1982. Michelle design awareness and business skills were accelerated by observing and listening to her parents from a very young age, who were tirelessly investing time and energy into the project that they were so passionate about. Family's perseverance, dedication and work ethics have laid a solid foundation for the businesses’ success, and the company became purveyor to the Belgium Royal Household in 2013. Absorbing the finest Belgian craftsmanship from a very young age, Michele naturally became involved with the family business on a full-time basis and took over the family's second company LF Trading - suppliers of ecological natural fabrics made from flax and hemp. The company works closely with traditional Belgian mills, sourcing the most luxurious natural yarns, combining timeless colours and light washed finishes. The fabrics, of course, are used for upholstery, but also sold for soft furnishings and curtains.

Family business: Filip, Dorine and their daughter Michèle sharing a mutual passion for natural materials, subtle colours and timeless designs.

As an antidote to her family business commitments, and to ignite her creativity, Michele regularly dedicates time to her passion - horseback riding. During her childhood, as a ten year old girl, Michelle began brushing ponies in her local stables and instantly fell in love being around animals. She then decided to pursue her ambition of becoming a professional horseback rider. Although, her parents initially did not approve of the idea at the time, her dedication and persistence convinced them otherwise. Michelle began participating in dressage competitions, soon after followed by barrier-jumping and other riding events. Demanding work lifestyle allows Michelle to commit only to about two competitions per year, nevertheless, she is aiming for the victory in those that she is participating in. Her beloved horse Filou is pictured below during the preparation for a five-star international contest in Knokke, where they won the first place. ‘Horses invoke joy and happiness in me, they push me to become a better human. Riding horses is a beautiful experience’ – says Michelle.

Michelle and her beloved horse Filou, Knokke, Belgium, 2019.

Although being busy with her work and sport life, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family. In her own home, she surrounds herself with natural materials and subtle colours, comfort and quality are enormously important for her. This is how the idea of a cosy Shepherd’s Place chair was borne, and the chair quickly became one of her iconic pieces. The chair embodies family-friendly and timeless design, casual yet with a subtle hint of glamour. Due to the natural properties of a sheepskin upholstery, the chair can be used both in summer and winter, and a gentle rubber brush helps to maintain the fibres soft and fluffy. The chair creates a lovely cocooning effect that feels very safe and snuggly, making every moment spent in it worthwhile. Each chair comes with its unique production number, and includes a certificate of authenticity, making it a great investment for anyone with a passion for design, comfort and craft tradition.

Due to the overwhelming success of the original sheepskin design, Michelle developed an outdoor version of the chair, upholstered in the durable Sunbrella fabric. The chair is ideal for outdoor spaces, both commercial and residential, but can be equally used indoors upon the clients' request. Sunbrella upholstery offers many benefits to the chair users, being low maintenance easy-care material, it is water, stain and mildew repellent, and UV fade resistant.

Michelle with two of her children in the original Shepherd's Place chair.

Continuing the family legacy and thriving on the entrepreneurial spirit, Michele works now alongside her family, who helps her tackling challenges of looking after their five children and running a demanding business. LF Trading participated in the Focus exhibition at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, and also regularly contributes towards various European exhibitions, promoting their furniture and fabrics. This year, however, in the midst of a tough time for all of us due to the pandemic restrictions, the design event taken mostly virtual format. To successfully survive the lockdown, Michelle followed a set routine. Working between 7-11 am., horseback riding during the lunchtime, dealing with the emails till 3 pm., Michelle made sure she spent time outdoors with her kids. Having family time is something that she truly cherishes and the new goal that has emerged in a post-pandemic world is to slow down, shed stressful things from the mind, and practice strong positivity and mindfulness. Michelle also loves staying connected with her friends, maintaining social connections is something that she is very enthusiastic about, no matter whether virtually or in real life. Family and social life provide an inexhaustible source of inspiration for her. Whilst there is so much uncertainty going on at the moment, making it even trickier to maintain business strategy and making investments, the family and Michelle are keeping their spirit and simply moving forward, united by love and passion for what they do. After all, enjoying everyday life and maintaining a positive attitude is the key to success.

A few technical details:

The chair is designed to hang on the ceiling with a chain, which comes complimentary with the purchase. The maximum weight requirement is 180 kg., and the chair itself weighs between 18-22 kg., one complimentary cushion is included with the purchase. The dimensions of the chair are 120 x 120 x 80 cm. There is also an option of a four-legged cast iron Foot Support or a designer O-Stand, which can be purchased separately on our website here. For sheepskin colour options, Sunbrella fabric samples, or any other information, please contact us via the email below. The chair is suitable for both residential and commercial projects, production lead time is approximately five weeks. Shipping details are available upon the request.

The Outdoor model of the Shepherd's Place chair.

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