- Interior
- Art & Design
As a child, Ann-Sophie De Stoop already knew that she had a passion for antique and authentic objects. This love grew up alongside her, because as an adult she still loves to dive into the world of flea-markets and antique stores. Throughout the years, this hobby evolved to a profession and she founded Authentic and So, her own business in Merchtem, Belgium.
Ann-Sophie studied art history and was, already then, convinced she would become an antiquary. After her studies she gained experience at antique dealers or galleries. In London she was responsible for a gallery in Eastern art and later, in 1997, she started at auction house Christie’s in Brussels. She has always had a soft spot for beautiful interiors filled with antique, vintage and art. She has been collecting antique since she was sixteen. At a certain point, she decided to make a commercial endeavour of it, so that sheI could sell her finds and make room for new things. She started doing sales twice a year, on invitation in her home. These sales are still happening. Next to this, she is open on appointment and sells through her Instagram account on a daily basis. 
The main focus is on authentic, unique pieces.
In the beginning, she mainly focused on a mix of English, French and Scandinavian antique; now, it rather concerns furniture, lighting, objects from the fifties and sixties, and ethnic pieces and contemporary ceramics and art as well. Besides that, Ann-Sophie also gives interior advise. For this, she gives a lot of importance to the contact with the costumers. She likes to advise them which pieces go together or what possibly complements an already existing piece in their interior. She is not afraid of presenting a full car worth of furniture and objects in order to make it more concrete. For her clients, the designer, the period or origin does not matter. The main focus is on authentic, unique pieces. Anne-Sophies work is really appreciated, since some clients she had from the beginning keep on coming back. She is also selling abroad, including America and Japan. 
She takes inspiration from Belgian architects, designers, artists and curators. Moreover, she has always frequently travelled, where she enjoyed exploring new cultures and their architecture, objects, art or craftmanship. Travelling is inspiring for her; she always sees a nice building, a fun detail, a new technique or a beautiful souvenir. As for the future of Authentic and So, she has a positive mindset. She mainly hopes to be able to continue what she has been doing for almost twenty years now. Her daughter studies Interior Architecture and Design in Ghent. Anne-Sophie hopes that she will be able to gain many beautiful years of experience here and abroad, although she would secretly enjoy working together some day. 
In short, for a unique antique piece or for interior advice, Authentic and So is the place to be. Her personal approach and fiery passion make customers come back satisfied. We wish Ann-Sophie and her business all the best.
Images courtesy of Authentic and So