BANQA is an interior design and furniture company based in Barcelona since 2018. It was set up by Annelie and Ernst Veldhuizen who originally hail from the Netherlands but who fell in love with Barcelona and Catalunya, with the culture and people. They dreamt of one day making it their home and, in the summer of 2018, they decided to take the plunge and do just that.
Back in the Netherlands, they were working in a bank and living in Utrecht when they decided to quit their jobs and move to Barcelona. Once they made the move to the Catalan capital, it wasn’t long before they discovered that it wasn’t such an easy job to source decent quality or stylish furniture for their new home at affordable prices. Although this was something of a problem for the couple initially, it also presented them with an opportunity. With Annelie’s passion for interior design, they recognized that there was a gap in the market just waiting to be filled, and so BANQA was born in December 2018.
Their idea was not only a store providing unique and authentic quality furniture, but also to offer professional interior design advice for custom-made interiors with the highest level of service possible – but without the high-end prices.
The store is located in the Born neighborhood of Barcelona, very close to the Arc de Triomf and the lovely Parc de la Ciutadella, so potential customers can easily stop by and check out some of what BANQA has to offer. Their collections are frequently renewed and there are always new ideas and fresh inspiration coming in. The aim at BANQA is to help their clients design and furnish their property in a way that maximizes its potential and to help them make their house or apartment a home. They’ve also noticed that foreign clients really appreciated a service where they can purchase furniture for their homes and have it delivered and installed right after they receive the keys.
For that extra personal touch, Annelie and Ernst also work closely with Jennifer Fuenzalida, an artist originally from Chile but who has been based in Barcelona for many years now. She specializes in paintings and murals on walls and ceilings. Her work can also be viewed in the BANQA store in El Born.
As well as helping clients turn a house into their home, BANQA also offers a “home-staging” programme where they furnish the homes of people trying to sell their property in order to have the place looking its absolute best for prospective buyers, thus improving the chances of a sale, and potentially, the selling price! This home-staging plan has proven to be very effective over the years and typically ends up costing the seller less than reducing the asking price – and if the buyer decides to keep the furniture, the seller doesn’t pay anything at all! Pretty clever, right?
To make things even easier, BANQA also provides interior design plans where they advise clients on furniture and decoration based on their style and budget, and can even include the design rendered in 3D for maximum effect. Once finished preparing the plan, BANQA will furnish and decorate the home along with their stylist according to their own exacting standards. Communication is never a problem as they also happen to be pretty multilingual.
As of 2023, BANQA is expanding its range to also work on La Costa Brava, and that’s where the partnership with callCarlos comes in. We reckon it’s a partnership made in heaven between two companies for whom quality and professionalism are of the utmost importance. As Rick said in Casablanca, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”. We’re already looking forward to working together.
If you are interested in having an interior design plan prepared for your new house or apartment please contact us and we will make it happen.
