Marc Merckx worked for 15 years as a design director and product designer for architect Vincent Van Duysen, managing residential and commercial projects as well as designing furniture for well-established international brands. Pieter Maes gained experience in several design studios in Paris, Amsterdam and Antwerp, and has been collaborating since 2005 with designers and artist in the fields of furniture design and CGI design. Together, Merckx and Maes established in 2011 a furniture line, STVDIO, merging a sense of mid-century integrity with updated contemporary values and materials. Their design philosophy challenges the principle of reduction with light structures and strong materials.