I am a huge fan of Van Der Spek – both the company and the family. I have been using Van Der Spek planners for about ten years now, and recently acquired one of the first custom VDS totes ever produced. Their Janet leather is honestly the closest I have ever found to Mulberry Darwin leather, now sadly no longer available.
The Van Der Spek family have been leatherworkers for four generations (Petra’s daughter will perhaps take the company into a fifth generation). The family work from a small factory in the Netherlands, with a tiny and very loyal team, some of whom have been working there since they were teenagers.
Here is Petra with her mom Andrea, and dad René. Wonderful people.
I have visited the factory several times, seen items being designed and followed the production step by step from start to finish.
Customer service is outstanding and I am incredibly fond of the family and the team. They have shown me kindness and generosity for years. I have seen first-hand how much customer satisfaction means to them, and how they never like to say no to even the most complicated custom items.
Van Der Spek rarely has special offers or sales due to the fact that almost all their items are custom designs. For the first time since I have known the company, they are offering an advent calendar, starting today.
You can find it here.
Look at these offers! If you have been considering ordering something, now may be the time!
I do remember JP with his beloved checkered shirts and his warm smile.
That’s such a positive thing to share about a company. I hadn’t realised it was a small, family business. I’ll visit their site and see if there’s anything suitable for MrG or my mum, both of whom are in the market for (very different!!) wallets/purses. Thank you
They are a wonderful family. The company consists of Petra, her mom and dad, and about three other staff members, at least one of whom has worked there since she was a teenager. When I was first at the VDS factory they had a wonderful pattern cutter, JP Frumau who was in his eighties, incredibly stylish and said he did not retire because he loved the family so much. When he sadly passed away, he had the family by his side. I honestly think they are wonderful. I don’t have much family of my own and the Van Der Speks welcomed me into their little circle with so much love.
so lovely to have that connection.