At the helm of Arte today are brothers Philippe and Steven Desart, the third generation of Desarts to be driving the brand. The Desart family have a long history rooted within the Belgian rural and agricultural area of Haspengouw.
Our roots
Three generations
Their grandfather started as a paint distributor and launched the family brand ‘Desart Paints’. When Philippe and Steven’s father Jean Pierre joined the family business in 1968, his keen eye recognised the limitless creative potential of wallpaper, a product with which one could experiment not only with the alchemy of colour, but also with pattern and texture. He pivoted the focus from paint to that of distributing and making its own wallpaper collections, a decision that laid the groundwork for the creation of the Arte company in 1981.
He wanted to create his own products and invested in a design studio. His passion for wallcoverings and interior design encouraged his sons Philippe and Steven to join the business. With the same dedication as their father, they drive Arte’s global strategy as well as leading the day-to-day operations. Today Arte is internationally recognised as one of the leading, specialist wallcovering brands – distributed in over 100 countries and featured in top luxury hotels, retail spaces and residential homes.
ABOUT STEVEN DESART
Older brother Steven developed a keen interest in mechanics from a young age as he was a professional go-kart racer. His father Jean Pierre saw the potential of his son’s interest in engines and motors. He encouraged Steven to go into the factory to get involved in fine tuning and adapting the printing machines – inviting Steven to develop his skills and giving him the freedom to experiment and play with the boundaries of design. This ignited his lifelong passion, and Steven officially joined the business in 1995. Today he leads the design studio and a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant.
Unconventional & freethinking
“There has to be a certain chemistry in a design to make it a success – it’s the perfect balance. We are always striving for the best, looking for new ideas, materials and technology. For me the benchmark is always the last collection, and from that what we can do to make the next one different. There are no limits, and this is what first drew me into the business almost 30 years ago. Today we continue to be unconventional, freethinking, unconstrained – we can choose to experiment, and to challenge ourselves to create unique surface finishes.”
- Steven Desart, Managing Director, Arte
ABOUT PHILIPPE DESART
Younger brother Philippe joined the Arte team in 1997, starting from the roots of the company as an intern working in the warehouse, learning about every aspect of the business from the ground up, before moving to join the sales team in 2000. It was here that he discovered the potential of adding a trade model to the existing business framework. As Arte had mostly focused on the retail market thus far, with his father’s support Philippe began developing a network in the community of architects and designers and in the hospitality market, widening the focus of the business. This evolution led him to collaborate closely with the Arte USA subsidiary and discover the US market. After seeing effective branding that connected US brands with their audience, Philippe took this approach back to Belgium. It drives Arte forward with a 360-degree focus on the development of wallcoverings, positioning the company as the leading specialist of its craft.
Products that will make people happy
“The wallpaper business is in our blood. We grew up watching our father’s entrepreneurial spirit and love for wallpaper which led him to establish this business. He understood that it wasn’t just about selling a wallpaper design, but that it’s about sharing a lifestyle. Today we continue to strive to make a product that will make people happy. Whether it is a complete hotel that thousands of people will experience, or a smaller residential project, it’s so rewarding to contribute to creating a timeless interior that will bring joy. Our father elevated wallcoverings from being a backdrop to fabrics to a focal point of interior design.”
- Philippe Desart, Managing Director, Arte
