About Us

A close friend and myself, Hetty Schoonbeek, started collecting and selling design and vintage furniture in an old building which used to be a farm.

The next 6 months, we gathered many items by Pastoe, Marko, Tomado, Pilastro, Ahrend, Galvanitas, Gispen, Faarup, Moroso, B&B Italia and more.

We initially also sold many plastic items by brands such as Hemna in colors like orange and purple. It was a huge retro trend at the time. A throwback to the seventies.

When my friend left to do other things, I continued Howaboutout on my own and moved to an old bakery in Hoogezand, The Netherlands.

But as a year went by, sales were going so well that Howaboutout outgrew this location as well. So we starting looking out for a new, more spacious business location.

We found our new home, quite literally, in an area that is affectionately named “The Golden Triangle”, which is located in Zuidbroek, The Netherlands. The new building offers a living area, showroom and small warehouse.

Howaboutout continued to grow and my partner Wim Vroling and I soon decided to work together. He transports the goods and restores them if needed. He also helps out with sales and customer service. He still runs his own company as well, Vroling Houtwerk.

When we started out, we were open two days a week. But we soon found that Zuidbroek isn’t really suited for a store with regular opening hours. We now open our showroom on appointment.

Customers can always visit us, 7 days a week and even during the evening and holidays. Give us a call or email beforehand; we’ll have the coffee ready.