Stolz House x De Winter Design

After his participation in De Repair Shop in 2022, everything fell into place. Jan realised that his grandfather's furniture designs, architect Roger De Winter, were more than family heirlooms. They deserved a new life. What followed was an intense journey through archives, workshops and learning processes — a path that eventually also led him to Stolz.

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From family heirloom to design mission

The fascination for architecture and furniture design was there from an early age. Jan was ten when his grandfather passed away, but the impact remained. Roger De Winter was a leading Belgian architect from the 1950–1980 period, known for his pure design language in which functionality and clean design reinforced each other. He always designed his projects as a total concept: from building to interior and furniture placement.

In 2017, Jan moved back into the family home in Vilvoorde, where he had briefly lived as a child and where the lounge chair had once been designed. Surrounded by more of his grandfather's furniture, the idea began to take shape: this heritage shouldn't disappear.

When he got the lounge chair back in his hands in 2021, the cushion turned out to be completely worn out. That moment marked the real beginning of his search. Not just for materials, but for knowledge. Studying plans, digging through archives, understanding how the furniture world works today.

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"I wasn't just looking for a leather supplier, I was looking for everything." - Jan De Winter

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The meeting with Stolz: a guide in unfamiliar territory

Through his employer, Philippe Wauters at Belven, Jan got in touch with Koen Maes, managing director at Stolz. A first phone call led to an invitation to Kortenberg. What followed was not a sales pitch, but an open introduction to the world of leather, finishing and material choices. Koen took ample time to guide Jan and put him in touch with the right people to continue his journey.

Jan deliberately chose Stolz for their focus on quality, traceability and ecological responsibility, and the fact that it's a Belgian company with history. Values that perfectly matched how he wanted to build De Winter Design. Stolz didn't become a standard supplier, but a partner that helped steer the direction.

Animal welfare also played an important role. The leather for this project comes from bull hides from Norway, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where cattle grow up in green pastures with good housing and feed. Processing happens locally, which limits the ecological impact. The leather is also always a by-product of the meat industry.

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"The expertise and willingness to genuinely guide someone without experience charmed me." - Jan De Winter

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The RDW01: a lounge chair with a new life

Roger De Winter's original lounge chair was only offered sporadically to his own clients at the time, resulting in a very limited number. In 2025, the design finally got a full launch. The basic concept remained intact, with a few thoughtful optimisations. The new model was named RDW01. The rough design of back then was refined and given contemporary comfort and a higher finishing quality.

During the prototype phase, De Winter Design worked closely with Stolz to determine the right hide sizes and leather types. Stolz natural leather in black was chosen, which fits beautifully with the style and spirit of the RDW01. Selected based on durability, ease of use and aesthetics.

After countless tests, the first prototype was presented in November 2024. The final prototype and first production run were presented at the RDW 2025 expo.

The RDW01 can be discovered today in the Stolz showroom in Kortenberg.

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A partnership we're proud of

At Stolz, we're especially proud that we were able to guide Jan De Winter on his journey, and that we play a role in rediscovering the work of Roger De Winter.

The RDW01 shows how craftsmanship, vision and quality leather can come together in a timeless piece of furniture.

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"Stolz didn't just supply me with leather, but also the knowledge to make well-founded choices." - Jan De Winter