The house behind the furniture

Tribù is a family business from Belgium. Three generations, one category, and a catalog that has stayed small on purpose.

History

From an import business to a design house

Henri de Cock started importing garden furniture in 1967. What he built became a family company that has stayed independent through three generations, which is unusual in this trade.

In 1987 his son Lode took over. A civil engineer by training, he judged furniture the way an engineer does — by the finish, the joint and what a piece looks like after five winters outside. That is where the house's reputation for durability starts.

{'The first collection, Praslin, came in 1992 with designer Wim Segers. It fixed a rule the house still keeps': 'an outside designer draws, the workshop builds.'}

Since 2013 Lode's sons run the company day to day, Koen as CEO and Tom as brand ambassador.

Timeline

Six decades, briefly

Henri de Cock starts a garden furniture import business in Belgium.
Lode de Cock takes over and rethinks how outdoor furniture is built.
Praslin
First outdoor furniture house to exhibit at Salone del Mobile in Milan.
Koen and Tom de Cock take over day-to-day operations.
A Dallas office opens

Dates as the factory states them.

What they are known for

Four things the workshop does well

01

Teak the house can trace

Plantation teak from sources the house can name. It is the material the catalog has been built around since the nineties.

02

Rope woven by hand

Tricord and rope weaves are worked over the frame by hand. It is slow work, and it is what most of the catalog is recognized by.

03

Finishes that stay quiet

Muted colors and matte finishes. Nothing in the range is designed to be the loudest thing on a terrace.

04

Furniture that stays outside

Frames, weaves and textiles are specified to live outdoors year-round rather than to be carried in each fall.

In the United States

Where Tribù sits in the US market

Tribù furniture reaches more than 70 countries. The US side runs through a Dallas office opened in 2023 and a 5,000-square-foot flagship store on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles.

This site is an independent trade resource, not the factory's own shop. We quote pricing, arrange samples and handle freight for US projects.

Materials

What each material is good at

The three materials the catalog is built from, and where each one belongs.
Material	Holds up against	Ages like	Needs from you
Solid teak	Rain, frost, UV	Turns silver-grey unless oiled	Oil twice a year to keep the honey tone
Hand-woven rope and Tricord	Rain, chlorine, salt air	Keeps its color for years	A rinse and a soft brush
Powder-coated aluminium	Salt air, pool chemicals	Stays as delivered	Wash off salt after a coastal season
Solution-dyed acrylic	Sun, spills, mildew	Fades slowly and evenly	Machine-wash covers at 30 °C