'/%3E%3C/svg%3E){kind=small}
Sometimes the biggest changes in life do not begin with a business plan. They begin with a personal choice.
For Romanița and Adrian Arhiroiu, moving to Belgium started with a simple and deeply personal reason: they wanted to be closer to their son, who studies here, and to his family.
After years of building their lives and careers in Bucharest, they chose to leave Romania behind and begin a new chapter in Antwerp. It was not an easy decision. It meant stepping away from professional stability, familiar routines and a life they had built over many years.
But sometimes family changes the meaning of the word “home”. For Romanița and Adrian, Belgium became the place where they chose to build a new one.
A life change, not just a change of address
Romanița and Adrian are both economists. In Romania, they built solid careers in Bucharest and held senior financial management positions. Their professional experience was shaped by discipline, responsibility, organisation and carefully considered decisions.
Relocating to Belgium therefore meant much more than moving to another country. It meant having the courage to leave a well-defined professional path and embrace the idea of starting again.
The reason was stronger than the fear of change: family. Being close to their son and loved ones mattered more than the comfort of an established life in Romania.
They made the move with emotion and uncertainty, but also with the conviction that some choices are worth making even when they require a fresh start.
What do we build from here?
Once the decision to relocate had been made, a natural question followed: “What do we build from here?”
Their financial and business experience gave them a strong foundation for entrepreneurship, while their shared appreciation for beautiful interiors and well-made things drew them towards a field that was new to them professionally.
Sophia appeared at the meeting point of those two worlds: business experience and a genuine interest in design, textiles and interiors.
For Romanița and Adrian, the opportunity to open a Sophia franchise in Belgium offered the chance to build their own business in a new country without completely breaking the connection with Romania.
The fact that Sophia is a Romanian brand made the choice more than an entrepreneurial decision. It made it personal.
Taking a piece of home into a new home
Perhaps this is the most fitting way to describe the story of Sophia Antwerp.
Romanița and Adrian left Romania to be closer to family, but through Sophia they found a way to bring part of the place they were leaving behind with them.
A Romanian brand. Products made in Romania. More than two decades of experience in personalised window decoration. And a concept built around the idea that textiles can help make a space truly feel like home.
Sophia has more than 20 years of experience in interior decoration, with a network developed through stores and franchise partners. Antwerp is Sophia’s first location in Belgium.
For Romanița and Adrian, Sophia Antwerp has become a bridge between two worlds: Romania, where they come from, and Belgium, where they are now building their future.
Partners in life and in business
The story of the showroom did not begin on the day the doors opened to customers. It started much earlier, during the preparation and fit-out.
Romanița and Adrian worked side by side to create the showroom, personally contributing to the space and to the details that would give it its character.
They are husband and wife, but they are also partners: a team in life and now a team in business.
Years spent together, professional experience and the way they complement each other helped them turn a period of major change into a shared project. From financial decisions to atmosphere, fabrics and interior details, every part of the process became something they built together.
Sophia Antwerp is not simply the result of an investment. It is the result of many hours of work, shared decisions and the desire to create something that genuinely represents them.
15 August 2026: the day the idea became real
After the move, the planning, the preparation and a great deal of work, opening day finally arrived.
On 15 August 2026, Sophia Antwerp officially opened its doors at Frankrijklei 154A. For Romanița and Adrian, the moment carried far more meaning than the launch of a store.
It marked a major life transition made tangible: a new city, a new country, a new business and a project they had built together.
Opening the showroom was one of the most emotional moments of the entire journey. After every decision and every stage they had gone through, their new beginning finally had an address.
Frankrijklei 154A, 2000 Antwerpen.
Romanian quality for homes in Belgium
Through Sophia Antwerp, Romanița and Adrian want to introduce customers in Belgium not only to beautiful products, but also to the quality of the textiles and craftsmanship behind them.
Sophia specialises in personalised textile decoration, particularly made-to-measure curtains and drapes, and offers complete window decoration solutions. The concept combines specialist advice with solutions adapted to each individual space.
For Belgian customers, Sophia Antwerp is an opportunity to discover a new brand on the local market and an approach that begins with the home itself: its light, style and the real needs of the people who live there.
For Romanians living in Belgium, the story can carry an additional emotional meaning. A Romanian brand, products made back home or simply a conversation in Romanian can create a brief but familiar feeling of nostalgia and connection.
A small piece of “home” in a new place.
More than a showroom
Romanița and Adrian want Sophia Antwerp to be a place where people feel welcome.
A space where you can arrive with a fully formed project or simply an idea. A place where you can see and touch the fabrics, talk about your home and receive guidance in finding the right combination.
Their business experience brings structure and discipline. Their appreciation for beautiful things brings warmth and personality. Together, those qualities are reflected in the way they have built the showroom: carefully, step by step, with the relationship with each customer considered just as important as the final product.
And the story is only beginning. Sophia Antwerp is the brand’s first location in Belgium and, for Romanița and Adrian, the beginning of a chapter in which family life and entrepreneurship move in the same direction.
A new beginning, with Romania still close
The story of Romanița and Adrian is not simply the story of opening a franchise.
It is a story about family. About finding the courage to change direction when life calls for it. About leaving behind a career and a familiar place in order to build something new. And about discovering that you can leave a country without leaving behind everything that “home” means.
Through Sophia Antwerp, they have brought a part of Romania into their new life in Belgium and transformed a personal change into a project they are building together.
They left home to be closer to family and, through Sophia, found a way to bring a piece of home with them.
Romanița and Adrian invite you to Sophia Antwerp to discover the showroom, the fabrics, the collections and the story they have begun to build in Belgium.
Contact
| Sophia Antwerp
Frankrijklei 154A, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium |
A piece of “home”, carried forward in Belgium.