Vermaercke studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, where he trained as a painter. He then worked for several Belgian furniture design and production companies before setting up his own business in 1937.
Over the course of his career, Vermaercke designed a wide variety of products, from furniture to household appliances and industrial machinery. He was known for his minimalist, functionalist approach to design, which aimed to create practical, elegant objects that met the needs of users.
Vermaercke won several awards for his work, including the Grand Prix at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in 1925 and the Prix de la Triennale in Milan in 1954. Today, his creations are exhibited in museums around the world, including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.