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6 Stunning Renovations in Belgium
September 10, 2015
These contemporary renovations bring new life to a range of building types—from a converted industrial loft, to a 1970s Brutalist structure, and even a concrete water tower.
Brutalist buildings aren’t everybody’s design ideal, but when Nathalie Vandemoortele first saw the fortress-like, rural Belgian house she now shares with her sons, Merlin, 14, and Cesar, 12, it was love at first sight. She worked with designer Renaud de Poorter on interior renovations, which included opening up the heavy structure with the help of new windows and doors to the outside. They didn’t want to gut the space, and kept existing decorative motifs like the dining room’s circa-1975 painted cupboard.
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Originally appeared in A Concrete Home in Rural Belgium
Belgian architect Dieter Van Everbroeck's modern home outside of Ghent all started with a tree. He bought the property after falling love with a 300-year-old elm beech tree, then renovated the existing bungalow to take full advantage of the view. Two glass facades in the living space allow for unencumbered ogling.
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Originally appeared in The Tree of Ghent
Designers Michaël Verheyden and Saartje Vereecke have a knack for keeping things simple. In renovating their crumbling 1930s brick house, located in the town of Genk, the couple retained the strongest architectural aspects of the house, such as the existing arch in the hall, and did away with others, such as a previous kitchen renovation.
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Originally appeared in A Clever Belgian Couple Renovate Their Aging Brick Home
In the living room of architect Julien De Smedt's Brussels flat—located in a converted industrial loft building—are a beanbag, an Other One armchair by Leif Jørgensen for Hay, a pillow by Candice Enderlé for Cojinudo, and two Tropicalia lounges by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso.
Originally appeared in How To: Indoor Concrete Floors
In Steenokkerzeel, a city northeast of Brussels, designer Mauro Brigham renovated a concrete water tower, originaly built in 1941, into a six-story living space that rises high above the surrounding scenery. The main bathroom occupies its own level located centrally on the fourth floor. Lest you worry about a midnight trek to the loo, never fear—the tower has an elevator.
Originally appeared in Living in a Belgian Water Tower
At this gallery/residence housed in a neoclassical Brussels mansion, two design-savvy curators have arranged a dream home—one in which its contents are completely for sale. In the living room, the residents commissioned the overhead light from designers Sylvain Willenz and Hubert Verstraeten. The rug is a Moroccan patchwork from the 1960s; the teak-and-leather Kilin chair is by Sergio Rodrigues; and the cane-backed sofa is a student daybed designed by Hans Wegner for Getama in the 1950s. Photo by Chris Tubbs.
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Originally appeared in A Neoclassical Gallery Home in Belgium
Brutalist buildings aren’t everybody’s design ideal, but when Nathalie Vandemoortele first saw the fortress-like, rural Belgian house she now shares with her sons, Merlin, 14, and Cesar, 12, it was love at first sight. She worked with designer Renaud de Poorter on interior renovations, which included opening up the heavy structure with the help of new windows and doors to the outside. They didn’t want to gut the space, and kept existing decorative motifs like the dining room’s circa-1975 painted cupboard.
Photo by Frederik Vercruysse.
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