Photography
Caféine
Design team
Sam Peeters Iona Tettelin
Year
2022
Residential
Berchem
BERCHEM
The brief was clear: “Well-considered, light, and clear interventions to turn a dilapidated house into a warm, open family home.” A poetic challenge — and the perfect invitation to strip away years of clutter and rediscover the soul of a once-grand city residence. Despite its generous size, the house initially felt cramped and confused — a patchwork of lowered ceilings, chopped-up rooms, and random outbuildings. So, the first move was radical in its simplicity: peel it all back. We reduced the building to its essential volume, carving out new sightlines and circulation routes while keeping its authentic DNA intact.
GROUNDFLOOR
The brief was clear: “Well-considered, light, and clear interventions to turn a dilapidated house into a warm, open family home.” A poetic challenge — and the perfect invitation to strip away years of clutter and rediscover the soul of a once-grand city residence. Despite its generous size, the house initially felt cramped and confused — a patchwork of lowered ceilings, chopped-up rooms, and random outbuildings. So, the first move was radical in its simplicity: peel it all back. We reduced the building to its essential volume, carving out new sightlines and circulation routes while keeping its authentic DNA intact.
The brief was clear: “Well-considered, light, and clear interventions to turn a dilapidated house into a warm, open family home.” A poetic challenge — and the perfect invitation to strip away years of clutter and rediscover the soul of a once-grand city residence. Despite its generous size, the house initially felt cramped and confused — a patchwork of lowered ceilings, chopped-up rooms, and random outbuildings. So, the first move was radical in its simplicity: peel it all back. We reduced the building to its essential volume, carving out new sightlines and circulation routes while keeping its authentic DNA intact.
The plan flows seamlessly: living, dining, and kitchen spaces merge in a relaxed rhythm. The kitchen — a tactile play of oak veneer, travertino rosso persiano, and a bold red mortex splashback — is crowned by a chunky wooden chopping block that doubles as a cooking island. A covered terrace with a fireplace-barbecue duo extends the social zone outdoors. The pool, with no coping and surrounded by grass, blurs the line between architecture and landscape — a collaboration with garden designer Damien Derouaux that balances refinement with restraint.
The plan flows seamlessly: living, dining, and kitchen spaces merge in a relaxed rhythm. The kitchen — a tactile play of oak veneer, travertino rosso persiano, and a bold red mortex splashback — is crowned by a chunky wooden chopping block that doubles as a cooking island. A covered terrace with a fireplace-barbecue duo extends the social zone outdoors. The pool, with no coping and surrounded by grass, blurs the line between architecture and landscape — a collaboration with garden designer Damien Derouaux that balances refinement with restraint.
The plan flows seamlessly: living, dining, and kitchen spaces merge in a relaxed rhythm. The kitchen — a tactile play of oak veneer, travertino rosso persiano, and a bold red mortex splashback — is crowned by a chunky wooden chopping block that doubles as a cooking island. A covered terrace with a fireplace-barbecue duo extends the social zone outdoors. The pool, with no coping and surrounded by grass, blurs the line between architecture and landscape — a collaboration with garden designer Damien Derouaux that balances refinement with restraint.
Upstairs, the design continues the theme of flow. Bedrooms, bathrooms, a home office, and a studio all intertwine with an easy coherence. In the master suite, circulation becomes a design gesture: dressing, bath, and sleep areas dissolve into one another, linked by repeated materials — oak cabinetry, warm red carpets, and an understated symmetry that draws the eye toward a freestanding tub with a tranquil garden view. What began as a heavy, subdivided relic is now a home that breathes — open, honest, and unmistakably alive.
Upstairs, the design continues the theme of flow. Bedrooms, bathrooms, a home office, and a studio all intertwine with an easy coherence. In the master suite, circulation becomes a design gesture: dressing, bath, and sleep areas dissolve into one another, linked by repeated materials — oak cabinetry, warm red carpets, and an understated symmetry that draws the eye toward a freestanding tub with a tranquil garden view. What began as a heavy, subdivided relic is now a home that breathes — open, honest, and unmistakably alive.
Upstairs, the design continues the theme of flow. Bedrooms, bathrooms, a home office, and a studio all intertwine with an easy coherence. In the master suite, circulation becomes a design gesture: dressing, bath, and sleep areas dissolve into one another, linked by repeated materials — oak cabinetry, warm red carpets, and an understated symmetry that draws the eye toward a freestanding tub with a tranquil garden view. What began as a heavy, subdivided relic is now a home that breathes — open, honest, and unmistakably alive.
