In 2005, the customer bought a former architecture studio and transformed it into a private house. Having lived in the house for a number of years, the owners approached us in 2017, asking to thoroughly renovate the house whilst respecting the current design.

The original building was located in a remarkable residential area dating from the early 1960s: a grouped patio housing complex in low, white-painted brick construction under flat roof, with walled gardens to ensure optimal privacy. The house to be renovated was located on the outer edge of this neighbourhood but breathes the same serene atmosphere. The whole area consisted of 3 volumes that were built around a garden. The primary space was located 1.4m above ground level, consisting of a typical sloping glass facade that overlooked a vast piece of farmland.

The first challenge we had to tackle was the insulation of the house, which we did by replacing the windows and changing all the technical aspects to make the place comfortable. Without changing the facades we succeeded in making the house energy self-sufficient.

The striking color palette of primary yellow and green was chosen at the time by the artist Raoul De Keyser. We chose to apply this palette to the floor and doors. Incidentally, the striking presence of yellow gives – in their own words – the owners and their interior a summer feeling all year round.

Carefully designed: the majority of furniture got a top layer of thick leather in the living space and sleeping room as well as brushed stainless steel in the kitchen. The handles of the closets are made of messing rubber and black glass is used in the shower. In the private office and the large sleeping room with a fireplace and freestanding bathtub, the walls are completely cladded with wood. This creates a feeling of intimacy while the other rooms, with white painted brick walls, are very airy and open.

The project was finalised with the addition of a small and long concrete swimming pool, sauna and a kind of hotel suite. We opened the rooms to improve the circulation and sightlines. New large concrete terraces were put in the evening corner and the inner garden. The swimming pool is bordered with real Kolumba Peterson stone. The garden fence is like an abstract work of art, also designed by Steven Vandenborre. The new garden — sculpted by cheerful landscape architects Studio Basta — is a perfect match with the renovated house and its surrounding area.