With a brief to capture the owners’ yin-yang personalities, Belgian interior designer Nathalie Deboel has crafted a home of opposites just outside of Brussels. Raw and refined, dark and light, masculine and feminine, hard and soft – these qualities amalgamate to form a balanced, sanctuary-like home enveloped by nature.
The landscape remains a constant anchoring force, providing a calming backdrop for the owners to live out their day-to-day.
Pictured: Moller #71 chairs
The kitchen, like the rest of the interiors, is characterised by a mix of dark and light materials, including walnut-veneer cabinetry, white stone benchtops, oak floors and white walls.
Archways create the feeling of journeying through the spaces.
Nathalie approaches each of her projects by first unravelling the story of the clients, so she can integrate their unique characteristics and desires into the design. In the case of Brussels House, the home is owned by a couple that could only be described as yin and yang; he brings the raw, while she brings the refined. “We aimed to convey a sense of blending their distinctive personalities into a cohesive whole,” Nathalie says. This involved engaging in one-on-one conversations with both to truly grasp how they view the world.
“We discovered that he was interested in the rough and honest qualities of materials. On the other hand, she is more sophisticated, which you’ll see translated in the more elegant, neutral-toned materials.” The juxtaposition of dark materials, such as walnut and black steel, and light materials, such as oak and onyx, is a further nod to the couple’s contrasting tastes.
The tactile selection of furniture, art and lighting also blends opposites – dark and light, soft and hard – culminating in a warm and comfortable interior environment.
Pictured: the &Tradition Little Petra lounge chair
Pictured: the Destroyers/Builders Windows of Bo Bardi side table
Nathalie also approached the interiors to evoke a sense of journey, with the sweeping staircase marking the beginning of what she calls “a string of destinations, each with their accents which reflect the interests of the clients.” While the interiors fluctuate, the landscape remains a constant anchoring force, providing a calming backdrop for the tactile selection of materials, furniture, objects and lighting. In this way, the design encapsulates the people who live there and establishes a connection to nature – a shared love between the couple.
Oak and white plaster, combined with sweeping forms – the staircase is one of the most elegant features of the entire home.
