About a year ago I started receiving emails from AM Projects in Belgium announcing their new shipments of antiques.
All of the images were simply and beautifully composed.
I fell in love with this table and imported it for the shop.
I started spending time on the AM Projects website and became intrigued by the owners' Mark Mertens and Hilde Anseeuw. They had an interesting design aesthetic that combined rustic, antique materials in a fresh, contempory way.
As I looked at the images of their own home on their website, I realized that it was the same house that I book marked in my "Family Houses" book by Beta Plus.All of the images below are from Beta Plus:
Mark and Hilde's home is inspired by the classic farmhouses of Belgium.
They used classic Belgian building materials in their kitchen: Belgian bluestone on the floor and countertops, white oak cabinetry and gorgeous antique beams.
The white brick fireplace wall adds a bit of texture and warmth.
The main living room in their home is a beautifully sunlit space with white plaster walls and antique beams.
Mark and Hilde use a combination of steel and wood doors and windows to allow plenty of light into the rooms of their home.
The office in the front of the house is paneled in white oak.
The walls of the upstair's hallway have a sculptural quality.
The Master bedroom feels ancient and contemporary at the same time.
A large low window offers a view of the gardens below.
One wall paneled in white oak adds natural warmth to the space.
Hilde and Mark use neutral Belgian materials in the Master bath, creating a calm soothing place to begin and end each day.
Covered in weathered white oak, the pool house is a gorgeous outbuilding with a fabulous low tiled roof.
When we were planning our trip to Belgium, I knew that a visit to Mark and Hilde's home had to be on our itinerary.
Here are some of the images we took during our visit...
Hilde and Mark's home is even more beautiful in person!
We caught a glimpse of their pool house before we enter the back of Hilde and Mark's home.
Although Mark and Hilde use classic Belgian building materials, many of the details are quite contemporary, like the large glass walls of their breakfast room.
Let's go inside...
Steve and I were obsessed with every detail of the house. Since the wood beams cover the frame of the door, a niche was carved into the beam for access to the door hardware.
The large glass walls of the breakfast room create a vanishing threshold to the gorgeous gardens outside.
The glass dies straight into the floor, an perfect example of the clean detailing that Mark and Hilde used throughout their home.
The natural materials and subtle textures in the kitchen create an inviting space.
A Belgian bluestone sink is integrated into the countertop.
Most of the materials used are left in their natural state, allowing their innate beauty to come through.
The painted wood wall houses the refrigerator and the pantry.
In the breakfast room, Mark and Hilde store all of their dishes in a beautiful antique cabinet.
Glasses and carafes displayed on a tray add sparkle to the kitchen.
A collection of cutting boards are both beautiful and useful.
Did I mention that most of the antique pieces in Mark and Hilde's house are for sale? I couldn't resist this Swedish buffet.
This French door visually connects the breakfast room to the entrance hall.
All of the glass doors balance the natural light in the rooms.
The plaster walls feel as if they have been carved like a piece of art.
The stone Powder room sink and brass spout float elegantly off the wall.
The water is controlled by a button on the floor.
A clear glass chandelier floats in the middle of the main living room.
A group of rustic bowls and vases sits on top of a charming antique cabinet.
The wood beamed ceiling is one of the main focal points in this room.
The pool house can be seen through the large steel door.
The earthy red wall of the family room is visible through the glass of the French door.
The door is hung flush to the drywall without any trim on this side of the doorway.
A thin wood trim detail is seen from the family room side of the doorway.
We were so busy taking pictures of the details that we forgot to take a picture of the entire room. This image is from the Beta Plus book.
The glossy deep red front door of Mark and Hilde's house looks beautiful in the white plaster wall.
A small niche is carved out of the plaster to allow the arched door to open.
From the front door, our eye is led to the view of the back gardens through an arched sheet of glass.
A storage closet is placed in a white oak wall under the stairway in the entry hall.
The study at the front of the house is a warm space, paneled in white oak.
We snapped a few images of Mark's beautiful hardware and plumbing fixture samples lying on his desk.
The finishes are stunning.
We want to use these fixtures at Patina Farm!
We head upstairs to finish our tour.
The stairs are made out of thick pieces of wood.
Steve created a few sketches on his ipad before walking up the stairs (note shelf is a great app!).
The hand forged iron railing is so simple and elegant.
A beautiful wood window carved in the plaster wall illuminates the upstairs hallway.
A detailed picture of the low window in the Master bedroom.
Another large arched window provides a view of the back yard.
Steve's ipad sketch of Mark and Hilde's bedroom.
Finally, I'd like to share a few images of my favorite details:
Wonderful door hardware....
A couple examples of windows, carved into the plaster to allow for maximum light to stream into the room.
Steve's sketches help him to remember every detail.
Our family spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying a delicious meal around a farmhouse table in the shade of the pool house with Hilde, Mark and their family.
Thank you to Mark and Hilde of AM Projects for a beautiful day that our entire family will never forget!
I'm sure Mark and Hilde would love to hear from you... Please leave a comment sharing what you love about their gorgeous home?
To see more images of their work and view their latest antique shipment please visit the AM Projects website.
xo
Brooke
If you would like help creating the home of your dreams, email me about our design services. You can also purchase many items found here on Velvet and Linen as well as "to the trade" furnishings through Giannetti Home. Email Kelly about the details.
To Subscribe to Velvet and Linen click here.
Please visit our Barnes and Noble page to order our new book,Patina Style.
Signed Copies of Patina Style are available through Giannetti Home.
