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CHASING THE SUN
A BELGIAN BEACHSIDE HOME TRANSCENDS SEASONS TO BECOME A CALMING YEAR-ROUND FAMILY DESTINATION
DESIGN | Atelier Benôit Viaene PHOTOGRAPHY | Piet-Albert Goethals WORDS | Yvette Caprioglio
Lime plaster on the walls, ceiling and sculptural staircase create an ‘imperfect aesthetic’, revealing the designer’s appreciation for handcrafted details.
Afamily’s desire to escape city life to something that felt distinctly different resulted in a brief for interior architect Benôit Viaene to create a getaway from the every day; where kids, friends and family could gather in a warm and cosy interior.
Working within an existing, heritage-listed structure, Benôit conceptualised an extension grounded in a unity of spaces that are oriented according to the sun’s movement and bear his signature hallmarks of materiality, light and craftsmanship. “Light is the first element you experience when entering a space, and in this home, the light brings materials to life as it plays with the structures and overall tactility,” he says. “The main idea was to create a home for the holidays where you enter a relaxing place, taking you out of the everyday comfort zone, with a lot of light in different areas.”
Timber flooring and joinery is a highlight in the Knokke home. Benôit describes the planks as exceptionally wide – the width of a tree. The planks were treated in their atelier to create a unique patina and combined with brass to “refine the tactility and interaction between materials”.
An interaction between the home’s interior and outside garden and swimming pool has been created through a covered terrace that can be open or closed and used all year long, regardless of the season.
The formal dining room features the Hata chairs by Miyazaki.
The ground floor was conceived as an area for entertainment, with a large kitchen and dining area featuring distinctive wood flooring and panelling. “The tropical wood has a special patina we created in our atelier, and all planks are exceptionally wide,” Benôit explains. “The massive wooden slabs we used in the dining room were placed vertically and utilise the full width of the tree. We treated them with a bleaching process and combined them with a brass detail to refine the tactility and the interaction between materials.”
The focus on materiality also extends to the walls and ceilings covered in a custom-colour lime plaster. “You can feel the hand of the craftsmen,” Benôit says. Paradoxically, the detailed materiality of the home is a blank canvas for the selection of beautiful furnishings.
Benôit explains that he didn’t want to create an interior that felt ‘brand new’ but instead an atmosphere with materials that felt as though they’d been there for many years. “To me, the result is like a reminder of overseas destinations, southern cultures, that give the inhabitants the energy for reflection and new ideas. The furniture pieces – a mix of existing pieces owned by the client and new pieces – have the characteristics to open up the mind, and trigger curiosity,” he says.
The ground floor is conceived as an area for entertainment. The large custom kitchen with Vola tapware folds onto an informal living and dining area featuring the Knoll Bertoia diamond chairs and side chairs.
All spaces are oriented according to the sun’s movement. Benôit says the light as bringing the materials to life, playing with the home’s overall tactility.
A Herman Miller Eames lounge and ottoman, Daphine Terra floor lamp and Cobra 50 table lamp by Martinelli Luce.
– BENÔIT VIAENE
