{"id":213663,"date":"2023-06-28T16:22:30","date_gmt":"2023-06-28T20:22:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=213663"},"modified":"2023-06-28T16:22:32","modified_gmt":"2023-06-28T20:22:32","slug":"paul-vanrunxt-designs-own-home","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/paul-vanrunxt-designs-own-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Paul Vanrunxt Drafts His Dream Dwelling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In the appointment-only gallery, where Vanrunxt exhibits work by fellow abstract artists, the 20-foot-long pitch-pine floorboards were once used to age wheels of cheese. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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June 28, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Kurt G. Stapelfeldt<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Hendrik Biegs\/Living Inside<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Paul Vanrunxt Drafts His Dream Dwelling<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Having spent the past 30 years conceiving and building residences for others across Europe, Belgian designer Paul Vanrunxt finally got the chance to create a dream home for his own family. Although the property he and his wife, Kim, homed in on, located halfway between Antwerp and Brussels in Mechelen, was a bit charmless, the designer immediately saw its potential. \u201cThe house at first glance looked nothing special\u2014gray facade, dark rooms, aluminum windows\u2014but it was 46 feet wide and had a courtyard garden<\/a>, both rarities in the city,\u201d Vanrunxt recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Studio Paul Vanrunxt founder draws in the atelier of his Mechelen, Belgium, home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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He completely overhauled the 5,000-square-foot, three-story structure, parts of which were built in the 1960\u2019s, with the aim to create openness, raising ceilings on the ground level and instating \u201cvertical and horizontal see-through axes\u201d to forge a strong connection between the interiors and the garden. Throughout, a limited palette of colors and materials imparts airiness, such as white lime\u2013finished walls and reclaimed pitch-pine floorboards; the 15-inch-wide planks were once used as platforms for drying Dutch fromage. \u201cIn many spots you can still see the outline of the cheese wheels,\u201d Vanrunxt says. \u201cWe maintained the patina by chemically cleaning the planks\u2019 surfaces with soap instead of sanding them down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for furnishings, pieces by the designer\u2019s studio<\/a>, such as the solid-oak coffee table and the poplar dining surface, intermingle with family heirlooms and works by the likes of Radboud van Beeckum and Faye Toogood. \u201cWe love a lived-in atmosphere,\u201d Vanrunxt says, adding that he favors mixing chairs and stools of different styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While most of the artworks in the living spaces are by Vanrunxt himself, the airy top floor houses an appointment-only gallery in which he hosts shows by abstract artists. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have a separate entrance but is accessible from the house,\u201d Vanrunxt clarifies. Perhaps the residence\u2019s biggest achievement is the balance struck between family, work, and creative life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Inside the Home of Belgian Designer Paul Vanrunxt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A porcelain art installation by Piet Stockmans animates the elevator shaft of the three-story house.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A ceramic piece by Lucien Petit accents the sill of an interior window offering views from the kitchen into a corridor and the living room beyond.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In the main bedroom resides a vintage Snedkerier lounge by J\u00f8rgen H\u00f8j and Poul Kjaerholm, with an oak frame and stretched-jute seat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The vanity in the main bathroom is crafted of Pietra Bicci limestone, and sink fittings are by Belgian brand RVB.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In the appointment-only gallery, where Vanrunxt exhibits work by fellow abstract artists, the 20-foot-long pitch-pine floorboards were once used to age wheels of cheese. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The multipurpose gallery doubles as an art-making studio and creative retreat for the homeowners; Vanrunxt also maintaints an office for his design work on the ground floor. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Vanrunxt specializes in the construction and renovation of villas throughout Europe, including recent projects in Spain, Holland, and France.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Studio Paul Vanrunxt designed the living room\u2019s solid-oak coffee table, while the fiberglass side chair is Faye Toogood\u2019s Roly-Poly. The antique pottery pieces lining the shelves are flea-market finds. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A ceramic sculpture by Parisian artist Doroth\u00e9e Loriquet accents the designer\u2019s living room. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The 2,100-square-foot courtyard garden features 40-year-old pear trees and low-maintenance dune grasses. A fireplace and patio heaters allow the Vanrunxts to sit outside even on cooler days. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n