Monthly Archives: October 2014

PLACES TO GO | GRAANMARKT 13 ANTWERP

7 October 2014

graanmarkt 13, antwerp, belgium, penthouse, apartment, restaurant, shop, gallery, design, fashion, art, culture, vincent van duysen, architecture, concrete, townhouse, industrial, home, attention to detail, trend, style, frederik vercruysse, photography

As promised here comes the second dose of Belgian cool, a penthouse apartment to die for and it’s for rent!

But let me rewind and give you the full picture. Graanmarkt 13 is a restaurant, a shop, a gallery and an apartment all under one roof. Tim and Ilse fell in love with the house and transformed it into a haven for those in search of special things with a soul and everything on display has its own story.

It’s a special concept where you can enjoy design, fashion, art, culture and gastronomic delights but it’s also a welcoming and warm home where the owners would like everyone to feel at ease.

The traditional building was reworked by famous Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen who created an industrial look throughout with rough concrete, exposed beams and wiring and beautiful large scale black frame windows. The owners initially wanted to run a B&B on the top floor of the townhouse but as they saw the space develop they decided to keep it as one large luxurious apartment which is now for rent accommodating up to six adults.

It’s an amazing space and Tim and Ilse have clearly invested a lot of love and attention to detail. No wonder they describe the space as ‘their best kept secret’.

 

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graanmarkt 13, antwerp, belgium, penthouse, apartment, restaurant, shop, gallery, design, fashion, art, culture, vincent van duysen, architecture, concrete, townhouse, industrial, home, attention to detail, trend, style, frederik vercruysse, photography

graanmarkt 13, antwerp, belgium, penthouse, apartment, restaurant, shop, gallery, design, fashion, art, culture, vincent van duysen, architecture, concrete, townhouse, industrial, home, attention to detail, trend, style, frederik vercruysse, photography
ABOVE | Owners Ilse and Tim

 

 
MORE INFORMATION | Graanmarkt 13
PHOTOGRAPHY | Frederik Vercruysse with thanks
 
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COOL STUFF | MAGAZYN ANTWERP

6 October 2014

belgium, antwerp, magazyn, shop, store, concept, hip, cool, design, trend, hand crafted, organic, natural, neutral, colour palette, concrete, polished, thomas haarman, simplicity, minimalism, product, cool stuff

This week I’m going to change your perception about Belgium with a double dose of hip design from the city of Antwerp. Cast aside your preconceptions of waffles, Tintin, inspector Poirot and chips with mayonaise – there’s some serious cool to be discovered.

First up is the homewares shop Magazyn an independent store in the heart of Antwerp founded by art director Thomas Haarman who has a love for simplicity, minimalism and all things hand-crafted. His careful selection ranges from furniture and tablewares to bathroom and office accessories, all in a neutral colour palette, made from natural fabrics in mostly organic shapes AND it’s all hand crafted.

Not only do I love the concept but I adore the shop’s minimalist interior and product display. The rough untreated concrete ceiling in contrast to the polished floor and smooth white walls making the products stand out and seducing the visitor to touch and experience the hand crafted nature for themselves.

More Belgian cool tomorrow with a home tour to die for. Stay tuned.

 
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belgium, antwerp, magazyn, shop, store, concept, hip, cool, design, trend, hand crafted, organic, natural, neutral, colour palette, concrete, polished, thomas haarman, simplicity, minimalism, product, cool stuff

 
 
MORE INFORMATION & PHOTOGRAPHY | Magazyn Antwerp
 
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PLACES TO GO | BRUECKE 49, VALS

3 October 2014

places to go, bruecke 49, vals, switzerland, thomas schacht, ruth kramer, b&b, bed and breakfast, hiking, therme, style, interior design, trend, intimate, welcoming, luxurious, contemporary, passion, danish, swiss, architecture, restoration, boutique, organic, healthy, relaxing

Now I’ve written about Bruecke 49 before – the beautiful boutique B&B – nestled in a small valley in Switzerland but their new photography and a chat with the owners has inspired me to feature them again.

I’m always impressed if people leave their career paths to follow their dreams and restoring Bruecke 49 into an intimate yet luxurious and contemporary B&B has been the life-long ambition of Ruth Kramer and Thomas Schacht.

The Swiss/Danish couple opened in December 2011 and as Thomas tells me they have been lucky to attract some wonderful guests who all share the same passions for design, art, literature, music and of course nature. He says:

At our breakfast table we have met rock-stars, some of the most wealthy people in the world, designers, architects, marketeers, artists, writers … and they have met each other. Friendships have been started and contacts made in our small “breakfast club”.

It must be such a satisfying and wonderful feeling to be able to give like minded guests this special blend of contemporary luxury and timeless beauty in a place you love.

The small village of Vals sits at the end of the Vals valley and consists of a small community of only 950 people most of them working in farming or as artisan craftsmen and guests are able to enjoy and buy some of the local products at Bruecke 49.

Surrounded by mountains it’s a hikers paradise but don’t forget to check out the famous Therme – built by Peter Zumthor who won the Pritzker Architecture Prize for his design in 2009 – for some relaxing spa time.

I’m delighted about Ruth and Thomas’ success, a large part of which has to be attributed to Ruth’s skills as an interior designer decorating the place with Danish design classics and eclectic local finds, giving it a warm homely feel.

Seasoned travellers themselves they know what a difference small details make. Individually styled bedrooms, a large living area with design classics inviting you to relax, a library with plenty of books, magazines and newspapers to browse, an outdoor fireplace and BBQ, a state-of-the-art kitchen, a healthy organic breakfast with freshly brewed coffee and of course the smell of freshly baked bread in the morning.

Ah… my kind of heaven.
 

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ABOVE | The owners Ruth Kramer and Thomas Schacht

places to go, bruecke 49, vals, switzerland, thomas schacht, ruth kramer, b&b, bed and breakfast, hiking, therme, style, interior design, trend, intimate, welcoming, luxurious, contemporary, passion, danish, swiss, architecture, restoration, boutique, organic, healthy, relaxing

 

 
MORE INFORMATION | Bruecke 49
PHOTOGRAPHY | Martin Kaufmann with kind permission by Bruecke 49
 
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CONTEMPORARY ALPINE CABINS IN THE DOLOMITES

1 October 2014

architecture, dolomites, south tyrol, contemporary, alpine, cabin, pedevilla architects, family residence, holiday rental, sustainable, local materials, stone, larch, experience, minimal, sleek, concrete, trend, style

Are you ready for some architecture? I’ve got just the right project for you today – a contemporary take on traditional alpine cabins.

Located in South Tyrol and designed by Pedevilla Architects this is the architects own family residence with an adjacent holiday rental. A smart move as the project has already been nominated for a few awards and I imagine will receive a lot of press over the next year hence there’ll be a lot of demand to inspect and experience the architecture as well as the breathtaking location.

The first thing that struck me was the contrast between the dark exterior and the bright interior with lots of light flooding in through large windows which also provide the most stunning views over the mountains. Great emphasis has been placed on sustainability and using local materials like local stone and alpine larch.

The house captivates with interesting angles and views of the surrounding landscape with no traditional beams in sight. Instead there is a wonderful mix of materials on display with untreated local timber floors, door and window frames contrasting with concrete walls and large glass windows. I love the sleek interior with large and small details like the double height living space, an open timber frame doubling up as a book shelf and wall and a thick rope as a handrail.

A place to fall in love with and one that architecture and design enthusiasts have a chance to experience for themselves. Just follow this link and book your stay at La Pedevilla.
 

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architecture, dolomites, south tyrol, contemporary, alpine, cabin, pedevilla architects, family residence, holiday rental, sustainable, local materials, stone, larch, experience, minimal, sleek, concrete, trend, style
 
 
ARCHITECTURE & PHOTOGRAPHY | Pedevilla Architects
BOOK YOUR STAY | La Pedevilla
 
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