A Renovated Farmhouse in Belgium

Outside of the busy city of Antwerp, Belgian antiques dealer and designer, Henri Charles Hermans and his wife Natasha Hermans, also a designer, decided to relocate their business and their home to this wonderful 19th century Farm. Henri Charles Hermans, who once worked and studied under the famous Axel Vervoordt, found this property to be the perfect canvas to showcase the couples wonderful minimalist Belgian design style.

Formerly a fruit farm in the Belgian countryside, it took several years to restore the home. Above the outdoor pool is filtered naturally by aquatic plants.

The living room has wonderful bleached, then waxed herringbone floors. I love the mix of the hand plastered walls, and antique floors and doors, with the straight lines of the furniture by Jules Wabbes, and contemporary art over the fireplace by Jacques Denef.

The kitchen also continues this look by combining a thick oak antique farm table and waxed bluestone floors with contemporary light fixtures. The back wall of the kitchen is painted ebony to highlight the couples antique stoneware collection.

The main hall showcases a wonderful limed oak cabinet which houses collections of glassware and Khmer vases.

This is a lovely perspective of entry, kitchen, and living room from the main hall. The French doors bring wonderful light into the space.
The stark simplicity of the stairway is just beautiful. Notice the first step and is carved stone and the rusted iron railing. The furnishings echo the simplicity of the space.
An attic bedroom is the epitome of minimalism, with a Belgian twist. The antique bench at the foot of bed is covered in antique linen.

The bathroom with all white walls is the perfect backdrop for the gorgeous, antique zinc bath tub.

Here is a close up the of the Empire style zinc bathtub- notice the spectacular patina set off by the rustic milking stool.
In another hallway is a wonderful compilation of antique wood: oak table holds a walnut bowl filled with burl wood balls.
Hanging in the family room above the antique mantel is an artwork piece of ink writings from an ancient Hindu prayer book. The art work hides the television. Low trestle coffee table and linen slip covered sofas round out the Belgian style.
Antique marble topped bistro table and linen covered sofa look lovely. Waxed concrete floors and french doors open to the the outdoor terrace.

The beautiful facade of the house with pruned boxwood in planters and traditional boxwood hedge.

A pair of limestone dodecahedron (12 sided) pediments are believed to ward off bad luck.

What a lovely garden terrace. Fabulous antique table and twig style chairs make for perfect outdoor dining.

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I think the Hermans' minimalist Belgian style is just beautiful- what do you think?

Armchair Shopping With Willow Decor

Since I've been on vacation, and it has been raining most of the time, I have had some extra time to do some Internet shopping. Here are some of my favorite new finds! First, I stopped by my favorite Swedish Antiques site, Avolli, to see Tricia Mitchell's new pieces. I loved this dining table and chairs - It's in her ad in the July/August issue of Veranda - No surprise it's such a classic. I loved this dresser with X design. This could go into any room in my house!

This metal Empire sewing box is so charming! But, my favorite piece is this Mora Clock. Notice the lovely, soft lines of this clock. Many of the Mora clocks I have seen recently do not have a good curve scale, they seem a bit off to me. This one is perfect and unique with the diamond detailing on the bottom. Tricia Mitchell has an incredible eye - check out more of her great finds here.

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Next I headed over to see what was cooking at Kym Fraser's 3 Fine Grains. Kym's Dressage Chair below was recently featured in Washington Spaces Magazine (but remember you saw Kym first at WD!) Besides creating beautiful furniture; she's been very busy importing some fabulous antique textiles.

Lucky for us Kym is now also selling the antique sacks - so you can create your own custom upholstery, slipcovers or pillows. I was thrilled to learn this because as you know Kym has one of the largest inventories of original, authentic antique sacks in the country - and these textiles are not easy to find!! Imitators are now printing over old sacks (yuck!), but these babies are the real McCoy! They run $350 -$1200 - the sacks are huge and can be used for multiple projects.

I got giddy when I saw this crown sack from 1874 (wow- 1874!) -because she has three of them! What a find!! I would love to cover my dining room chairs with these!

The Horse sacks are really interesting! This one caught my eye because it is printed on both sides so I could make a bunch of pillows or cover a couple of chairs

Here is the back - aren't these fabulous?!! Now I just have to figure out what I am going to make with them. Of course you can always just have Kym make it for you - check out her new pillows and furniture.
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From antiques I moved on to see what was new at Anthropologie.

This interesting lamp caught my eye. It reminded me of a French whimsical line drawing turned 3D. I especially love the two french bistro chairs with toile pads and table in the center. So unique! The lamp is called the Chateau Lamp and you can find it here. Do check it out so you can see a real close up.

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Because it was still raining and I've got nothing but time, I thought I would check out this new site called Former Furniture. The site, started by an interior designer, features used furniture that her elite clientele want to sell when they are ready to redecorate.

They have some really interesting things. This vintage cabinet caught my eye because it reminded me of the metal desk we just saw in Linda Banks' new kitchen. Check the cabinet out here.
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Meanwhile over at EBAY, I found these really neat vintage industrial stools.

These zinc and metal stools are from EBAY power seller The Antiques Warehouse in Cinncinatti, OH. Many styles were for sale for under $200. Shipping was reasonable too! A great find!

They also had these chairs, which look close to Kristin's kitchen chairs from Covetable Designs. I was on a roll!
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Then, I stopped by to check out what new things were listed from my favorite Antique Textile Queen -"Loodylady" from EBAY's Textile Trunk. I was in awe of this 19th Century French Ceil de lit Bed Canopy. Made from blue and white Ikat fabric. What a rare find! Spectacular! Look at this lovely antique Toile de Jouy quilt from 1790. I bet Marie Antoinette had one just like this!Then I found these gems - gorgeous antique monogrammed French Sheets. The monogram and detailing are spectacular! Who knew such treasures were on EBAY? Finally I found this antique cart cover - Wow - I could just throw that over my sofa and change the entire look of my room! To see all her exquisite textiles click here.

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Well the sun is starting to peek out so I am off to enjoy the beach - hope you enjoyed our Internet shopping trip!

A Visit with Covetable Designs

I feel so lucky to be able to meet such wonderful people through Willow Decor. Just the other night I received a sweet email from a fellow blogger, Kristin at Covetable Designs. She had been overwhelming busy, she said, and tonight she finally had some free time to relax and catch up on reading my previous blog posts. I was so flattered. We started emailing back and forth and it turned into a great treat for me, as I learned so much more about this talented designer! We had so much in common, both having lived in Europe for several years and traveling around; both with a passion for renovation and both self taught designers. I am just in awe of her abilities, so I wanted to share a few images of her home, which she designed, in Dallas.

The above photo is a French dairy turned restaurant that Kristin visited and one of many inspiration photos she used to help design her kitchen. After living several years in London, she was influenced by how her friends lived there.

"They did not view their historic homes as museums, slavish to all the detail of the period. Rather, they used contemporary furniture and accessories to lighten up and streamline their homes. The juxtaposition was thought provoking to an American who was taught to respect period decor, restore old homes, and preserve vintage architectural detail at all costs. And I couldn't really find a designer here who was exactly on my same page. So, I took the lessons of lightening and streamlining to my new home. I wanted architectural detail that was European in feel, without being constrained to any one period or style and I designed the interiors with an eye toward creating a particular mood in each space. The element that ties them all together is the use of neutrals as a backdrop, allowing the colors in fabric and furnishings to glow or in some cases, pop. "

Above is Kristin's new kitchen. Do not be fooled, this is not a renovation of an old home, but a meticulously designed new home with all the elements of an antique. I love the zinc counter and the metal hood, painted to look like aged zinc. Of course I adore the X cross motif which she incorporated in many areas of the design. The Marston Langinger lantern is perfect!

What I find most impressive is the window design over the sink. Kristin boldly painted that area in dark gray and the results are stunning.

A close up of the stove area reveals that she used an antique French fireback as a focal point. The herringbone patterned limestone and the sconces add to the aged French feeling.

We see the X cross motif translated again on the refrigerator. The pantry pull outs are faced in old books. Very clever.

The breakfast room is a delight! Notice the mix of chairs. Some are upholstered in old German printed grain sacks, while others are slipcovered in striped sacks. Visit her blog to see how she transformed the wooden table and chairs. The zinc elements tie the room in well with the kitchen. Again Kristen takes a bold chance with the red table, a viola, it pays off. The fabulous bookshelf was a exciting find at Mecox Gardens.

Here is the beautiful entryway.

It is crafted so well its hard to remember this is new construction. Notice the wood banister and wainscoting.

Here is a closer image of the wainscoting. Isn't this wonderful design? The glazing/painting technique really adds a wonderful patina to the space.

The other wall of the entry has these two wonderful Aidan Gray chests flanking the niches in either side. The wonderful old doors behind the chests were from the bookcase above. Beautiful!!

I have read every one of Kristin's posts and marked several in favorites folder. I am so excited to see more of her work in the coming months. Do check out Covetable Designs, and when you do, tell Kristin that Gina from Willow Decor sent you!!

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Go see Julia at Hooked on Houses to see what others are Hooked on!

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A Perfect Match

(All photos Dallas News unless otherwise noted)

The team of interior designer, Shannon Bowers and long time friend and homeowner, Stacy Hyde was a match in made in heaven. Talented friends working together to create light filled renovation of a 1920's Mediterranean Revival home in Dallas.

The home in the Greenway Parks section of Dallas was originally constructed in 1920 with steel beams from a bank down the street that was being torn down.

The foyer is warm and inviting with it's hand stenciled floors and Swedish and French antiques. Notice the lovely iron work on the staircase which was original to the house. The Bergere chair is lovely covered in linen and the basket adds a unique juxtaposition with the entry table.
The stenciling on the floor was done very lightly so you can still see the wood grain through the stain. The detail is magnificent. The sunroom's linen covered Swedish settee and antique column table make a lovely vignette.
The formal dining room also has an interesting table. The antique column capitals were refitted with new bases to make the table the correct height for dining. A limestone top was custom made and the floor reinforced to support this one of a kind piece. Antique mirror and chest enhance the look. Notice how soft the room still feels even with the lack of a carpet.
The living room's slip covered linen settee sets the mood for this room. The Swedish table, antique chest and pale aqua urns add texture and color.
In the kitchen hang vintage industrial pendant lights which were re-wired for home use. The Lucite stools are slipcovered to add softness. White cabinets, marble and stainless steel add to the classic look.
A dark wine room was renovated into a light, airy butler's pantry. After a long search, the perfect wine racks were located at West Elm.
Charcoal drawings add a punch to the breakfast room. I love the zinc table and with the white washed chairs.
A den filled with texture including linen slipcovers and twisted grapevine floor lamp.
The master bedroom headboard was custom designed by Bowers in a crisp linen. Swedish bench and chest are illuminated by antiqued turned wood chandelier.
Hyde's daughter's room is painted a pale lilac. White linens and custom canopy make it a room fit for a princess.

Material Girls
Through out the redecorating process Hyde found herself traveling outside of Dallas to find the look she was after. This inspired her to open her wonderful home and garden store, Stacy Hyde, on Henderson Avenue. If you are in Dallas plan to visit, as her store inventory mirrors her home style.

To see more photos of Hyde's beautiful home here. And to learn more about the Stacy Hyde shop click here.

Tell me what you think about this renovation and and its interiors.

Please stop by Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch!