Sandrine van den Abeele and Marc-Antoine Parmentier have a habit of moving into houses they’ve admired from afar. In the past 11 years, they have changed homes five times.
‘I always enjoy unpacking the moving boxes quickly and breathing new life into a house,’ Sandrine says. And that’s precisely what they’ve done here in their most recent home: a 1930s bay-fronted villa in Brussels, filled with an ever-evolving collection of vintage art and objects with a story to tell.
It was, says Sandrine, a case of love at first sight. ‘We saw the house online and called the estate agent, thinking we could view it the following week, but the agent said, “Come by this afternoon”. We were quickly seduced by the street and the wide facade.
There was space, and that was exactly what we were looking for. In addition, the house had charm, positive energy and huge potential. After a fairly quick visit, we made an offer. An hour later, it was accepted.’
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The purchase was followed by a year-long renovation, which Sandrine and Marc-Antoine managed themselves. By opening up the ground floor, the hall has become the heart of the house; a kind of amphitheatre, perfect for dance performances by the couple’s three children, with the staircase serving as a grandstand. ‘I love sitting on the bottom steps and playing with the kids. It’s my favourite part of the house.’
The kitchen, meanwhile, moved from the back of the house to the front to create a cosier feel.
‘It reminds me of houses in Amsterdam,’ says Sandrine. ‘Now, when I’m standing at the sink, I can see everything happening on the pavement and say hello to passers-by.’
She is particularly proud of the tiled splashback; a patchwork of colour, created in collaboration with ceramicist Cathy Deprez (@terretceterra). ‘I really enjoyed that process of making, cutting and assembling. Each morning, when we’re having breakfast in the kitchen as the sun comes up, seeing that wall is a moment of pure joy for me.’
Although the layout was changed, Sandrine and Marc-Antoine wanted to preserve and highlight as many of the villa’s original features as possible. The parquet floors were sanded, the window frames replaced with wooden ones and, wherever possible, old and new materials combined to form a fresh mix. ‘In the bathroom we discovered beautiful granite under the terrible tiled floor,’ says Sandrine. ‘Now it has been restored, the result is magnificent.’
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To personalise the house even further, Sandrine and Marc-Antoine have furnished it with the vintage furniture they have collected over the years: eye-catching cabinets, unusual chairs and lamps, and all kinds of curiosities.
‘We favour vintage pieces because they are unique and have a story,’ says Sandrine, who is a keen bargain-hunter and visits brocantes on Place du Jeu de Balle two or three times a week. ‘I enjoy the contact with traders; searching, haggling, opening closed boxes and finding treasures. Our vintage collection always moves with us and finds its place in a new home.’
The couple’s love of vintage extends to the textiles throughout their home – curtains, rugs and cushions give the interior a cocooning feel and allow Sandrine to express her creativity. ‘I love mixing pieces from different periods, contrasting different textures, and combining vibrant and soft colours,’ she says.
Meanwhile, the artwork is decidedly contemporary in style, with bright colours that liven up the mainly neutral walls. ‘I’m lucky that my sister runs Alice Gallery here in Brussels. It represents contemporary artists, all of whom create colourful universes that inspire me enormously,’ says Sandrine, adding that the city itself is another great source of inspiration. ‘While cycling, I regularly stop to take pictures.’
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Though she says her style hasn’t changed radically over the years, Sandrine does admit that it has evolved. And through renovating and decorating her own homes, and garnering admiration from friends along the way, she has developed a real passion for it. So much so, that she now works as an interior designer, creating beautiful home interiors for others.
‘It gives me exactly the same pleasure. The only difference between decorating a client’s house and decorating my own is that it takes me a lot longer to finish mine,’ she laughs.
Three years since the family moved into the villa, Sandrine’s mission has been accomplished and the house has become a reflection of her personality. ‘Above all,’ she says, ‘it is a family home. There is a warm atmosphere and the children are never far away – we love that; train tracks go from one room to another here.’
But this project is now finished, and Sandrine and Marc-Antoine are passing the baton to someone else as they embark on yet another move. ‘I have put my love, my soul and my identity into this home,’ says Sandrine, ‘but we have found another fantastic house in the countryside. Project number six awaits us there.’
@sandrinevda
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