Built in the summer of 2020, DVB Knokke residence is a single-family house located in the province of West Flanders in the municipality of Knokke-Heist, one of Belgium’s best-known and most affluent seaside resorts.
The house itself, with architecture by Arttec Knokke, is a beautifully unassuming, two-level structure that blends discretely with the surrounding, lush gardens. But what specifically drew our attention is the interior created by Ontwerpbureau Dries De Malsche located in the town of Sint-Niklaas in the neighbouring province of East Flanders.
Founder and principal, interior designer Dries De Malsche tells The Cool Hunter that the client is a family of four: a couple and their two daughters in their mid-20s, and they were looking for lightness, warmth and neutral authenticity. Their unique art collection and some of the bespoke furniture created for the project also called for neutrality and subtle balance.
The house (excluding the garage) is approximately 600 square metres (6,458 sq. ft) in size and includes three bedrooms, a living area, TV room, wellness and spa area with pool, wine cellar, kitchen, three bathrooms and an attic room.
For authenticity, De Malsche referenced the location of the house near the coastline with sand dunes in the curving forms, tactile textures and sandy colours that he selected for the interior. Materials such as onyx, natural stone, terra cotta, leather, mineral plaster and wood create a neutral and minimalistic balance yet feel appropriate for the location and perfect for the family’s lifestyle.
The flooring is textured resembling the feel of walking on sand while the wall and staircase detailing is soft and curved. All of this serves to highlight the client’s art collection as well as the distinctive pieces of furniture, such as the soft-pink 637 Utrecht Cassina Fauteuil armchairs, designed by Gerrit T. Rietveld for Cassina in 1935.
We also love the subtle lighting that complements the natural light pouring in from the large windows. Lighting selections include hanging lights from Apparatus Studio, wall sconces by CTO Lighting and spotlights from Delta Light. Tuija Seipell
Images by Thomas De Bruyee
