Belgian Farmhouse Kitchen & Laundry

In a Belgian farmhouse kitchen and laundry room, charm and comfort are always within reach.

The elegant renovation of an ancient Belgian farmhouse shows how natural oak woodwork, stone flooring and a play of raw and finished surfaces can be carefully mixed. Together with carefully chosen antiques this kitchen and laundry room is an example of eclectic transitional Belgian style. In the house, taste ranges from mid-20th fixtures — such as a pair of modern dining room 1960s style chandeliers which resemble Poul Christiansen Le Klint pendants as well as molded plastic chairs — to traditional European furniture and cabinetry.

The kitchen is not grand as space can be tight in an old house. Essentially, it’s an L-shaped galley open to dining area. A shallow stone farm sink is flanked by oak shelves on each side of the dark-painted window wall. On the adjacent wall there’s a big Lacanche range, topped off by a squared-off vent hood — another modernizing look. The rather narrow, hall-like dining room has massive glass door storage hutches on each side — one white painted and one natural wood. Dining room built-ins echo the oak and white rustic kitchen finishes. But the modern pieces add urban design notes that brings a little edge to the country and pull attention away from the narrowness of the room.

Stunningly simple, the white-stucco-walled laundry features a Louis XIII armchair, upholstered in white linen, as a place to perch. A minimalist approach to overhead lighting is evidenced by the tiny spotlights. Opportunities for hanging objects to dry from hooks attached to the massive low ceiling beams are equally spare.

The laundry/flower sink — another shallow stone basin — boasts simple hot and cold pillar taps. A line of Moroccan tiles, favored in Belgian homes, create a minimal backsplash. The cabinet below the sink actually conceals a washer and dryer while rough oak shelves on wrought iron brackets overhead are used to store and display various objects and a collection of Provencal jugs. Just around the corner, an open area that leads outside is simply furnished with a church pew bench while a massive black marble mortar stands guard by the window.

(Source: Art et Décoration)

Copy and Paste to Quick-Share this Post: http://bit.ly/z2xnRh