Houzz Tour: A Stunning Belgian Home Rises from the Dust
A four-year labour of love transformed this Belgian home from a gloomy ruin into a light and airy haven
Everything about this 1896 home in Belgium reflects the love and energy that has gone into its revival. The owners, photographer and founder of Yvestown blog, Yvonne Eijkenduijn and visual designer Boris van de Grint, have spent the last four years painstakingly renovating it to bring it back to its former glory, while adding their own personal touches.
Originally a six-bedroom family home, the house was built for the owners of the brewery next door. Yvonne and Boris are the third owners since 1896 and are tackling one section of the house at a time as they bring in their signature style. Yvonne describes it as “the essence of an urban country home” with the benefits of it being close to the city with a large garden that’s ideal for growing vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Yvonne Eijkenduijn and Boris van de Grint
Location Lommel, Belgium
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a basement that functions as two separate workspaces
Originally a six-bedroom family home, the house was built for the owners of the brewery next door. Yvonne and Boris are the third owners since 1896 and are tackling one section of the house at a time as they bring in their signature style. Yvonne describes it as “the essence of an urban country home” with the benefits of it being close to the city with a large garden that’s ideal for growing vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Yvonne Eijkenduijn and Boris van de Grint
Location Lommel, Belgium
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a basement that functions as two separate workspaces
The couple’s light and bright dining room exemplifies the feeling of the entire home. Yvonne can’t pinpoint the look as any single style but agrees with the description “Scandinavian pretty” offered by Joanna Copestick, cowriter of Decorate. “It’s mix and match, blending Scandinavian and English design styles,” Yvonne says.
The couple started their renovation downstairs four years ago and are working their way up. In the first year they tackled the kitchen and in the second year they completed the left side of the house, including this dining room and music nook.
They plan to convert one of the upstairs bedrooms into a large bathroom, convert the current bathroom into a spacious laundry room and refurbish the master bedroom. Finally, they plan to replace the roof.
Browse more pastel schemes
They plan to convert one of the upstairs bedrooms into a large bathroom, convert the current bathroom into a spacious laundry room and refurbish the master bedroom. Finally, they plan to replace the roof.
Browse more pastel schemes
“I love the Scandinavian way of living, their use of white to brighten up the home during the dark, cold winter,” Yvonne says. The couple applied that formula to what was previously a dark space to create this sunny dining room. “The Scandinavians have this philosophy that if you paint your floors, walls and ceilings white, as soon as the sun comes out, your home is so vivid and bright….it’s like a burst of sunshine,” she says.
The resulting airy aesthetic is evident in this space, where antique furniture is paired with a neutral colour palette and lace curtains that soften the natural light.
The resulting airy aesthetic is evident in this space, where antique furniture is paired with a neutral colour palette and lace curtains that soften the natural light.
The pale pink painted antique dresser in the dining room holds a collection of treasured antique and vintage crockery, a combination of pink and white with occasional delicate florals that don’t take themselves too seriously.
The piece of art above Boris’ piano is by Dutch artist Auk van Hilten, a close friend of Yvonne. Boris, a talented carpenter, made the dining table. The couple paired it with chairs they brought from Sweden.
Birds and Roses wallpaper by Yvonne’s favorite UK designer, Cath Kidston, covers a feature wall in the dining room. “I just love her aesthetic….her clever floral patterns are for the modern-day woman,” she says. “Cath is great at mixing and matching combinations with a lot of white.’
Yvonne also finds inspiration in UK interior design, including the homes of some of the most famous women in English-language literature, such as Virginia Wolf’s Monk’s House, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, Vanessa Bell’s Charleston Manor House and Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top home.
Yvonne also finds inspiration in UK interior design, including the homes of some of the most famous women in English-language literature, such as Virginia Wolf’s Monk’s House, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, Vanessa Bell’s Charleston Manor House and Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top home.
The right side of the house includes the living room – the next area the couple plans to redesign. The style will eventually echo that of the left side, with white painted wood floors.
The fireplace is original to the home. The couple wanted to remove the uppermost part of the mantelpiece and freshly plaster the walls, then repaint the mantelpiece. They also plan to replace the tiles and install a wood-burning stove.
The French-inspired coffee table was a flea market find.
The fireplace is original to the home. The couple wanted to remove the uppermost part of the mantelpiece and freshly plaster the walls, then repaint the mantelpiece. They also plan to replace the tiles and install a wood-burning stove.
The French-inspired coffee table was a flea market find.
The living room also serves as an informal dining room; Yvonne and Boris enjoy most of their meals there.
The renovation took a step back in March 2010, when Yvonne was diagnosed with a rare disorder affecting her red blood cells. Work stopped for a year while she was recovering. “When things like that happen, you start thinking about things from a different perspective,"’ she says. “You get to know yourself so much better and appreciate life and your health.”
The moment she regained enough strength, she resumed blogging and got straight back to the house project. “Being optimistic was my saviour,” she says. Her home’s joyous interior is an extension of her sunny outlook in life.
The renovation took a step back in March 2010, when Yvonne was diagnosed with a rare disorder affecting her red blood cells. Work stopped for a year while she was recovering. “When things like that happen, you start thinking about things from a different perspective,"’ she says. “You get to know yourself so much better and appreciate life and your health.”
The moment she regained enough strength, she resumed blogging and got straight back to the house project. “Being optimistic was my saviour,” she says. Her home’s joyous interior is an extension of her sunny outlook in life.
The couple chose a fresh colour scheme of crisp white and blue for the kitchen, with hints of red, pink and mint green weaving their way throughout the space in the accessories and wallpaper. “I wanted to have a clean kitchen that wasn’t too girly,” Yvonne says. “I wanted to mix industrial, antique and modern styles, and I think I accomplished that.”
The couple plans to replace the existing floor with a bright, white Novilon floor, a type of vinyl, and add underfloor heating.
The couple plans to replace the existing floor with a bright, white Novilon floor, a type of vinyl, and add underfloor heating.
Simple white cabinets topped with wooden countertops, open shelving and a traditional cooker hood give the room a country feel, while the wooden centre island topped with zinc adds an industrial vibe.
Bright-coloured accessories provide a quirky touch. Open shelving, a signature of almost every country kitchen, stores pretty crockery and many cookbooks.
The house was previously run on oil, and the first thing the couple did was switch to natural gas. Then they got the electricity going and replaced the windows before getting starting on the aesthetics.
The house was previously run on oil, and the first thing the couple did was switch to natural gas. Then they got the electricity going and replaced the windows before getting starting on the aesthetics.
The kitchen fireplace holds a stash of cookbooks and mason jars full of goodies. A pale blue Smeg refrigerator was the inspiration for the colour scheme.
Just off the kitchen, through a little blue door, is a newly renovated guest bathroom, sporting a fresh blue and white palette with vibrant red accents.
Prior to the renovation, the guest bath was accessible only from outside the house, which was most inconvenient, particularly in the cooler months. With new tiling, a new toilet was ready with a decorative sink and hardware, white wainscoting and an antique vanity cabinet. The tiny room is every inch the quintessential country guest loo.
Prior to the renovation, the guest bath was accessible only from outside the house, which was most inconvenient, particularly in the cooler months. With new tiling, a new toilet was ready with a decorative sink and hardware, white wainscoting and an antique vanity cabinet. The tiny room is every inch the quintessential country guest loo.
The couple recently converted the home’s existing sun room into a mudroom/pantry/sunny garden entrance. Old recycled doors were added to an IKEA cupboard to create a pantry, a cabinet was installed under a window, and an IKEA bench provides a handy spot for taking off shoes or dropping a tote. Fire-engine-red accessories bring out the red and blue floral design in the whimsical Cath Kidston wallpaper.
A charming shelving system with coat hooks is a bright pop of pink that adds the finishing touches in this truly vibrant mudroom.
Looking out into the back garden, we can see the remains of what was a thriving vegetable garden until just a few weeks ago. “I love my summer garden,” Yvonne says. “In fact, it’s a great summer house. We do lots of entertaining outside in the warmer months.”
When the couple purchased the property, the outbuilding, which included the two walls shown here, took up most of the back garden. They removed parts of it to create this vegetable garden.
When the couple purchased the property, the outbuilding, which included the two walls shown here, took up most of the back garden. They removed parts of it to create this vegetable garden.
The view from the back of the house may be bleak in autumn and winter, but this little patch of land bursts with herbs, vegetables and wildflowers during the warmer months. The latest renovation project can also be seen here – a little porch, yet to be painted, that leads into the mudroom.
Yvonne’s home office is the sunny space where she runs Yvestown, a lifestyle blog she began in 2004 that now reaches some 400,000 readers. A palette of pink and white sets a feminine tone in this room, seen in the white walls and subtle injections of pink found in the polka dotted wallpaper and accessories.
At her tiny workstation set against the wall, Yvonne shares her own creative projects with her Yvestown readers, hoping to inspire them and make them happy. “I am quite a happy, optimistic person, and I want to reflect that in my blog,” she says.
Wallpaper: Cath Kidston (no longer available)
At her tiny workstation set against the wall, Yvonne shares her own creative projects with her Yvestown readers, hoping to inspire them and make them happy. “I am quite a happy, optimistic person, and I want to reflect that in my blog,” she says.
Wallpaper: Cath Kidston (no longer available)
Yvonne owes her interior design success to understanding her own style. “I know my style,” she says. “I know that I use white, pink, red, blue and green. I stick to the palette and style, and it just works. I’m also not afraid to mix things up.”
She admits, however, that she has doubted her style in the past and strayed away from the colour scheme, only to realise it didn’t work and return to the initial concept. “If you have a good concept and it flows, stick to your guns,” she advises.
Bookshelves: Besta, Ikea
She admits, however, that she has doubted her style in the past and strayed away from the colour scheme, only to realise it didn’t work and return to the initial concept. “If you have a good concept and it flows, stick to your guns,” she advises.
Bookshelves: Besta, Ikea
Yvonne says she has always been drawn toward a clean, feminine and floral style, even during her childhood. She remembers that her mother – also a longtime renovation and decorating enthusiast – allowed her to pick a Laura Ashley fabric for her bedroom. Yvonne picked Emma, a floral pattern she teamed with white, that in many ways still reflects the same style she loves to this day.
An original fire surround adds definition and character to the large space, providing a whimsical backdrop for a table for two used for meeting with clients.
This scene offers a great example of Yvonne’s skill in blending design styles. She paired vintage Bertoia chairs with a rustic antique table purchased in Sweden and a retro-inspired pendant, all against a Scandinavian-esque white background.
Pendant lamp: Cath Kidston (no longer available)
This scene offers a great example of Yvonne’s skill in blending design styles. She paired vintage Bertoia chairs with a rustic antique table purchased in Sweden and a retro-inspired pendant, all against a Scandinavian-esque white background.
Pendant lamp: Cath Kidston (no longer available)
Set against a crisp white wall and surrounded by a collection of art prints and illustrations in white frames, this candy-floss-coloured chest sitting at the entrance of Yvonne’s home office insists on being in the spotlight.
Every (renovated) inch of Yvonne and Boris’s home is perfectly curated, not least this office display atop the pink chest. Tones of pink, blue, white, green and red find a home in this simple but carefully styled display of books, stationery and a vintage typewriter.
Just when you thought the tour was over, we’re heading downstairs to the basement, where the couple enjoy two huge rooms for personal hobbies. It’s also where Yvonne stores her yarn, which she sells online.
Yvonne is an avid crafter. Her hobbies range from sewing to knitting to crocheting, and she also loves drawing and illustrating.
Her own personal hobby room in the basement allows her to indulge in all of her favourite crafts.
Her own personal hobby room in the basement allows her to indulge in all of her favourite crafts.
Boris built this island, topping it with an IKEA tabletop. It’s practical and beautiful at the same time, enabling Yvonne to spread out her fabrics while providing ample storage and display space below.
The basement also holds a number of beautiful antique pieces, which store yarn and other hobby supplies. Small vignettes enliven the walls and corners.
A chair and simple peg rack hold the practical (cords and bags) and the decorative (dolls and ribbons). In another section of the room, bright-coloured chairs add a sense of fun while on the far wall birdhouses are imaginatively covered with Cath Kidston patterns.
Yvonne admits that both she and Boris have had to leave a few hobbies behind in favour of the renovation, which takes up most of their spare time. Thankfully, this fully equipped space provides all Yvonne needs to enjoy the creative hobbies she still indulges in.
And beyond the craft room is …
Yvonne admits that both she and Boris have had to leave a few hobbies behind in favour of the renovation, which takes up most of their spare time. Thankfully, this fully equipped space provides all Yvonne needs to enjoy the creative hobbies she still indulges in.
And beyond the craft room is …
… the most impressive man cave. Ever. For Boris, whose hobby is making furniture, having this basement space for storing wood, tools and supplies is perhaps his - and every woodworker’s - wildest dream. Most homes in the Netherlands and Belgium simply don’t have the space to accommodate such a hobby. The basement was a huge selling point for the couple.
When Yvonne and Boris first laid eyes on their future home, they were astounded at the sheer space in relation to the asking price. Although the home was in an almost unlivable state when they purchased it, they knew they would be able to bring back some of the original charm and character.
“There was no hot water or electricity, the windows were falling off their hinges, the whole house was covered in ivy, and there were bats, rats and mice inside. It had been completely abandoned, and nature had taken over,” Yvonne says.
With their eyes set firmly on the finished product, they started planning the renovation. The two are no strangers to gutting, plastering and painting; this is the fourth home they have renovated in the 13 years they have been together. Needless to say, they were quite aware of the amount of work a home like this would require for the kind of overhaul they had in mind.
Their advice to first-time home renovators: Don’t be put off by the work. Accept it and get on with it. It’s going to take over your life and will require an enormous amount of your time. Making a realistic plan and budget is also key, as well as being optimistic and daring to try new things.
See more photos of this house
Read more:
Houzz Tour: A Tree Grows Through This Bangalore Home
Houzz Tour: A Mandvi Home Blends in With its Location
Tell us:
Do you like this home? Let us know why in the Comments below.
“There was no hot water or electricity, the windows were falling off their hinges, the whole house was covered in ivy, and there were bats, rats and mice inside. It had been completely abandoned, and nature had taken over,” Yvonne says.
With their eyes set firmly on the finished product, they started planning the renovation. The two are no strangers to gutting, plastering and painting; this is the fourth home they have renovated in the 13 years they have been together. Needless to say, they were quite aware of the amount of work a home like this would require for the kind of overhaul they had in mind.
Their advice to first-time home renovators: Don’t be put off by the work. Accept it and get on with it. It’s going to take over your life and will require an enormous amount of your time. Making a realistic plan and budget is also key, as well as being optimistic and daring to try new things.
See more photos of this house
Read more:
Houzz Tour: A Tree Grows Through This Bangalore Home
Houzz Tour: A Mandvi Home Blends in With its Location
Tell us:
Do you like this home? Let us know why in the Comments below.