Actress Julianne Moore recently sat down with Belgian architect and designer Vincent Van Duysen for a chat in her NYC kitchen. "He's my absolute favorite designer," she says. "He's been tremendously inspirational to me. I literally steal from him, and he knows that!" Read on to learn Van Duysen's take on everything from his three essential, can't-live-without objects to his views on Belgian aesthetics.

Julianne Moore: The Belgian look, which I think you really fostered, has become very popular in the US. What do you think about that?
Vincent Van Duysen: When it comes to Belgian architecture and design, there is one person I need to mention: Axel Vervoordt. He’s a colleague and a friend, and he’s one of the protagonists and founders of the Flemish style. Belgians, and especially Flemish people, they are very individualistic. Aesthetics is in our DNA. We inherited a lot from the past—we have great painters and a history of craftsmanship and linens and carpets and solid wooden furniture and earthy colors.

JM: Your work has a simplicity to it; I think you are that rare person who is able to tackle both architecture and interior design. That’s why I was drawn to your work. I love Axel Vervoordt, but he is much more of a classicist than you are. I feel like you put the Belgian aesthetic through a modernist sieve.
VVD: It’s all the art of living. Academically, I was trained as an architect. But I am not a mathematical architect, I am an intuitive architect. I’m not one who says, “I want to predict a new way of living.” I'm not the visionary who wants to tackle large-scale urban enclaves. I’m a little conservative; I would rather go to the essence and the art of living.

Above: "Even if I'm designing an interior or a product, it’s still architecture-related," says Van Duysen. "I call it a 'red thread' running through my work—a timelessness that has emotion. There’s an authenticity. An essentialism." Photograph of Van Duysen's kitchen with La Cornue range and his Pottery Bowls via Suite NY (prices start at $280), available with oak or walnut tops.

JM: Who and what are your greatest sources of inspiration?
VVD: I’m not a fanatic person who has a “single, ultimate source of inspiration.” I believe for me, daily life, daily encounters—this is what inspires me the most. And my travels. Over the years, I've traveled to Mediterranean countries and Morocco and to destinations where people live with primary forms and habitats—you’d have an adobe here, mud architecture in Morocco, and the simplicity of the Greek Islands. This really fascinates me, and blending all the sources of inspiration makes me who I am. I’m a sponge; from the moment I wake up, I’m a very curious person.

JM: That doesn’t surprise me. What’s your all-time favorite room?
VVD: My living room.

Above: Van Duysen's celebrated living room in Antwerp is minimal but not monastic. A pair of Atelier Tables that he designed for St.-Paul Home anchors one side of the space. The sofa is from Axel Vervoordt and the teak armchair is by Pierre Jeanneret. Photograph by David Spero for the New York Times.

JM: I feel like you provide so much context for living, but you make the human being primary. There is so much beauty and simplicity and texture that you feel in your spaces, and then life brings color and vitality. If you could live with only three pieces of furniture and three objects, what would they be?
VVD: [Gasp] That would be a table, a chair, and a bed.

JM: Three objects?
VVD: That’s a difficult one. I would say a glass, but you can drink from the bottle, I suppose.

JM: I like how you think!
VVD: A toothbrush?

JM: What do you need to have?
VVD: Ridiculously, I am against it, but it's my mobile. You can do everything with it. I wish I could live without my iPhone, but I don’t think I can. It's not poetic.

JM: So you’re in a house, you have nothing. You have a chair, a table, and a bed. And an iPhone, which is modern. How are you going to eat?
VVD: With my hands?

JM: Something to drink from? If you had a bowl, you could also drink from it.
VVD: That’s possible. It's hard!

JM: It makes you reduce everything, and life's not— Even if you eat with your hands, wouldn’t you want a spoon and a bowl? I would want something to drink from. I would want a bowl. I love bowls. I don’t want to lead your answers, but I would say a bowl, a candle, and a phone?
VVD: The phone kills the poetry.

JM: OK, maybe a bowl, a candle, and a basket (I love baskets)? Do you throw things away or do you keep them?
VVD: I can throw away.

JM: Me too. Is there anything you're sentimental about?
VVD: I have this little yellow vase in my house; it’s the last object that my best friend bought before he died. It’s Belgium ceramic, a little vase he found at a flea market. And this little object I am sentimental about.

JM: What wall color is unfailingly flattering? 
VVD: For me right now, it’s a bone color.

Above: The walls in Van Duysen's Antwerp home are painted a chalky bone shade. Photograph by Juan Rodriguez.

JM: My walls are bone. I agree. I think you have to have enough white, but not too much that the rooms look stark.
VVD: Or charcoal gray.

Above: Van Duysen recently designed the apartment at Graanmarkt 13, in Antwerp, which is available to rent.

JM: What's your favorite shop in Antwerp?
VVD: Graanmarkt 13, an amazing shop. I designed it. It’s actually a shop, a gallery, a hotel, and a restaurant.

Above: A bathroom at the Graanmarkt 13 apartment.

JM: What are some of the hardest design lessons you’ve learned?
VVD: I don’t like the word “lesson,” but, in general, what really bothers me the most is the lack of integrity in design. You know, it’s all about consumption—forms and mannerisms and fashion. Where is the honesty and integrity of the design?

JM: What is your dream project or dream client?
VVD: People are asking me this all the time. It could be a hotel or a museum or a gallery, but it could also be just a shelter, a home by the sea, in nature, away from everything.

JM: Tell me about your earliest interest in design?
VVD: I think my first interest was my own first home. When I returned to Antwerp after living in Milan for a few years, I purchased a loft. The work I did on it was challenging; that's where I could say, "This is me." After architecture school in Ghent, I lived in Milan in the 1980s and worked for Ettore Sottsass—I was a kid of postmodernism. Eventually, I became overwhelmed by colors and forms. I wanted to go back to my roots; I was fascinated by pure, essential forms.

JM: What’s your design process like? How does it start?
VVD: I spend a lot of time initially in a dialogue—I want to know what people are looking for when they contact me, whether it’s creating a piece of furniture or a house or a shop or an office project. Getting to know my client, as a person, and their environment and budget—that’s how I begin.

Above: The hearth at the Graanmarkt 13 apartment.

JM: Is your childhood house reflected in your own look?
VVD: No, not at all. But my dad was in the carpet industry, and I was influenced by that. I loved these primary forms and authentic uses of materials and linens and fabrics, flax or linen carpets.

JM: How do you stay sharp, mentally and physically?
VVD: At this moment, cardio and fitness; plus, I am following a mindfulness training, so while everything is focused on the body, I’m also training my mind.

JM: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
VVD: I want to surprise people with my work and even surprise myself. Every project is customized and tailor-made—it’s all new and each project presents new challenges, but there's that red thread running through my work.
JM: You don't just want people to be surprised by you—you want to surprise yourself. That is really lovely.

We've been tracking Vincent Van Duysen for a while now; see Architect Visit: Vincent Van Duysen Kitchens and Architect Visit: Vincent Van Duysen in Antwerp; one of our favorite recent projects is Black and White Grandeur from Vincent Van Duysen.

See Julianne Moore's introduction to the Remodelista book and have a look at her own Vincent Van Duysen-inspired kitchen remodel in Behind the Scenes: 5 Design Lessons from Julianne Moore. And check out the room in its former guise in Steal This Look: Julianne Moore's West Village Living Room. On all of her interiors, she works with Oliver Freundlich Design.

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A fabric pendant lamp is like a sweater tied around the shoulders—cooly effortless but done with stylistic intent. Swapping a glass or metal fixture for fabric adds an instant ease and lightness to a room. The design world has certainly caught on. Here are 10 of our favorite fabric pendant lights of the moment.

Above: The B7 Sail Cloth Lamp with white leather lacing is €366 (USD $462) from Danish designer Birgit Oestergaard.

Above: The Ay Illuminate Z2 Ona Sisal Lamp is made of bamboo and sisal sourced from Swaziland in collaboration with the Gone Rural project; $775 at Lost & Found in Los Angeles.

Above: From Pierre + Charlotte of Melbourne, the Pacman Pendant Light has a powder-coated metal frame and a removable cotton-linen shade; $440 AUD (USD $385). For more on the designers, see Pierre + Charlotte, A Melbourne Design Duo.

Above: Designed and manufactured by Enoki, the Cumulus Pendant comes in three different sizes and with 11 fabric choices. It's available at stores across Australia, including Les Interieurs, shown here.

Above: The Koushi Lamp, a Remodelista favorite, is by American-in-Paris photographer and designer Mark Eden Schooley. Handmade of wire and cotton fabric, it's 5,900 KR (USD $818) at Artilleriet.

Above: The Linen Pendant Lamp from CB2 has a linen shade and a steel canopy with a nickel finish; it's currently on sale for $39.99.

Above: The Bigger Lamp by Italian designer Orietta Marcon of Oggetti measures about 20 to 24 inches in diameter and is made of hand-finished linen. For pricing and availability, contact Oggetti, and for a DIY version, see DIY: Rustic Linen Lampshades from Italy.

Above: Designed by Nelson Sepulveda for Netherlands-based lighting company Ay Illuminate, the Z1 Cotton Lamp is made of bamboo and cotton; $520.51 at Bodie & Fou. A variation on the design, also from Ay Illuminate, is the Z5 Lamp with a handwoven khadi cover for $450 at Lost & Found.

Above: A suspended shade made of natural linen, the Dream Pendant Lamp by Modus Studio for Cattelan Italia can be used on its own or in a group; $525 each. For more on the design, see High/Low: Linen Pendant Shades.

Above: Made by industrial designer Marc Sarrazin for Petite Friture, the Lampe Moire has a colored polyester shade stretched over a steel frame; €230 (USD $290).

For a DIY version of a fabric lamp, go to DIY: Koushi Lamp by Mark Eden Schooley. See the Schooley design in situ in our post Moon & Hey at Home in NYC.

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We have a weakness for stylishly ragtag cafes and are happy to see them proliferating, from Upstate, NY, to Paris to Tokyo. At our latest find, Tinsel, in Antwerp, there's nothing the least bit glittery on display—and that's why it's so appealing. Owner and cook Tine Lejeune spent four years working for the previous establishment's owners, before taking over the spot and doing things her way.

Above: Tinsel is located in the southern section of the city (conveniently close to museums) and occupies what had been Farine. After Tine came up with a name for her establishment, her boyfriend, Sander de Mol, supplied the graphic design, starting with the window sign.

Above: Tine worked with Belgian interior designer Michiel Mertens of Going East to give her cafe its clean-lined, homey vibe. The communal wood table is paired with vintage chairs on one side and bench seating on the other.

Above: A crucial ingredient: homemade flower arrangements and a touch of greenery. The wood shelving with metal brackets is a rustic version of the glass and metal shelving over the counter.

Above: The cafe's own silkscreened totes and a chalkboard For Sale sign hang from string.

Above: An alcove on a small terrace with a fresco-like stripped wall. A devotee of the cafe called it "equal parts cozy and hipster handmade." 

Above: White margaritas pair well with painted bentwood.

Above: A marble-topped cafe table and vintage chairs that likely came from a school. For a modern version of the seats, see Belgian company Zangra's stackable School Chairs.

Above: A casual but well-designed identity: Tinsel's guest check and business card.

Above: An arrangement with height adds life to a corner. For a faux branch display good enough to fool the experts, read Julie's Design Sleuth: Eternal Olive Branches. 

Tinsel is at 40 Vlaamse Kaai in Antwerp (it occupies a spot formerly called Farine).

Consult our Antwerp City Guide for more of our finds, including the Ultimate High/Low Housewares Store and the Most Memorable B&B. On Gardenista, take a tour of Antwerp's Radical Urban Gardens.

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Looking to bring a bit more gray into your life? Husband-and-wife shop owners Paul Gross and Sophie Yanacupoulus-Gross stand ready with suavely minimalist tableware and furnishings in the perfect palette. Having spent the past three decades in the retail furniture business across Europe, discovering and developing designers, the two recently made the leap to NYC. "New York imposed itself, as it does," says Sophie. With their two kids, they've relocated to Brooklyn and quietly opened the borough's best new housewares shop, Home Stories.

The usual mix of reclaimed wood furniture and locally made pottery this is not. Paul, who is German and French and was raised in the UK, studied sculpture and got his start at London manufacturer and retailer SCP, where he helped launch a generation of British designers, including Jasper Morrison. Sophie is Swedish and Greek; she studied interior design at the Geneva School of Decorative Arts. Together they ran Atmosphere, a concept shop/showroom/interior-design studio in Geneva, filled with their own work and favorite pieces by others. They’ve transplanted this well-honed vision to what was formerly a comic book shop in Brooklyn Heights. Paul designed the space, including the Italian-built, custom cabinetry and shelving, all painted in a flat gray. The neutral palette extends to the gray-stained wood floors and the merchandise. Have a look.

Photography by Pascal Perich, courtesy of Home Stories.

Above: The second-story window, facing Montague Street, displays an all-white group of stools and lanterns.

Above: The Belgian look comes to Brooklyn: Inside the store, the Gross's own made-to-order furniture is arranged alongside upholstered seating from Paola Navone for Gervasoni and 19th-century Chinese ceramic stools. 

Above: Black dishes by Nelson Sepulveda for Dutch company Ay Illuminet, and Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa's paper wallets. The rattan basket lights are also from Ay Illuminet.

Above: A sampling from Sepulveda's seven-piece matte-black collection.

Above: Bird's Nest Set pendant lamps by Sepulveda hover over a table arranged with linen scarves and more of Fukasawa's paper designs.

Above: The matte gray custom shelves are stocked with industrial stools, Fog Linen Work baskets, and French canvas bins.

Above: Reissued French industrial stools from Nicolle are available in a range of colors, from $268 to $375.

Above: Rolls of natural hemp kilim rugs.

Above: Ceramics from British designer Daniel Smith come in subtle shades of gray and moss.

Above: A linen-slipcovered Gervasoni sofa and armchairs surround 19th-century Chinese "peasant benches" on a coffee table.

Above: Custom sliding doors in the back of the shop lead to a light-filled studio. Paul and Sophie had all the matte-lacquered cabinetry and shelving made in Italy to their specifications and shipped over.

Above: Gervasoni tall-backed chairs in gray and white stand alongside a bed layered in linen.

For more of our favorite NYC discoveries, including design shops and well-designed restaurants and hotels, see our New York City Metro guide. On Gardenista, Erin presents Brooklyn Heights' Most Beautiful Roses.

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If you count all the hours we allot to plumping pillows, smoothing sheets, straightening shams, and fussing over how the whole thing looks, we spend as much time on our beds as in them. Yet the results never look as good as pictures in magazines. Enough already. I am a busy person and so are you. Here's a foolproof system to make a bed inviting enough to make it hard to say goodbye each morning.

For tips on bed-making (and a philosophical discussion about what the state of your bed says about you), I turned to Tricia Rose, a bedding expert who owns Rough Linen and has given a lot of thought to the topic.

"Virtually any bed looks beautiful if it has a woman lying naked in it, on her side, seen from behind, with a sheet carelessly draped across her bottom," Tricia said.

"I could try that, I suppose, but I don't know if it's sustainable," I said. "What about on days I have to go into the office? How can I make it look good then?"

"Easy," she said. "You have to get to the heart of it—what is your bedroom for?"

Above: A case for the loosely made bed. Photograph by Debi Treloar.

Your bedroom is the most private room in the house, and it should be the most personal. Your bed should feel like the ultimate sanctuary and make you happy every time you get into it. "Show-off-y beds are a thing of the past," Tricia said.

So are fussy pillows—remember the era of "my husband has to throw 14 tiny pillows onto the floor so he can get into bed?" It's over. Instead:

Secret No. 1: Get the right pillows. By all means keep your favorite pillow—the flat, dingy one you've been carting around since childhood because it has just the right squish factor to lull you to sleep—but also invest in a pair of beautiful goose down pillows. On her bed Tricia has a White Goose Down Pillow; available in standard, queen, and king sizes at prices ranging from $104.99 to $172.49 at Warm Things.

Goose down pillows will look plump and make your bed look welcoming no matter whether you lay them flat or prop them against the headboard. "Some people do pillows like a stack of pancakes and others like magazines in a rack that faces forward, and either looks good," said Tricia.

Above: A set of standard size Garment-Dyed Linen Pillowcases is $65 and a Garment-Dyed Linen Flat Sheet is available in 18 colors; from $55 to $109 depending on size at Restoration Hardware.

Secret No. 2: Buy a bolster. Then push it up against the headboard and leave it there. A twill 30-inch-long Bolster Cover is available in eight colors for $39 to $89, and a 30-inch-long Synthetic Bolster Insert is $26, both from Pottery Barn.

"If you read in bed, having a bolster to fill in that horrible corner where the mattress meets the headboard, feels so much better," said Tricia. "And it's no work at all, because you don't touch it. You don't have to move it to make the bed in the morning. It stays put."

Above: Bed linens made of linen; a Pure Belgian Linen Sheet ($154 for queen size) and a lightweight Summer Cover ($220 for a queen size) are available from Rough Linen.

Secret No. 3: Instead of cotton sheets and pillowcases, put linen on your bed. (After all, this category of textiles is called bed linens for a reason.) "What I love about linen is you can stand at the end of the bed and with both hands go 'flick," and it looks beautiful, wrinkles and all," Tricia said. "It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth or perfect at all, because linen already is perfect."

Linen linens look good even when mussed. But I have to point out this is not the way I was taught to make a bed. Housekeeping had very strict rules. My mother ironed bed sheets and taught me to make hospital corners before she taught me to read. On each bed: a fitted sheet, a top sheet, a blanket, a quilted bedspread, and two pillows. She folded back the spread, precisely placed pillows on it, then re-folded. Bed making took about 10 minutes, and the result looked like a dead body was lying under the spread at the head of the bed.

How did your mother make the bed? Prepare yourself emotionally for Tricia's next suggestion; my mother (and probably yours) would consider it heresy:

Above: A tranquil, Shaker-inspired bedroom by Ilse Crawford at High Road House just outside London.

Secret No. 4: Ditch the fitted sheet and instead tuck in a flat sheet around the mattress. "Fitted sheets are an excrescence," said Tricia. "Mattresses are all different depths. Fitted sheets never fit properly and they never look good." Instead, she suggests, use a big flat sheet—if necessary, buy one that's a size larger than your mattress—and tuck it tightly around the mattress.

(Fitted sheet or no? Where do you stand on the subject? Tell us in the comments section below.)

Above: A generous Flat Sheet big enough to be tucked in all around the mattress is available in five sizes at prices ranging from $140 to $220 from Rough Linen.

Housekeeping is a personal thing. Next to religion, I can't think of a topic on which I have stronger opinions. (Don't get me started on bleach.) Your mother, like mine, knew how to make hospital corners. Perhaps you still employ this technique every time you make a bed. If not, relearn; 18-year-old Army recruits can do it. Here's a Basic Training Video to refresh your memory.

Secret No. 5: You don't need a top sheet. Instead, stuff a comforter inside a duvet cover (preferably a linen one) and let the cover do the job of a sheet. "The only function of a top sheet, if you have a duvet, is to wrap itself around your legs while you sleep and to become untucked," said Tricia.

Bonus: by eliminating a top sheet, you will be able to make the bed faster and more easily in the morning.

Above: A White Goose Down Comforter is $338 to $568, depending on size, and a Down-Alternative Comforter is $118 to $148 from Garnet Hill.

Secret No. 6: Buy the right size comforter insert to stuff inside the duvet cover. "The silly thing is there isn’t a standard for the sizes of duvet infills, so you can't just buy 'queen' or 'king' and be done with it; you have to measure your duvet cover," said Tricia. "To fill it up, buy an infill that is at least two or three inches larger. You can even buy one that's six inches larger, and the infill should mush nicely in there." On Tricia's bed is a Down Comforter from Warm Things.

Secret No. 7: Buy nonslip casters and place them under the feet of your bed to keep it from moving. Then you can lean against the headboard and read without fearing you will slide all over the room. Under her bed's legs, Tricia has placed Nonslip Furniture Cups; they're $16.21 for a set of four from Wayfair.

"This is all I have to do to make my bed look as good as if a naked woman were lying in it on her side?" I asked.

"Well, to make it look nearly as good," Tricia said. For some things, there are no substitution.

See more of Michele's Domestic Dispatches, including Will I Ever Master the Remote and The Unused Kitchen, and, on Gardenista, the Closet Cleanout: 10 Essential Clothing Pieces and How to Care for a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree.

N.B.: This is an update of a post published March 18, 2013 during Loft Living week.

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Love the low-key luxe look of Belgian design masters such as Vincent Van Duysen and Axel Vervoordt? Here are 10 ideas for getting the vibe (a few budget options included).

Above: All of us at Remodelista are obsessed with Vincent Van Duysen's living room. See more in yesterday's post 20 Questions: Julianne Moore and Vincent Van Duysen Talk Design. Photograph by Manolo Yllera via Yellow Trace.

Above: The flatweave, black-and-off-white striped Stockholm Rug from Ikea is available in two sizes; the large (8 feet 2 inches by 11 feet 6 inches) is $299 and the small (5 feet 7 inches by 7 feet 10 inches) is $199.

Above: We like the way Vincent Van Duysen's curtains pool romantically on the floor. Linen Cotton Curtains from West Elm do the trick (prices start at $59); available in white, ivory, flax, and gray.

Above: Founded by Belgium-born Tom Verellen in 1999, the Verellen Home Collection features pieces reminiscent of Axel Vervoordt's slipcovered designs. Based in High Point, North Carolina, Verellen makes all its furniture from solid maple hardwood with doweled joinery; the linen slipcovers are sewn by dressmakers. To find a dealer, go to Verellen. The Thibault Sofa, shown above, is $5,375 from Hudson Boston.

Above: The Lumina Daphine Tavolo, designed by Tommaso Cimini in 1975, is possibly the most elegant lamp in the world, beautiful, simple, functional, and timeless. The Lumina Daphine Tavolo Table Light is $475 and the Lumina Daphine Terra Floor Lamp is $575, from Richard Ostell.

Above: The Benson Sawhorse Coffee Table is available in three sizes and three finishes (black, brown, and natural reclaimed oak); prices start $1,115 from Restoration Hardware.

Above: An essential feature of the Belgian look: wide-plank pale oak floors. Dinesen sets the standard; see World's Most Beautiful Wood Floors.

Above: The 3.5-inch-tall Michael Verheyden T Light in alabaster, made in Belgium, is $65 from Garde, in Los Angeles.

Above: Source a Turkish kilim floor cushion like this Kilim Kidney Pillow for $157.50 at Rummage in the US, and at Germany's Kuhfelle Online.

Above: The 20-inch-tall Henan Lamp from Jayson Home & Garden is $295.

Above: Chalky shades of greige and gray from Farrow & Ball; clockwise from upper left: String, Stony Ground, Slipper Satin, and Chemise. Photograph from House Beautiful. 

Looking for more design tips? Peruse our Steal This Look posts—including Steal This Look: A Luxe Belgian Living Room—and go to Gardenista's Garden Ideas to Steal series. Working on your kitchen? See 14 Kitchen Storage Tricks to Steal from the Bathroom.

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When it comes to paint, do the Belgians know best? Mineral-based, natural limewash is a Belgian basic with a chalky, nuanced texture that only gets better with age. Environmentally friendly and used for centuries, limewash is one of the original house paints. Should it be on your short list? 

Above: A limewashed wall in a room by Axel Vervoordt. See more of the Belgian design impresario's work in our post about the Penthouse Suite at New York's Greenwich Hotel that he designed for Robert De Niro.

What is limewash?

An ancient house staple dating back to Roman times, limewash is made from limestone that's been crushed, burned, and mixed with water to make a lime putty. The putty is aged and then thinned with water and colored with natural pigments. Limewash creates surfaces that are mottled and matte with a chalky texture something like suede. It lends a depth and luminosity to flat walls. 

Above: Limewash creates a textured, shadowy effect. Photograph via Kalklitir.

Is limewash environmentally friendly?

Free of solvents that have pushed paints to the top of the household environmental hazards list, traditional limewash is made from natural lime and natural pigments. Even some modern varieties that contain additional binding agents use mineral additives that keep the environmentally-friendly attributes intact. 

Lime's high pH level means microorganisms can't survive, which adds a hypoallergenic quality. Proponents also argue that limewash has a chemical makeup that removes odors (and harmful CO2), improving interior air quality. 

Above: Light-colored limewash walls at the Moka & Vanille Bed & Breakfast in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.

Where can I use limewash?

Limewash can be used indoors and out. Unlike most house paints that sit atop surfaces, limewash sinks in, so it's best applied to porous surfaces, such as plaster, stone, and brick. That said, limewash (especially premade, modern varieties that may already have mineral-binding additives) can be applied to drywall as long as an appropriate primer is used. The key is to go with a mineral-based primer—such as an acrylic primer (used often under latex paints)—that creates a surface the limewash can bond to.

Above: A traditional exterior protective coating, limewash is breathable, allowing evaporation of moisture. Photograph via Leeton Pointon Architecture.

What colors does limewash come in?

In its base form, limewash is off-white. Color is achieved by adding natural, alkali-resistant pigments, which are available in shades dictated by what the earth has to offer. Browns, grays, and taupes are the norm.  

Above: Kalklitir Lime Wash with natural pigments, before water is added. Photograph via Komedal Road.

Keep in mind that limewash becomes much lighter as it dries. It's up to 10 times darker when it's wet; so it's important to test colors. The opacity depends on the number of coats that are applied; typically up to three coats are recommended. This is a paint that requires an openness to chance. Colors vary depending on the pigments used, the composition and porosity of the surface being painted, and the application of the paint.

Above: A sampling of premixed colors available from Kalklitir Lime Wash. (Kalklitir Sample Cards are available to order from Komedal Road.) 

Where can I get limewash?

Though much more common in Europe than the US, limewash (with and without colorants added) is available from several manufacturers. Sydney Harbour Paint Company, the North American arm of Australia's Porter Paints, offers Exterior Lime Wash, as well as an interior lime-based, natural paint line called Interno Lime Wash in a wide range of shades. BioPittura is a classic lime paint that can be used indoors and out. New to the US, Kalklitir Natural Lime Wash from Sweden is offered in a small but gorgeous collection of colors from Komedal Road of Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Roma BioCalce Limewash and Olivetti Organic Finishes Lime Paints come without color additives. They are specifically designed to be tinted with Natural Oxide Earth Pigments. 

Above: White made soft with limewash in a Belgian dining room. Photograph via Corical Lime Paint.

Can I make my own limewash? 

Mixing your own limewash is the budget-friendly way to go. It's a simple process that involves making a lime putty from hydrated lime (available at hardware stores) mixed with water, and then gradually diluting the concoction with water until it has the consistency of thick cream. Natural pigments are added for color. See DIY Network's How to Make Limewash Paint for a thorough tutorial. 

Above: Creating limewash putty. Photograph via DIY Network.

Above: Adding pigment to limewash. Photograph via DIY Network.

How is limewash applied?

Limewash should be applied in several thin coats using a long-haired or masonry paintbrush that creates feathered strokes. Never use a roller. Kalklitir of Sweden's "How to Apply Lime Color to a Wall" Video details the application process and shows how the paint soaks in and dries.

Above L: A Raffia Limewash Brush (which could perhaps do double-duty as a cleaning brush); £15 (USD $24) at Saudade, in London. Above R: The Liquitex Freestyle Giant Block Brush is $36.50 at McCollum Interiors.

How do I clean my limewashed walls?

Cleaning limewashed walls is not recommended, nor is it often required: Limewash's mottled, shadowy effect shows much less dirt than standard painted surfaces do. But should walls need a touch up, simply apply a diluted re-coat of limewash. 

Above: Limewashed walls work well in a room of grays, silvers, and blues. Photograph via Komedal Road.

Limewash Recap

Pros:

• Breathable (no condensation in damp conditions).
• Natural, solvent-free, and hypoallergenic.
• Absorbs odors.
• Naturally bacteria-resistant.

Cons: 

• Limited color palette.
• Mottled appearance hard to control and not to everyone's liking. 
• May require several coats to get the desired effect.
• Not easily cleaned; may require a re-coat.

Our resident paint expert, Meredith, presents All You Need to Know about VOCs in Paint. Considering wallpaper instead? Alexa found a Handmade Wallpaper Inspired by Nature. 

See all our Palette & Paints Features. 

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Imagine cycling in the Flemish countryside and discovering an abandoned ruin of a once-grand house, 17th-century tower included. Most would probably muse about the possibilities, get frightened off by the challenges, and then cycle away. Bram Seghers and Inge Buyse, however, are not most people. Founding partners of Buyse Seghers Architects, the couple bought the house to renovate and to live in with their two sons.

Known for their thoughtful design and sensitivity to light and proportion, the architects were careful to respect the architecture of the house, whose three-century span from the 17th to the 20th is visible in the layered marks of the exterior brickwork. “Even though the house had been continuously rebuilt, expanded, and altered, it was always thought of as one coherent structure, and we took the same approach," Seghers says. ”Our interventions do not have to be noticed; nor do we think that a strong contrast between the new and the old is always necessary.” 

The architects created a modern, open feeling by bringing in more light through the house with new windows and additional interior openings. A multifunctional plan means that the house can function as one large home or two houses with separate entrances, providing ultimate flexibility for family living. “My parents currently occupy the second living unit, and my brother uses the upstairs studio when he joins us at Christmas and Easter. We open up the interconnecting, oversize doors, and it feels like one large, loftlike space, full of family and children.” A perfect fairy-tale ending.

Photography by Frederik Vercruysse via This Is Paper.

Above: The architects discovered the picturesque property while cycling in the Flemish countryside in Lovendegem, a town on the outskirts of Ghent. The property consists of the main house (pictured above), a few outer buildings, and an English garden.

Above: In the entry hall, the bluestone floor tiles are arranged in a classic Belgian pattern.

Above: From the dining room, there's an uninterrupted view of the kitchen back to the entry wall, showing three different floor finishes, soaped solid oak, Rouge Belge marble, and bluestone tiles. 

Above: In the kitchen, the pale green of the kitchen cabinets complements the Rouge Belge marble countertops and floor. "We chose the wall colors to harmonize with the natural materials used in each room," Seghers says. "Rooms that have marble floors have a soft gray on the walls."

Above: "The red marble is Rouge Belge, chosen by the slab and selected for the combination of white veining that adds freshness," Seghers says.

Above: The spare decor in the dining room with pale green walls is offset by the crystal chandelier, which was a family hand-me-down. "It came from Inge’s aunt," Seghers says. "We know nothing about it, but thought it was a perfect match. The crystal pieces give off beautiful light."

Above: The architects chose the white cotton fabric for the curtains for its ability to drape into soft but distinct folds.

Above: Large interior openings throughout the house provide glimpses of other rooms; the living room, seen here from the dining room, allows large amounts of natural light to flow through.

Above: A dark green classic French bistro teacup with saucer and milk jug set from Limoges sits on a stone fireplace mantel with a powdered white finish that has been handcut to the architects' design.

Above: A view from the kitchen into the living room and dining room beyond. The large doors in the dining room open up to an adjacent office. 

Above: In the office, the architects installed a small oval window, called an œil-de-bœuf, on the side of the house to allow more light in.

Above: Pale blue walls in the master bedroom complement the dark wood floorboards. "We always choose color on site, with painted wall samples in different tints," Seghers says. "We test the colors against the exterior light conditions throughout the day."

Above: A childhood desk lamp is repurposed into a bedside lamp.

Above: "Old floorboards that span the room were removed, restored, and reinstalled along with the original staircase," Seghers says. "We stained them a dark color and scrubbed them with a beeswax finish."

Above: Double doors lead to an expansive bathroom.

Above: The palette of the bathroom is off-white and neutral. The offset stacking pattern of the glazed porcelain tiles adds a simple but effective graphic note.

Above: Porcelain tiles line the walls of the shower. 

Above: A portrait of the architects Bram Seghers and Inge Buyse as captured by photographer Frederik Vercruysse. The photos for this series were a result of a collaboration between the architects and Vercruysse titled "Portrait of House." "Seeing Frederik’s personal work, "Table Composition," we were quite taken by the care and attention to detail and proportion he seems to share with ours," Seghers says.

Above: In the back, the architects opened up the house to the garden and mirror pond by adding windows and carefully widening existing openings. The side elevations were opened up by adding porte-fenetres and an œil-de-bœuf placed into a rocaille stucco finish. 

Above: A view through the back with the mirror pond frozen over. "The property itself is still in continuous evolution," Seghers says. "We are working on a design for a new outer building that will house our offices, still renovating the garden and continually buying and designing pieces that will add to the interior over time."

Above: The entry level floor plan to Roode Port, the property's official name, illustrates how the house can be used as one large unit or separated into two smaller ones. 

Above: The master bedroom is located on the second floor.

Above: The third floor houses studios and additional family members.

Above: A cross section of the house.

Planning a cycling trip in Flanders and need somewhere to stay? See Glamorous Farm for Rent, Belgian Edition and A Bohemian B&B in Belgium. On Gardenista, we share 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from Belgium. 

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For years we've been coveting the clean, industrial lighting that inspired architect Eve van Dyck to launch her company, Zangra, one fixture at a time. For fans in North America, the wait is finally over. Van Dyck has responded to requests and will soon release several of her most popular models retrofitted for the US market.

What does this mean exactly? Fixtures will have a socket size that accommodates the standard US lightbulb (E26 vs. the European E27 socket). The fixtures will be designed for 110V (rather than the 220V European current), and they'll be UL-rated, able to stand up to even the toughest code inspector.

Zangra's North America–compatible lights can be ordered through Top Hat, in New York City (website coming soon; in the meantime, call 212-677-4240). They'll be carrying the collection in the months to come. 

Above: Zangra's Pure Porcelain 008-02 hardwired light is one of the models being retrofitted for US electrical requirements.

Above: The same design, Zangra's Pure Porcelain 007-002, is available with a frosted glass shade.

Above: A modern take on a basic, Zangra's Retro Pure Porcelain 027 Light is also part of the first wave of lights coming to the US market. Read about the history of the fixture and see other options in Megan Wilson's Object Lessons: The Classic Porcelain Light Socket.

Above: Top Hat currently stocks Zangra's range of colorful pendant lighting cords with sockets. Made in Belgium, each light has 10 feet of textile-covered cable, an Italian bakelite socket with pull chain, and a UL-listed plug for use in the US. Contact Top Hat for current stock and pricing, and see more of what Top Hat offers in our post The Perfect Store for This and That.

Go to Industrial Lighting, Belgian Style and A New Take on the Classic School Chair for more of Zangra's offerings. Operating on a tight budget? Check out Alexa's Moody Transformation of a Hardware-Store Clamp Light and Izabella's DIY Industrial Wall Light for $15.

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• Announcing the Remodelista Markets 2014
• A Chic Chair Made with a Surprise Material
• 10 Design Ideas Inspired by the Belgian Masters

Currently on our radar: Zoé Bezençon and Luc Vincent's Vinyl-Vinyl, a chair with a painted metal frame and elegant vinyl pads that come in potent, midcentury colors. Bezençon, an up and coming Brussels-based, Swiss designer, believes in “looking for the essence of things.” If this is what she and Vincent envision in vinyl, we’re looking forward to more.

Above: The slim-profiled chair is versatile. It comes in several colors and can be used as a desk chair or dining chair.

Above: Bezençon and Vincent created a raw edge detail for the vinyl pads.

Above: The vinyl pads are screwed to the metal frame.

Above: The Vinyl-Vinyl Chair is available through Belgian housewares emporium Serax (it's on the company's site but not in their online shop). For more information, contact Serax. To see more of the designers' work, go to Zoé Bezençon and Luc Vincent.

For more Belgian-inspired seating, have a look at 5 Favorites: Modern Leather Sling Chairs and Belgium by Way of Manhattan: Dimitriy & Co. On Gardenista, we're looking at a Belgian-style DIY Floral Arrangement: A Bouquet Inspired by Old-World Still Lifes.

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• Announcing the Remodelista Markets 2014
• Lighting: Zangra's Belgian Basics Arrive Stateside
• 10 Design Ideas Inspired by the Belgian Masters

We launched the Remodelista Markets four years ago on a whim; borrowing a venue in Mill Valley from friends and inviting our favorite local vendors to set up shop for a day. It was our idea of the best sort of holiday party—a nice way to connect with the many lovely makers and designers whose work we feature and an opportunity to meet and mingle with our readers.

We've held 11 markets to date, and this holiday season we're thrilled to be bringing our one-day shopping event—emphasizing well-made, one-of-a-kind goods for the home—to London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. We hope you can join us on one side of the pond or the other; for more details, visit Remodelista Markets.

Above: Photograph of Tiina Laakkonen's house, which is featured in Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home, by Matthew Williams (also see Tiina the Store). Note that we will be selling and signing our book at all the markets.

London

We will be at The New Craftsmen in Mayfair (34 North Row, Mayfair, London, W1K 6DG), on Saturday, November 15, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. We'll be featuring an array of local Brit designers and creatives, with an emphasis on the hand-made and goods for the home—mixed with a healthy smattering of lifestyle products too. 

Los Angeles

Post London, we return to the West Coast to kick off the holiday season with our Los Angeles Remodelista Market at Big Daddy’s Antiques (3334 La Cienega Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90016) on Saturday, December 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fans of Gardenista, please note that we'll have a dedicated Gardenista section in our SF and LA markets, with Terrain as our cohost.

San Francisco

The following week, with Gardenista, we return to our home turf with the San Francisco Remodelista Market at Heath Ceramics (2900 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110) on Saturday, December 13. 

To help you keep track of our events, we've created a Remodelista Markets page, featuring a list of our London participants and updates on our SF and LA lineup. You can check out market hours, see photos from our previous markets, follow our Instagram feed, and link to our new Pinterest page highlighting the goods on offer.

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Not many New York designers dare to go dark, but Richard Ostell does. "I feel we've lost a sense of peacefulness in our lives, and our homes can be that place," he says. In this West Village townhouse for a client with an aversion to clinical white rooms, Ostell turned to the Belgians for his palette: "natural colors like grays, taupes, and greiges channel a feeling of timelessness and complete tranquillity."

Above: The turn-of-the-century brick townhouse had been chopped up into apartments. Its current owner, an entrepreneur with a young son, worked with an architect to restore the landmark to a single-family dwelling—which involved completely gutting and reinventing the interior. "Only the front and back wall are original," says Ostell, who stepped in when construction was under way and was hired to fill in all the details. The front door and windows are painted in a Benjamin Moore bluish black, which he describes as "a really beautiful, odd color that works well with the bricks."

Above: "My client wanted to be able to close the front door and be in his own relaxing, private space with his art collection. He didn't want light and bright; he wanted a warm, cocooning feeling." says Ostell. The living room, shown here, is painted in a Benjamin Moore soft gray called Upper West Side, trim and ceiling included. One of Ostell's tips for making moody colors work is to avoid interrupting them with white or pale-painted trim—"that adds a formality that I try to avoid." The sofa is from Dmitriy & Co. (see Belgium by Way of Manhattan) and the daybed is an Ostell design made by Dmitriy & Co. in the same Belgian gray linen as the sofa. The coffee table is a custom design by Ostell in "oak with a very, very dark stain—the owner likes dark woods." The painting is by American abstract expressionist Ron Gorchov.

Above: An 18th-century English trestle table found on 1st Dibs serves as an anchor—and a place to perch a light—for a floating sofa. The ceramic lamp is a vintage Swedish design from Michael Del Piero, in Chicago. The stacked vase is by contemporary Austrian potter Matthias Kaiser, who Ostell represents in his small online shop and counts as one of his great discoveries. The rugs in the house were sourced from Double Knot, in NYC's TriBeCa.

Above: Ostell's choice of lighting in every room is worth noting. Carl Witzmann's 1929 Wall Light with an Opaline Glass Ball, shown here, is from Woka, an Austrian company specializing in period reproductions. "The style of the house and its location dictated a lot of the choices. Everything also had to work with the art. The project was all about mixing periods and styles, high and low, to achieve a cohesive whole."

Above: A photograph of a blue rock face hangs next to the living room mantel—it and the Gorchov were designated for the room before Ostell got to work. The Morgan Chairs in charcoal velvet are from Jayson Home, in Chicago: "I wanted that traditional English look in a really elegant, simple shape with good legs. Nothing fussy," says Ostell. "Other than at George Smith, they're hard to find. Jayson Home's are beautifully made." The wide-board floors throughout are all new, but built from reclaimed wood that looks very much at home. 

Above: Like the floors, all the architectural details had to be added. Ostell designed the living room's classic walnut mantel—"the mandate was to come up with something simple and traditional that looks as if it's always been there. First I sketched it, then I drew it to scale on kraft paper and taped it to the wall with painter's tape. The owner was so happy with it, he almost didn't feel the need to go ahead with the real thing." The round mirror in is a 1960s design in black-and-white marble from Stellar Union, in Southampton. The tea bowls are by Matthias Kaiser.

Above: One of Ostell's specialties is his minimalist furniture designs, including this Cantilever Side Table, which holds his all-time favorite light, the halogen Lumina Daphine Tavolo, "designed in 1975 and in production ever since" (we have to mention that it's a favorite of Vincent Van Duysen's as well).

Above: Gorchov's signature is the curved, shield-like canvas.

Above: Another Gorchov hangs in the office, where the wall color shifts ever so slightly to a Benjamin Moore taupe called Gothic Arch. The desk is an Edward Wormley rolltop from the 1950s and the credenza is a 1960s design, both found on 1st Dibs.

Above: Architect Annabelle Selldorf's Escutcheon ceiling lights in patinated brass line the beamed ceiling of the kitchen on the ground floor, shown here with a glimpse of the stairs that lead down from the parlor floor. 

Above: The fully custom kitchen is in an off-white and the subway tiles are a very pale green. Ostell introduced the counters, which are honed granite—"I like its silky, soapy feel"—and the antique French hanging lights. "My client loves to cook and entertain and wanted a communal feeling, and a lot of controllable light (so everything is on dimmers)." The oil-rubbed brass knobs and pulls are from Restoration Hardware.

Above: The dining table, a piece the client already owned, is a Nakashima-style design that Ostell surrounded with Wakayama chairs from White on White. (For more ideas, see 10 Easy Pieces: The Windsor Chair Revisited.) The leather-topped stools are midcentury pieces.

Above: A ribbon-like stair winds through the house. This second-floor door leads to a guest room. Like the walls, it's painted the same Benjamin Moore gray as the parlor. The glowing brass ceiling light is a 1904 Koloman Moser design from Woka. 

Above: A striped runner from Double Knot leads to the master bedroom, located on the top floor of the house, where the palette is the darkest: The walls and ceiling are painted a deep Benjamin Moore gray fittingly called Stormy Sky.

Above: An antique textile covers the four-poster bed. The bedside light is the Paris in brass with a silk cord from O'Lampia Studio on the Bowery, makers of custom lights. 

Above: During the remodel, the third floor was opened to the attic and two rows of windows were introduced. They have electronic roller blinds (with solar shades and blackout shades) that disappear by day. Like all of the electronics in the house, they're kept out of sight and are controlled at the touch of an iPad mini.

Above: Brioni, a drop-pendant chandelier designed by Koloman Moser in 1914, hangs over the master bathtub, positioned under a skylight "with a full view of the stars." The walls are the same gray as the bedroom. A walnut ledge serves as a bath-side shelf.

Above: Another Koloman Moser chandelier (this one in a foyer); the Austrian architect created the lights for use in houses he designed.

Above: A mirror from Restoration Hardware leans against the slate-tiled shower.

Above: The palette extends to the guest quarters: The walls in this guest room are painted Benjamin Moore Gallery Buff and framed with taupe velvet curtains. The brass bedside light is another O'Lampia design called Bubble. The lantern ceiling light—Ostell's (and Restoration Hardware's) salute to a Vincent Van Duysen design—is the Modern Filament Pendant.  

We're longtime devotees of Ostell's work. For more of his design tips, read Expert Advice: How to Create a Low-Key Luxe Look. Learn about his online shop in our post Slow Design from Richard Ostell and go to Richard Ostell. Have a look at two of his own former residences in House Call: Richard Ostell in Westchester and A Brit in Milwaukee. And stay tuned for more.

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• Best of the Belgians: 10 Favorite Architects and Designers
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Like a lot of good finds these days, I discovered Atelier Solarshop on Instagram via SF-based photographer Leslie Williamson. She first visited the Antwerp shop three years ago after photographing architect Renaat Braem’s house in Belgium for her book Modern Originals, and when she struck up a conversation with co-owner Piëtro Celestina (his partner is clothing designer Jan-Jan Van Essche—the couple met as students at Antwerp Fashion Academy), she immediately knew that, as she puts it, “they were my sort of people.” Thirty minutes later, over a cup of tea (it’s that sort of place), she spotted a copy of her first book, Handcrafted Modern, on a table. When she told Piëtro it was her book, he told her that they always kept their copy out to inspire their clients. The three have been great friends ever since. 

I asked Piëtro how it all came to be and here's what he had to say: "When we first started renting the space in 2008 as an atelier for the Jan-Jan Van Essche brand, we didn’t have any furniture, so we promised ourselves that we would only be satisfied with stuff we really loved but had no budget to spend. So naturally we ended up hunting and collecting pieces we liked. Before we knew it, we had far too many beautiful things and decided to start sharing our treasures. It all went unplanned and in a very organic and intuitive way." For more, visit their store at Atelier Solarshop.

Above: Piëtro and Jan-Jan in front of their store. The space was formerly a solar-panel shop. Piëtro explains, "We fell in love with the space and its name. We stuck the word Atelier in front and started experimenting with the shop." 

Above: A rustic wooden clothes rack featuring Jan-Jan Van Essche's line. The store also features clothing from other European designers such as Katrien Van Hecke, Hui-Hui, and Daniel Andresen, and is always evolving.

Above: Teakwood candleholders on display with other vintage finds. The pieces are sourced from a wide range of places, including markets, collectors, secret spots, and even from the street. As Piëtro notes, "You would be surprised how much you can find when you really start looking." 

Above: Mirrors repurposed with macrame hangers. As for their vintage pursuits, Piëtro and Jan-Jan confess to being "addicted, so we’re constantly searching. It’s a lot of work but gives us a lot of satisfaction as well."

Above: A jacket hangs on a wooden door used as a display prop. Piëtro explains, "We’ve been labeled many things, such as pop-up store, concept store, curated shop, but it’s actually just a space in constant motion."

Above: On the floor is an Armenian handwoven rug with a cushion from the designer At-Swim-Two-Birds.

Above: The desk/shelving is a vintage Poul Cadovius Royal System.

Above: Brass mixed with ceramics by Berlin-based designer Katharina Trudzinski. 

Above: Scarves hang from a wood and brass rack. The leather bag is by Christopher Dellstrand. 

Above: Piëtro tells us, "We’ve been working with different clothing designers and craftsmen over the past few years, and the shop constantly evolves. Because of Atelier Solarshop’s space and energy, we have attracted many other creatives on the same frequency. Leslie Williamson is a perfect example." He later adds, "It feels like family; the more the merrier."

If you are headed to Belgium and looking for places to stay, Boulevard Leopold is a favorite. For more Belgian resources, check out our Travel Guide with our list of our recommended shops and restaurants. 

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"It's a painterly time of year, and we're drawn to Flemish landscapes where the horizon dissolves into a smudge," writes Michelle. This week she and her crew have been trying out tricks for creating an Old Masters look, inside and out.

Above: It turns out that dark, high-peaked garden buildings aren't the sole province of Belgium. In Garden Visit, Kendra explores black barns in the UK that provide the perfect backdrop for fields of flowers. Ready to re-create the look? For exterior paint tips, go to Curb Appeal: A Perfect Palette for a Dark Facade.

Above: Meredith goes sleuthing for the best and biggest terracotta planters in 10 Easy Pieces—and then explains How to Prevent Terracotta Cracks in the winter.

Above: Shrubbery makes an ideal privacy fence—and some hedges wear hats. Learn more in 10 Garden Ideas to Steal from Belgium.

Above: Floral artist Sophia explains the principles behind creating a painterly arrangement with pomegranates in this week's DIY Project.

Above: Michelle leads the way to the Belgian province of Limburb to explore A Fairy-Tale Farmhouse Rescued from Ruin, Before shots included.

Go to Belgian Masters to explore more of this week on Gardenista.

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• New on Gardenista: Glamour, Wild and Tamed

The Belgian design aesthetic: Forever pleasing and always moreish. In this roundup, we catch up with our favorite Belgian architects and designers and circle in on their low-key luxe vibe.

Above: Belgian design impresario Axel Vervoordt, godfather to the rough-yet-refined Belgian look that has captivated the design world in the past decade, began with the classical before moving into the minimalist world of the wabi-sabi. See his latest project at the Greenwich Hotel in On Top of the World: A Belgian Antiquarian Designs a Penthouse in NYC.

Above: Belgian design master Vincent Van Duysen likens the Belgian aesthetic to the "art of living"; read more about his design philosophy at 20 Questions: Julianne Moore and Vincent Van Duysen Talk Design. His protégé Nicolas Schuybroek (see below) says, "Working out a door handle for him is as important as designing a tower for him. The strength of an architect lies in the fact that he can deliver everything, from construction to interior."

Above: Nicolas Schuybroek's own living room, near Ixelles Ponds, in Belgium, via Coffeeklatch. Schuybroek worked as a project director in Vincent Van Duysen's office for five years before striking out on his own a couple of years ago; he's already making waves (see Belgian Luxury on the Côte d'Azur and Stealth Statement Kitchens from a Belgian Architect). "Your personality gets shaped when you work for someone else. I owe Vincent for getting me where I am today."

Above: Stephanie Laperre worked as an interior architect for Vincent Van Duysen for almost a decade before forming Daskal Laperre with Daphne Daskal.

Above: The living room of Walda Pairon, the Doyenne of Belgian Design, features limewashed walls with a simple vintage wooden trestle table and an antique upholstered armchair.

Above: Karin Draaijer in Belgium is one of our favorite under-the-radar interior designers; see more at Karin Draaijer in Belgium.

Above: In A Belgian B&B, Surrealism Included, designer and gallery owner Sofie Lachaert displays a minimalist dining table by Maarten van Severen and wooden stools by Casimir. Photograph by Danica Kus.

Above: Interior designer Dorien Cooreman's restored farmhouse in Belgium features an understated luxe vibe; see more at Hotels & Lodging: Moka & Vanille in Belgium.

Above: Architects Buyse Seghers have us all rethinking our homes with A Fairytale Castle in Belgium: The Architects' Version. Photograph by Frederik Vercruysse.

Above: Brussels-based designer Nathalie Goris collaborated with Matiz Architecture & Design on a West Village townhouse renovation in A New York Remodel by Way of Belgium. Photograph by Hidenao Abe.

Inspired and wanting to re-create the Belgian aesthetic in your home? Start small with 10 Easy Pieces: Linen-Slipcovered Sofas, or try your hand at this DIY: Bathroom Storage as Art Installation.

For more favorite Belgian archtitects, we visit Verdickt and Verdickt's Minimalist Greenhouse in the Woods on Gardenista.

More Stories from Remodelista

• A Moody, Belgian-Inspired West Village Townhouse
• A Fairy-Tale Castle in Belgium: The Architects' Version
• 20 Questions: Julianne Moore and Vincent Van Duysen Talk Design

Founded by Belgian architects Stefaan Platteau and Carlo Seminck, Maat is a furniture company in Ghent with a focus on craftsmanship and proportion: Rendered in solid oak or walnut, the duo's pieces are all about simple profiles and subtle angularities.

The pieces are often paired with the minimalist ceramics of Jos Devriendt (see Jos Devriendt: The Insider's Belgian Designer). In the US, Maat furniture is represented by Lepere, a showroom in New York's Flatiron District specializing in up-and-coming European lines. Contact Lepere directly for availability and pricing.

Above: The 02 Console table is built of solid oak or walnut with a host of customizable elements, from wood stain and finish to sizing. 

Above: The 03 Bench in solid oak with a natural, white, gray, or ebony stain (shown here) and an oil-rubbed finish. Stacking the bench creates instant shelving.

Above: The 03 Library Bench has a few more solid wood legs than the 03 Bench—it too can be stacked as shelving.

Above: The 10/S Lounge Chair has a solid oak frame and can be upholstered in COM/COL (customer's own material or leather). The chair is set on hidden casters for easily movability.

Above: The 09 Chair is an angular update of a straightforward dining chair.

For more of our favorite Belgian furniture, visit Simple Wood Furniture from Ethnicraft in Belgium. View some great modern wooden benches 10 Easy Pieces: Backless Wooden Dining Benches.

On Gardenista, take a look at Outbuilding of the Week: A $25 Trailer Transformed with wood paneling.

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Here's a look at what's on our radar this week.

• Above: Join us at Field + Supply, a modern makers craft fair, in a field in High Falls, New York, next Saturday and Sunday. Our NY team will be there signing copies of the Remodelista book (and doing a bit of shopping).

• Above: According to his designer, actor Michael C. Hall has "the coolest tchotchkes of any client." Check out his newly renovated Spanish-style house in LA; photograph courtesy of Lonny. 
• How to fit dozens of shoes and a rack full of clothing into the tiniest closet.
• Most houses use a 120-volt system, but a house on an island in Maine is powered by just 12 volts. 

• Above: We have Sunday brunch figured out: homemade granola and macadamia milk with sliced pears. Photograph by Lindsey Love. 
• Coffee table alert: One of our favorite design houses, Casamidy, has a new book coming out from Rizzoli.
• The iconic house from Gone with the Wind is getting a second life thanks to a Civil War historian. 

• Above: A one-room family house in Taiwan is full of clever ideas. Photograph by Say Cheese. 
• Looking for the perfect leather chair? 
• Attention aspiring stylists: Here's a list of the tools of the trade.
• A new photo essay series, "One of Many," chronicles the creative communities in 12 cities. Take a look at their second installment: Denver.
• Not your typical brass hook. 

Above: Instagram and Pinterest Picks of the Week: We love keeping up with Hannah Ferrara, founder of Portland, Oregon, jewelry studio Another Feather, on Instagram (@anotherfeather); a snapshot from a recent visit to The Line is pictured above. For tablescape inspiration, we're looking at Ginny Branch Sterling's tabletop board on Pinterest.

Above: Mark your calendars: The Remodelista Markets are coming up. We're thrilled to be hosting our first market in London on November 15, followed by Remodelista Markets in Los Angeles (December 6) and San Francisco (December 13). Get to know participating vendors on our Pinterest board, and see our market hub page for more details.

Have a look at our week of Belgian design and Gardenista's Garden Ideas to Steal from Belgium. 

More Stories from Remodelista

• Architect-Designed Belgian Furniture in NYC
• Announcing the Remodelista Markets 2014
• A Chic Chair Made with a Surprise Material

The most remodeled room in the house? Tie score: The two workhorses, the kitchen and the bath, share the honor. We recently devoted an issue to kitchen design around the world; this week we're delving into the possibilities for making over the bathroom—and tackling (most of) the work yourself. Do try this at home.

Above: In her Brooklyn bath, French designer Corinne Gilbert uses a ribbon and painted wooden knob as a tp dispenser. Tour her apartment and its many homemade solutions in Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

Monday

Above: Stay tuned later today for seven space-saving, storage-minded DIY Ideas to steal from maritime design. 

Tuesday

Above: Read the story of Thomas Crapper and his "sanitary fittings" in this week's Object Lesson: The Old-Fashioned Loo. (And, on Wednesday, watch for Janet's 5 Favorites post on low-flow toilets.) 

Wednesday

Above: We're eternally on the lookout for the best toilet-paper holder. In Wednesday's 10 Easy Pieces, Alexa presents our latest favorites (including these ceramic and wood designs from Japan).

Thursday

Above: Who knew an electrical outlet could change the look of a room? In the latest edition of our Remodeling 101 series on Outlet Placement, Janet explores smart places in the bathroom to plant some power (shown here, Julie's medicine cabinet with a built-in niche for an electric toothbrush). 

Friday

Above: A rental bath is its own beast, but not one that's untameable. In Expert Advice, Sarah details ways she has upgraded her own family bath—and without breaking any tenant rules.

Get more home improvement ideas at Gardenista, where the DIY Mudroom is the theme this week.

More Stories from Remodelista

• Current Obsessions: Market Season
• Architect-Designed Belgian Furniture in NYC
• Announcing the Remodelista Markets 2014

Creative director and designer Sarah Sherman Samuel and her husband, Rupert Samuel, an ad exec, like to tear things up together. After overhauling a Michigan lake cabin on their own, they moved on to their current project, a 1940s LA bungalow in need. We recently spotlighted their ingenious kitchen remodel using Ikea cabinetry and upgraded cabinet fronts: See The Semi-Handmade Ikea Kitchen. Today we're taking a look at their most recent accomplishment: a small, unused back bedroom transformed into a high-style master bath. We've been watching it in progress on Sarah's blog, Smitten Studio. Here are the results.

Photography by Sarah Sherman Samuel.

Above: Much like the kitchen, the new bath is a deft combination of modern/vintage and high/low elements that telegraph glamour. Inexpensive subway tiles and a vanity built from a 1950s credenza—"vanities can get so pricey," says Sarah, "I was looking for a more affordable and more interesting alternative"—are finished with splurge details such as brass faucets and a marble counter and shower ledge (made from leftover kitchen counter slabs). The hanging lights are the Fjord Rod Pendant, $149 each, by Cedar & Moss of Portland, Oregon—see A Bright New Lighting Company—who also supplied the Gold-Tipped Bulbs.

Above: The his and hers square basins are Kraus Vessel Sinks, $109.95 each, from Home Depot. They're paired with wall-mounted Kohler Purist Faucets in a finish called French Gold, $555.49 each via Amazon. "They were the biggest expense and also the most satisfying detail," says Sarah. The round mirror was custom made. The subway tiles are three-by-six-inch Daltile White Rittenhouse Square Wall Tiles from Home Depot with Delorean Gray Grout, which took two tries to apply correctly (there's always an unanticipated challenge, right?). See below for details.

After experimenting with different tile configurations in Adobe Illustrator, Sarah went with a herringbone pattern—"a classic for wood floors," she writes in her blog, "but I hadn't really seen it translated to subway tile (until I Googled it, that is, and found a bazillion examples...)." See our Remodeling 101: White Tile Pattern Glossary for more ideas. As for the palette, Sarah says: "I stayed with a monochromatic look that allows me to play up all the different patterns and textures." 

Above: The herringbone subway tile continues in the custom-built glass box shower. Our favorite detail: the tiled niche. The floor has classic white hexagonal tiles—Merola Metro Hex Porcelain Tiles from Home Depot.

Above: "Subway tile is simple, clean, white, readily available, and affordable (win, win, win, win)," says Sarah. The Kohler Purist Shower Head, $94, and Kohler Purist Faucet, $595.16, from Home Depot, are companions to the sink faucets. 

Before

Above: The room was one of two nearly identical spare bedrooms that Sarah describes as "little yellow boxes with two windows," each only big enough to hold a crib. The other bedroom is being extended into the backyard to "add a little breathing room." (Sarah and Rupert are expecting their first child.)

In Progress

Above: Sarah sourced the 60-inch-wide vintage walnut credenza from West Coast Modern, in Culver City, California. She and Rupert retrofitted it for the bath themselves: "That turned out to be a pretty easy project. We just cut off the legs, reinforced the back a bit, and secured it to the wall."

The trickiest part? "Adjusting the drawers so they could slide in and out around the plumbing was a one-day job: we cut out a large notch in the back of the drawer big enough to accommodate the pipes, and then we built up the sides of the notch to make a barrier so that things in the drawer don't fall through." 

Above: Sarah and Rupert lived in the house during construction; to speed up the process—which took four months and included work on other parts of the house—they contracted out the plumbing, tile work, and shower and counter installation. Shown here: The vanity with plumber-installed sinks and marble counter.

Above: The shower niche being built.

Above: The toughest part of the project? "No question is was the tile job," says Sarah. "After the grout went in, the color was blotchy and uneven. The guy who did it assured us that it just had to finish drying and would be uniform. Well, we waited and waited and the blotchiness never went away (it's a bit visible in this shot). We tried to get the guy back but could never track him down. Finally, just when I was about to give up and have our new shower and floors look like old, dirty ones, one of the crew who had been working on the rest of the renovation came in, scraped out all of the grout, and redid the entire space. And the angels sang."

Up next for Sarah and Rupert: their other bathroom, "a mauve two-by-two-foot box." Go to Smitten Studio to see more of their projects. Also, have a look at our posts Ikea Upgrade: The Semi-Handmade Kitchen Remodel and Reader Rehab: Cabin Color That Takes Its Cue from the Landscape.

At her online shop A Sunny Afternoon, Sarah sells household objects that she designs and her father fabricates. Gardenista singled out her Woven Wood Picnic Basket as a new classic.

More Stories from Remodelista

• Best of the Belgians: 10 Favorite Architects and Designers
• A Moody, Belgian-Inspired West Village Townhouse
• A Fairy-Tale Castle in Belgium: The Architects' Version

Think like a mariner and outfit your bath with space-saving storage solutions and accessories designed to keep things shipshape.

Above: We're all obsessed with Titanic-like bath mirrors, complete with storage shelf; for sourcing ideas, go to Design Sleuth: 5 Bathroom Mirrors with Shelves.

Above: For a while now we've been championing the idea of cleats as towel hooks. For sourcing ideas, go to Nautical Hardware: 7 Cleats for Home Use.

Above: Janet uses a marine water bucket as a place to stash towels, etc. See more at Marine Canvas Water Buckets as Bath Storage.

Above: I grew up in a New England house with wall-mounted soap dishes (a good way to minimize sink clutter). For sourcing ideas, go to Etsy or eBay.

Above: Such a good idea: a towel rack made from rope. Consult DIY: An Instant Towel Bar for Under $10 to re-create the look.

Above: In my own (very small) bath, nautical-style recessed cabinet pulls help keep things streamlined. For something similar, consider Baldwin's satin nickel Recessed Cabinet Pull; $15.40 at My Knobs.

Above L: S Hooks turn a towel bar into storage space for bath accessories. Above R: Sally Schneider of An Improvised Life came up the genius idea of using S hooks hung from a shower bar for extra towel storage.

Go to Nautical Style to see more of our marine design discoveries, including Rope Bunk-Bed Ladders; on Gardenista, see Nautical Bulkhead Lighting.

More Stories from Remodelista

• 5 Favorites: Plants for the Bath
• A Simple Trick to Turn Your Shower into a Spa
• 10 Inspirational Bath Remodels, Blogger Edition