Coming home

Spending her work week at the office in Knokke as well as at her house in Brussels, Nathalie Deboel is literally bringing her ideas home.

Nathalie’s family home is situated in Uccle, a leafy residential municipality of Brussels. The townhouse from the fifties has the look of an English manor house, with red brickwork and tall chimneys. It is located in a quiet street in close proximity of the Sonian Forest. Here, the breath of the capital as well as the stillness of the country can be felt at once. This unique union between nature and city can also be read in the interior. On the one hand it has been opened up into calming, down-to-earth volumes. On the other, the luxurious walnut cabinetry and wall panelling, adds a tailored city feel.

Because of its favourable orientation on the corner of two quiet streets, natural light floods in. This brightness is softened with a palette of subtle colours and tactile materials. The walls have a clay finish with rough brush strokes. Nathalie first tested it here, later she developed and applied it in various other projects.

The strong vertical lines that can be read from the facade have been translated in the interior fittings, such as the kitchen cabinets, the glass room dividers and the wall panelling in the bedrooms. ‘I generally strive for verticality in my work. where possible, I incorporate tall, slender and elegant proportions.’