Old becomes new
The leaves of a centuries-old Himalayan cedar make the light glow golden, apple trees and chestnuts grow scattered across the sprawling property. Here, about twenty minutes from Antwerp, Belgium, Valerie Verbeeck, founder of the fashion label elle and rapha, and her young family have found their own piece of paradise. "Already in the garden we fell in love with the property," says her husband Thomas Mortier "We felt like we were on vacation right away and knew: this is where we want to live."
Family and company under one roof
Perhaps they also felt the extraordinary history of the old villa from 1871, which offers plenty of space with a proud 600 square meters. Half of the building consists of a large, high room with a ceiling covered in wood. This part once served as a chocolate factory. Presumably, the smell of the sweet delicacies is still in the walls.
"The biggest challenge in the renovation was to maintain the unique old character of the house while still incorporating our own understanding of aesthetics," Thomas says. They succeeded well: The grand old fireplace and elegant stucco on the high ceilings still hint at the house's special past. Alongside antique furniture from the previous owners, there is space for modern finds from their travels to Marrakech and Ibiza. The chosen color palette of warm earth tones always gives the individual mix of old and new something cozy. And a lot of charm, even though the family has not yet lived here for a whole year.
You can find the whole story, including a photo spread, in BORA Magazine 01/2022.
The BORA magazine focuses on the elegance and high quality of BORA's exhaust air solutions. In addition to extensive product overviews, technical details and background reports on sponsoring and brand activities, interviews with those responsible at BORA provide a comprehensive insight into the company. The magazine is rounded off by home and design stories that visually highlight the BORA products.
