The Lacanche Macon Classic oven in the kitchen.
The breakfast corner provides a light-filled space for respite on the ground floor.
Contemporary, refined, and spacious, the LN Residence by Jim Dierckx sees a townhouse return to its former glory in Antwerp, Belgium.
In designing the LN Residence, interior designer Jim Dierckx wanted to create a “warm feeling associated with home, where one can unwind away from the city’s buzz”. Working on both the interiors and garden design, Jim Dierckx has made space for both grandeur and functionality.
The Pierre Jeanneret Student chairs and Workstead Industrial chandelier in the dining room.
The Pierre Jeanneret Fireside chair and Daphine Terra Led lamp in the living room.
The LN Residence is, in essence, a restoration project. The victim of a series of sub-par renovations over many decades, the home had lost much of its original charm – the central theme of Jim Dierckx’s client brief. “This property is a majestic townhouse,” Jim says. “We wanted to extend the authenticity and class of the exterior facade to the house’s interior.” The project also needed to balance the family’s desire to entertain, and equal parts, their wish to seek stillness away from the city.
Moulures were restored and added throughout the LN Residence, while Jim prioritised natural materials where possible, such as marble, terrazzo and oak flooring, according to original laying pattern. “We wanted to draw as much as natural light as possible into the home by placing a large steel window on the rear facade that connects both floors,” Jim adds.
The home is sectioned into three floors that mirror the client’s daily life, each functioning for a different phase of the day. The top floor begins and ends the day with the bedrooms and bathrooms. The ground floor is designed for food preparation and meals, with the kitchen and living room, and unfolds out onto the outdoor seating area overlooking the pool. Finally, the first floor is structured for the practicalities of the day, featuring a light-filled study, living room, and an aperitif lounge for after dinner.
The moulures throughout the house add a level of texture to the design.
The entrance hall is intended to create a feeling of respite from the outside world. The ground floor also features a breakfast corner, a key feature in the home that also contributes to the sense of seclusion. An oak spiral staircase extends through the void between the ground and first floors, while a guest bedroom is strategically located below the primary bedroom, so the top floor remains entirely private.
The restoration and renovation project reflects Dierckx’s more traditional and classical guiding principles. The grandeur in the aesthetics of the redesign merge seamlessly with the practical requirements of a sociable client in a bustling city.
Nowhere is the design’s combination of functionality and elegance more prevalent than the office on the first floor.
The versatile outdoor space can work for both functions and solitary relaxation.
