With dark stone benchtops, oak wood cupboards, and additional wood accents in stools and decor, the kitchen is a spacious, light-filled retreat where Vercruysse and his wife can start and end the day in peace.
Emiel Vercruysse’s townhouse in the heart of Kortrijk is a cosy sanctuary where the presence of nature in design and materiality inspires a sense of serenity and restoration.
Can you explain how your home, ‘Townhouse VI’, evokes your desire to live with nature, especially in the urban heart of Kortrijk?
Emiel Vercruysse: Our vision for the house was for it to be a cocoon-like, cosy space where my wife and I could relax after a busy day, away from the fuss in the centre of Kortrijk. We wanted to create a home that felt warm and natural, so we used a lot of natural materials like oak in particular. For me, it was very important to have an abundance of greenery around the house, so we created a small city garden and planted trees to help us feel a sense of connection to nature, even in the heart of the city. We also love the sunlight, so we installed a terrace space on the first floor which is connected to the kitchen.
How does your home balance aesthetic objectives and domestic functionality across its various spaces?
Emiel Vercruysse: In the process of designing the house, it was important that it would function effectively for us in a very practical way. For example, we have a big storage and dressing space next to the entrance where we can put our bikes and shoes when we come inside, ensuring we can enter the house in peace. Since we have a dog, there is even a little shower to make sure we can clean her before she enters. Our house is full of practical elements, but we put a lot of effort into making it aesthetic as well; for example, there is built-in air conditioning throughout the house, as well as floor heating, and so on.
A timber dining table of Vercruysse’s own design is complemented by vintage chairs and custom PSLab lighting in the dining room.
The first-floor kitchen is connected to an outdoor terrace, where the couple have created a small ‘city garden’ with trees and plenty of sunlight.
Can you explain the ambience created by the townhouse’s diverse mix of vintage and contemporary furniture and design objects, including furniture you designed yourself?
Emiel Vercruysse: The Axel Vervoordt coffee table in our living room is a very special piece; an antique gem we inherited from my wife Marie’s grandma, which is made from old doors. I like having this prominent vintage piece in the house because it brings a new dimension to the brand-new space and furniture. Our house is also full of small treasures we have found over the years. In the living room, there are polished aluminium ashtrays by Philippe Starck (1958), and a Bachelor chair designed by Verner Panton, which I found in a home that one of my friends bought. There are also artworks by Ivan Claeys, Arne Quinze, Tinus Vermeersch, Mario De Brabandere, and Herma De Wit throughout our home, which all hold particular memories for us and remind us of certain periods in our lives. In addition, there are a lot of elements I designed especially for the house; the dining table, the bedside tables, and we are currently also designing our dining stools as well.
How does the design of your home reflect your architectural ethos or philosophy more broadly?
Emiel Vercruysse: I think it comes back to this idea of living with nature and having a sense of connection to the natural world. Nature is very important in our work, and I believe that nature has a big influence on the way we live. We have been living with nature throughout all of human history, however, I’m afraid we are sometimes losing this connection in the busy world we live in today. So in this project, as in my others, it was important to emphasise the presence of nature and a sense of connection, especially because we live in the city centre. That’s why there is such a big emphasis on natural materials and greenery.
The presence of nature meets an eclectic mix of vintage and contemporary furniture in the living room, including a statement Axel Vervoordt coffee table, a Verner Panton Bachelor chair, and functional wooden design objects by De Belder Design.
As mentioned, your home features an abundance of natural materials which lend their distinct colours and characteristics to its spaces. Can you explain the emotional or sensory impact of this nature-derived palette?
Emiel Vercruysse: The colour palette in the living, dining, and kitchen is warm and inviting thanks to the rich oak timber we used. We added some contrasting dark green accents in the finishes and furnishings, which bring a certain body to the space. The white walls are perfect for displaying artwork. The variation in style and character of the furniture and decor elements bring colour and softness to these spaces. In the bedroom, we used different varieties of wood, like birch, which I think is more elegant and feminine. We combined it with a dark stone in the bathroom because I wanted to create the atmosphere of a dark cave or an authentic spa experience. This ties into the house’s nature-focussed narrative.
Put simply, how do you describe your home, and how do you feel living there?
Emiel Vercruysse: A warm and welcoming home that invites you to sit back and relax.
Vercruysse’s living room is filled with “small vintage treasures” he and his wife have found over the years including polished aluminium ashtrays by Philippe Starck, as well as artwork by Jan De Beus, and a lamp by Atelier Pierre Culot.
Warm oak wood is the hallmark material used throughout the townhouse, giving the spaces a deeply comforting ambience and enhancing a sense of connection to nature for residents.
Continuing the townhouse’s nature-inspired narrative, the bathroom’s dark stone gives the space an immersive, cave-like ambience. A timber Mocho stool by Sergio Rodriguez is featured alongside decorative vintage objects.
The bedroom showcases a selection of furniture designed by Vercruysse, including a bedside table in patinated stainless steel and Mosaiek, and bedside lamps with a natural stone base.
