When Pierre Yovanovitch takes on the build of a family home, it isn’t going to be like other family homes. Famous for his refined-yet-courageous style, which includes manipulating light and shadow to work in with his design, the Paris-based interior designer goes way beyond picking out furnishings.
In fact, his all-in approach is what makes this family home in Brussels, Belgium, one for the books. Or more specifically, the designer’s first book, , which this particular project appears in — cementing it as one of Yovanovitch’s favourites. And it’s not hard to see why.
Starting with a 1200-square-metre shell, Yovanovitch and his team completely emptied this Brussels building, clearing the slate and starting from scratch, leaving only the Art Deco facade of the city mansion. Home to two art collectors and architecture enthusiasts with four children, the home needed to be functional and stylish, a tough brief given the proportions. Complete with three floors, the space was transformed into a multi-storey gallery-like oasis, finished with all the creature comforts of home — albeit with a stylish, signature twist.
Installing a monumental swirling staircase in the heart of the home, Yovanovitch’s wielding of architectural form has never been more apparent, completely transforming the look and feel of the space. Allowing the staircase to be the centre of the movement and flow in the home, light is reworked through the creation of a massive stain-glass ceiling feature, which sits in the roof above the staircase. Rooms spill from the central space, proving a veritable heartbeat of the home, all crafted with one singular vision: to unify and modernise the space.
Employing Yovanovitch’s signature decor style, each room has been outfitted in custom and vintage pieces. From Yovanovitch’s signature bulbous chairs to a sensual, block-carved curved kitchen island, each piece has been designed to complement the space around it. Using colour — and a lack thereof — the designer creates movement within the furniture, as well as the walls, doors and finishings.
Texture is at the heart of each room. From metal-lined walls in the dining room to a leather enclosed cigar room and a white grain paint used in the sitting room, Yovanovitch has artfully crafted finishings to remain as intriguing as they are design-centric.
Yovanovitch’s own designs sit alongside antique pieces from Denmark, Sweden, Italy and the United States, as well as contemporary designs from the likes of Jeff Zimmermann, Nendo and Jorge Zalszupin.
The owner’s art collection is the finishing touch, with paintings and sculptures by Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore and Alexander Calder dotting the walls and filling spaces throughout the house, particularly intriguing in the staircase space which appears like a genuine gallery.
In the master bathroom, a single block of open pored marble has been carved to reveal dual vanities, finished with a central seating space accented in light wood.
The smallest of the two sitting rooms is shaped like an egg, with a custom-built bookcase featuring as the hero piece. Further accented with circular-shapes furniture, the room is an ode to spherical shapes and colour, with a deep bold blue paint highlighting the shape.
(published by Rizzoli) is available now via www.rizzoliusa.com and in select locations worldwide.
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