When Sophie Mattiussi, owner of the Happy Guesthouse in Brussels, was converting a 1902 townhouse in the center of Brussels into her four-room bed-and-breakfast, she made the smart move of teaming up with two young local design firms. We love the bare-bones bedrooms that resulted.
Photography by Charlotte Delval via Atelier Dynamo, unless noted.
Above: The narrow building features a preserved Art Nouveau storefront, previously home to design company Emery & Cie, that now serves as the Happy Guesthouse gathering spot.
Above: The interior has a light-filled Scandi vibe. Sophie, not coincidentally, earned a degree in interior architecture and worked as an event planner before becoming an innkeeper. She serves homemade breakfast at the table (fresh-squeezed watermelon juice and pastries from nearby Nectar & Co.) and advises her guests on what to see and do in the city.
Above: The shelves are stocked with a revolving array of art and design books and travel guides. (Sophie has a deal with the Taschen store down the street.)
Above: Sophie collaborated on the remodel with designer Julien Renault, who got his start working in the Bouroullec studio in Paris, and interior architects Atelier Dynamo. After many months of shoring up the structure, the team supplied it with clean, bright interiors and custom furnishings that salute Donald Judd. There’s only one bedroom per floor. Photograph via Julien Renault Objects.
Above: The platform beds are composed of two elegantly intersecting framed rectangles. (It’s too bad the cutouts are hidden by mattresses.) Note the strategically placed outlet.
Above: The headboard doubles as a side table. Photograph via Julien Renault Objects.
Above: Window shelves serve as desks with views of the street.
Above: The shelves wrap around wall supports and are subtly angled. Photograph via Julien Renault Objects.
Above: On some of the beds the platform extends out to form a long, low shelf. Photograph via Potato and Melk Blog.
Above: The designers echoed the framed wood design in the bathroom.
Above: The bathrooms artfully make the most of compact space. Photograph via Venuez.
Above: For storage, rooms are fitted with built-in cupboards and narrow hanging rods. The guesthouse recently received the Commerce Design Brussels Award of 2015.
Above: Multiple hanging options in two tones. Photograph via Potato and Melk Blog.
Above: The attic room has its own balcony. Photograph via Potato and Melk Blog.
Above: Happy Guesthouse is in the heart of the city (near the town hall and the Brussels Central Station) and surrounded by beauty. See more on Facebook (the inn’s website still to come); reservations can be made through Booking.com. Photograph via New Places to Be.
Traveling to Belgium (even if just in spirit)? See our favorite shops, restaurants, and hotels in our Belgium City Guide, including a Surreal Antwerp B&B and Fashion’s Favorite Fleuriste.
Go to 10 Easy Pieces for more wooden platform beds.
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