A Narrow Townhouse Thoughtfully Redone in Ghent, Belgium
Photography by Frederik Vercruysse
This townhouse, in its original form, was built in “the third quarter of the 19th century” on “a quiet square filled with plane trees in the very center of Ghent,” say Belgian architects Bram Seghers and Inge Buyse of Buyse Seghers Architecten. The homeowner wanted more space, privacy, and the ability to entertain friends and passing houseguests with ease. The architects got to work and designed the home to capture light and calm in the middle of the city.
Inside, the entryway leads back, away from the street.
Throughout, the interiors are kept poetically simple. “The wooden floors and joining stairs are new oak, but keeping knots and other imperfections, and whitened and scrubbed with pale soap,” the architects say.
The kitchen cabinets and vent hood were designed by the architects, made bespoke by a cabinetmaker.
Opposite, inset cabinetry makes use of the space behind the wall.
On the ground floor, one flight down, is the main bedroom, set back from the street for maximum privacy.
Beside the bedroom, off the hall, is a small bathroom, painted in a proprietary shade of blue from Boss Paints.