Bridge For Design April 2015 Bridge For Design April 2015 | Page 64

W

hen Jean Philippe Demeyer stumbled
across an old hunting lodge a few years
ago, just a stone’s throw from Bruges,
Belgium, his ambitious goal was to
bring out a unique style to the original
gothic interior. As a well-regarded antiques dealer, interior
designer and owner of a boutique in Knokke-le-Zoute,
Jean-Philippe Demeyer has a very well trained eye and
hunts out unusual curios and furniture all over Europe.
A select clientele come from far and wide to browse his
forever changing offerings which include pieces in all styles
and of any age.

The antiques dealer had been searching for an unusual place
to live and work in the countryside for a long time so when he was
informed that the current heirs were selling this listed estate he
wasted no time.
‘Everything came together naturally, the house had been asleep
for years and was so completely covered in ivy the bricks in the
walls were barely visible. But despite the enormity of the task
ahead, I felt like the house had been waiting for me’, he said.
With a moat flowing the length of the high brick facade which
is studded with large windows, the estate, which is accessed by a
narrow country lane has an undeniable charm.
Behind the large entrance porch and spread around a paved
courtyard are the main building and the stables while further
down an elegant orangery opens up onto the wild landscape.
As the building is listed, the large scale work including the
restoration of the roof and window frames was financed by the
‘Monuments historiques’.
Jean-Philippe decided early on not to make any radical changes
to the layout of the rooms. His clearly defined objective was to
preserve the old building materials but to let his personality run
wild when it came to the decorating by contrasting colour with
austere red bricks to highlight the overall effect of a less classic
workmanship.
After months of renovation every room is furnished and
decorated in a bright and eclectic style - the complete opposite of
the traditional Flemish tones of grey and beige that, according to
Jean-Philippe, are so lacking.
In the private rooms, 1940’s armchairs neighbour a 17th century
Spanish table, a collection of ceramics and a chandelier bring to
mind the Napoléon era and in most of the rooms, the walls are
painted in bright colours.
The rooms are able to accommodate these vivid colours thanks
to the many light sources and large windows. In the upstairs
library, the small second kitchen and the orangery,

TOP LEFT: The brick chimney in the master bathroom has been painted in blue, a
colour that has been used throughout the room. JPD has framed a collection of
old chic postcards from an oil rig on the neighbouring North Coast
BOTTOM LEFT: In the warmer months, t he orangery becomes a summer kitchen
RIGHT: The winter dining room acts as a waiting room for clients. The walls have
been completely repainted by hand. Embossed cabochon patterns found in
old style Bruges houses inspired JPD. Napolean style chandelier, 1880’s English
school table and ceramic Bruges vases date from 1860 to 1930

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Bridge for Design April 2015