Axel Vervoordt has transformed a 17th century military barracks into a minimalist home. This house near Bruges, Belgium, was designed by the designer for an old friend. An absolute aesthete, Johan Vandendriessche, a Belgian real estate entrepreneur, fell in love with the historic building at first sight as easily as a work of art.

Johan Vandendriessche prefers to rely on the same intuition to get both. Professionally, he has turned historic buildings into mixed-use homes or offices, respecting the original building. In his private life, he was surrounded by the art he loved, as in his home in the marshy landscape near Bruges.

Vandendriessche lives in a former military barracks that dates back to 1614. His garden, designed by the late landscape master Jacques Wirtz, contains an original pigeon tower that was once used to send messages to the surrounding castle. Architects Claire Bataille and Paul Ibens refurbished the slender stone building in a minimalist style in the 1980s. As well as creating a series of living Spaces along the Abbey corridor, they also designed a double-opening staircase at the centre of the house that cleverly references traditional Flemish architecture.

To inject authenticity and soul into the room, Vanderriessche brought in designer Axel Vervoordt, whose unmistakable imprint is evident throughout the room. His tastefully simple sofas and chairs are draped in rich monochrome linen for comfort; Individual paintings and sculptural objects are placed on the pedestal, filling the quiet space with a sense of concentration and contemplation.

From an African statue and a Painting by Gotthard Graubner to a set of alabaster vases from pre-dynastic Egypt, the mix of old and new is sustained and united by a universal and timeless rhythm.