Under the deft direction of Pierre Yovanovitch, a dowdy Belgian house gets a new lease on life.Yovanovitch’s redesign of the home’s interior features a huge picture window for the kitchen, while the most striking element inside is the majestic spiral staircase that winds its way up three stories and is topped by a geometric stained-glass skylight at its zenith.  it looks like the Guggenheim Museum.

The clients, who have four adult sons, were drawn to Yovanovitch not just for his architectural prowess but also by his efforts to get a firm understanding of their requirements and lifestyle. “They’re really into entertaining, are very convivial and family-oriented,” notes Yovanovitch. They also share a number of his tastes. They already owned the Hjorth rocking chair and occasional table in the second-floor library, and are fellow collectors of the sculptures of Stephan Balkenhol.

The custom skylight by Yovanovitch throws colored patterns into the stairwell, with sconces of his own design.One area in which Yovanovitch excels is in his use of intriguing yet understated materials, as witnessed by the gouged oak doors and chiseled walnut bookshelves, the nubby fabrics, and textured plasterwork of the library fireplace. 

Then there is the bar, with its rugged larch wood and Cordoba leather walls and a ceiling that was deliberately conceived to look as if it had suffered water damage. Inspired by both modernist architect Adolf Loos and the film Casablanca.