yinjispace

INTERIOR
Lore De Baere
WE-S architecten
PHOTOGRAPHY
BIJISPACE
EDITOR
Gina
Collection

The pine needles in the Makegem forest made a fine, fragmented sound beneath my feet. Turning the last corner, the towering ancient trees suddenly split to both sides, as if the curtain of a stage slowly rose - the black-and-white Vandenbussche villa thus quietly appeared before me. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting flickering patches of light on the concrete facade. Those condensed lines seemed to breathe, quivering slightly as the light and shadow changed.

Pushing open the door that seemed heavy but was actually light, a gust of air mixed with the smell of wood and marble dust hit you in the face. The huge abstract painting at the entrance is like a resounding chord, with intense cobalt blue and ochre red leaping on the white wall. I couldn't help stopping and noticing the small items placed on the black entrance cabinet: a mottled brass ornament, several irregularly shaped crystals, and a miniature sculpture that looked like a mask of an African tribe. These seemingly casual displays suddenly gave the entire space a sense of warmth.

We followed designer Lore De Baere through a corridor divided by waist-high white brick walls. As we walked, she explained that each of the white bricks still bears its original factory stamp. At 10 am, angled sunlight streamed into the living room, casting crisp geometric shadows across the beige long-pile carpet. The Bastiano sofa, designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa, lay still in the light, its grey wool upholstery gently indented from the places where the owners often sit.

Lore told us that she and her partner, Edward Weysen, truly enjoy working within this space. As co-owners of the villa, it was Edward’s architecture studio, WE-S architecten, that led the meticulous restoration. The interior design, meanwhile, was a collaborative effort between Lore and Edward.They envisioned a natural retreat—a space to showcase their cherished art collection.

We learned that the renovation was carried out within the framework of the original structure. Lore and Edward redesigned the kitchen, preserving its mid-century aesthetic—combining African mahogany millwork with stainless steel countertops for a look that is both warm and crisp. The house follows a U-shaped floor plan, where spaces are not divided by conventional doors but subtly defined by white brick partitions. The modular kitchen design, too, pays homage to the home's mid-century modernist heritage.

In the afternoon, I sat alone in the inner courtyard surrounded by U-shaped buildings. The water surface of the swimming pool refracts sunlight onto the white wall, forming flowing light patterns. In a trance, I seemed to see the figure of Georges Vandenbussche - perhaps this old man once sat here, looking at the same light patterns and pondering the secrets of architecture and time

When dusk falls, the most touching drama begins to unfold throughout the entire building. The sunlight from the west penetrates the glass brick walls, dyeing the interior amber. The Banxton x Civilian H02 rose knot casts exquisite shadows on the wall, and the texture of the Evener pre-finished hot oak floor suddenly becomes clear and tangible. Those half-height partition walls have now become the best picture frames, freezing every scene of life into Rembrandt's light and shadow sketches.

In the restoration and transformation of Villa Vandenbussche, what we witness is not merely an architectural renovation, but a gentle response to time itself. Lore De Baere and Edward Weysen did not aim to overhaul the 1969 villa, but rather to awaken it with care and respect. With the logic of architects and the sensitivity of inhabitants, they extended its mid-century modernist spirit into a contemporary way of living—allowing light to move freely again, and materials to continue breathing.

Every brick, every detail of millwork, every visual corridor in this space echoes the past while inviting reflection on the pace of present life. Villa Vandenbussche becomes a vessel suspended between memory and modernity—more than a home, it offers a quiet proposal on how to live, and how to honor both time and place.

Lore shared that they had “poured a lot of love” into this 1969-built home, hoping to “give it another 50 years of life.” Today, the villa is also open to the public for a select number of exclusive events.In this quiet and restrained architecture, design is not a declaration—but a listening to the past, and a thoughtful response to the present.

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