- Interior
- Architecture & development
Being able to let blood flow again through the authentic veins of a unique, old building is one of the most difficult challenges that only the best architects know how to answer. Brussels-based studio Labscape, specialising in (interior) architecture and design, revived Villa Nisot, once built by Belgian architect Louis Herman De Koninck. The concept is finally bubbling with Belgian modernism again.
Labscape, a strong Brussels agency, knows better than anyone how to bring out the right aesthetic in properties with its creative approach. The founding duo, Tecla Tangorra and Robert Ivanov, was guided in their successful careers by a pure passion for architecture and design. Whereas the first had its roots in Italy, the country where designers can give free rein to their imagination, the other has strong ties with his homeland, Belgium. And precisely this combination led to high-quality creations where functionality is paramount and the love of colour and texture lead to beautiful designs.
This is also how Villa Nisot, an aged property with a golden heart, came into being. Labscape's experts insisted on restoring the house without damaging its grandeur. More than that, they extended the villa itself by adding a piece to the rear facade. To complete the picture, they took care of all the interior spaces and designed the furniture, sofas as well as the garden. The biggest source of inspiration for the designers was undoubtedly the location: it already revealed quite a bit about how the villa used to look. Yet more research was needed to find out things like the design style, the materials used, and the former colours of the residence. Fortunately, De Koninck was known as a talented maker of integrated furniture, glassware, and tapestries. This allowed the designers to move forward; they incorporated many references from the renowned architect's work.
A natural pattern of rosewood rhythmically highlights the grain at the front
The modernist splendour is immediately apparent in the entrance to the villa, where a curious cabinet with dynamic round shapes stands. A natural pattern of rosewood rhythmically highlights the grain at the front. Next, the kitchen also opens the eyes: the unique marble walls coordinate beautifully with the integrated furniture where semi-transparent glassware complements the whole nicely. Then, in the living room, the fireplace is the phenomenal eye-catcher: completely covered in Italian travertine and enclosed by European walnut, the fire warms the green interior.
The beauty of the villa does not stop at the stairs; upstairs, the marble bathroom with linear veins immediately amazes you. The Marmara marble is so unique and this becomes clear when you find out that it was cut in one block especially for this design, so that the line pattern is infinite. Besides this unique bathroom, the architects fitted the other two bathrooms with mosaic, just as De Koninck once intended. 

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Photography by Nicolas Schimp
Text by Emma Verstappen