THE WHITE HOUSE
Boasting original Art Deco elements, a mass of greenery, Scandinavian accessories and abundant natural materials, this all-white apartment is a bijou sanctuary 雲集裝飾藝術、繁花綠叢、北歐配飾和天然物料的純白聖所
Anouk Taeymans’ decision to paint her house a single colour – and the most dazzling shade of all – has been a winning one. The backdrop of brilliant white couples with a flood of natural light to shape a space that feels bright and airy, and where details such as lush, green plants, sleek Scandinavian furniture, delicate brass accessories and designer lamps are free to shine in all their splendour.
An engineer-architect by training, Anouk lived for some years in Norway where she completed a masters degree, before settling in Belgium. It was here that she founded her design brand ByANOUK and moved into her charming flat situated in a Belle Époque house in Antwerp, demonstrating that it is not only in her work, but also in her home that her refined taste comes to the fore.
The building where Anouk’s apartment is found dates from 1914 and there are a number of stunning Art Deco elements that reflect its age, from the stained-glass windows and stucco mouldings, to the strong geometric lines of the fireplaces and the etched glass panels.
才華洋溢的Anouk Taeymans以一抹純白為家園髹漆絕對是明智之舉。白色背景與天然光線互相映襯，為屋內帶來靜謐通風的感覺。茂密盆栽、線條平滑的北歐傢具、精緻的黃銅配飾各具魅力，不同元素在家中綻放閃耀光芒。
專業工程師兼建築師Anouk曾居挪威並獲碩士學位，現定居比利時。她在此推出個人設計品牌ByANOUK，其位於安特衛普的美好時代風格住宅，正好反映出她在工作以外脫穎而出的生活品味。
Anouk的居所建於1914年，無數巧奪天工的裝飾風藝術品均散放著該年代的獨特魅力，包括彩色玻璃窗、灰泥模塑、突出幾何線條的壁爐和蝕刻的玻璃牆面。
“I INVITE CLIENTS TO MY HOME SO THEY CAN SEE HOW THE LAMPS AND ACCESSORIES WORK IN EVERYDAY LIFE”
A sequence of four rooms line up: the bedroom, living area, dining room and kitchen each lead into the other, with white walls, and white-painted, wooden floors a constant. Parallel to this chain of rooms there’s a bathroom and a small spare bedroom. But it wasn’t always this way.
“When I first saw it, the apartment was painted in 50 shades of grey. The floor was dark and worn,” says Anouk. “I painted everything white – not sterile but rather a warm kind of white. I installed new windows and then decided to invest in beautiful lighting from quality brands – there’s a Flamingo lamp from Vibia, an Atollo lamp from Oluce, an IC lamp from Flos and an Austere-T lamp from Trizo21. I’m in love with these pieces: they add a lot of atmosphere to the house.”
This wasn’t all that Anouk did to add contemporary touches to her stylish apartment. She wanted the apartment to be able to function like a showroom. “I invite my clients to my home so they can see how the lamps and accessories work in
連成一線的睡房、客廳、飯廳和廚房採用一致設計，空間可見潔白無瑕的牆壁和白色的木材地板。浴室和小巧的備用房間則設置在宅舍的另一則。然而，室內裝潢的設計並非一開始就如此一樣。
「我第一次看見住所時，地板骯髒破舊並以深淺各異的灰色為主題。我決定為房舍帶來一片溫暖的白色，而不是一般蒼白無色的色調。同時，我為家園設置了不同裝飾，例如嶄新的窗戶、Vibia的Flamingo系列吊燈、Oluce的Atollo金屬桌燈、Flos的IC燈飾和來自Trizo21的Austere-T設計燈。林林總總的傢具為家裡增添熱鬧的氣氛。」
everyday life before they order them.” The most frequent reaction when visitors come by? “’Wow!’ is what they usually say,” says Anouk, whose patented Myshelf, an adjustable, easily-installable and customisable shelf, is among her own designs on display.
Other key elements of the interior include an abundance of lush greenery as well as the dominant use of natural materials such as wood, marble, stone, linen and rattan. There are a number of distinctive accessories, too, such as vases, clocks, pillows and candles.
A cosy haven, how does the designer like to enjoy her surroundings most? “I love my bed, with the big pile of extralarge, linen pillows. I lie down and stare at the beautiful ceiling and that Flamingo lamp by Vibia – my all-time favourite.”//
Anouk對裝飾新潮的公寓亦另有一套，她希望家居能夠發揮展覽廳般的用途。每當提及客人到訪的慣常反應，她表示：「我會在客人下單前邀請他們到訪，體驗燈具和配飾在日常生活中巧妙運用的方法。他們往往對傢具的配搭非常驚訝。」Myshelf是她的專利設計，目前這款可調整、定制、安裝容易的掛架作亦作展示之用。
其他室內主要元素包括蔥郁的植物，木材、大理石、石頭、亞麻布和竹藤等天然物料均廣泛使用。花瓶、時鐘、枕頭和蠟燭等獨特配飾亦遍佈家中每個角落。
談到設計師在溫馨避風港最愛的角落，她認為：「我最喜歡滿佈超大型麻布枕頭的睡床，躺在床上欣賞綺麗的天花板和Vibia的Flamingo吊燈絕屬人生一大樂事。」//