DEEP ROOTS
Boris Vervoordt’s Antwerp home is a treasure trove that brims with family, art and authenticity
著名比利時古董藝術商Boris Vervoordt的安特衛普家居，活像個充滿家庭樂、藝術和真我的藏寶地
Much like his Wong Chuk Hang gallery, Boris Vervoordt’s Antwerp home is a treasure trove that brims with family, art and authenticity著名比利時古董藝術商Boris Vervoordt的安特衛普家居，跟其黃竹坑畫廊同出一轍，活像個充滿家庭樂、藝術和真我的藏寶地
The famed Belgian antiques and art dealer Axel Vervoordt was only 21 when he stumbled upon a shrouded medieval alleyway in the heart of Antwerp. Lined with historic houses collectively known as the Vlaeykensgang, Axel and his wife bought and restored 11 of them, one by one.
Half a century later, his son, Boris Vervoordt, the founder of the Axel Vervoordt Gallery (which established its first outpost in Hong Kong in 2014), resides on the same nestled lane in a 16th-century former coffee warehouse. Laden with curated contemporary artworks and personal touches, his father’s distinct sensibilities – minimalist, with a zen-like serenity rooted in the Japanese wabisabi aesthetic that appreciates the raw and the imperfect – permeate every corner of the abode.
“Like my father, I also have a fascination with old buildings,” says Boris, who recounts his departure from Gravenwezel Castle where his family had moved to when he was 12. “I wanted to return to my roots. I love to live in the centre of town. Despite that fact, it's so calm here.”
著名比利時古董藝術商Axel Vervoordt，偶然在安特衛普心臟地帶碰上這隱祕中世
紀窄巷時只有21歲。兩旁列著被集體叫作Vlaeykensgang的歷史老房，已獲Axel跟太太多年來挨家挨戶買來復修，前後已購下了11戶。
半世紀過去，Axel的兒子B or isVervoordt (2014年於香港創立Axel Vervoordt畫廊) 還住在這條隱密小巷中，房子前身是家16世紀的咖啡倉
庫。每個角落也佈滿了當代藝術品和私人藏品，還有Boris父親的獨特品味：滲入日本侘寂美學禪意的簡約主義，欣賞事物的原始性和不完美。
Entirely oriented towards the south, which allows for abundant natural light to illuminate the textured interiors, this sprawling fivestorey is framed by wooden planks and muted white walls that give it a stuccoed feel. The elder Vervoordt transformed two of those storeys into mezzanines that overlook double-height living rooms; connecting all the floors is a spiral concrete staircase that he designed and installed himself in the 1970s.
Adding to the space’s historic grandeur are a grand fireplace with large slate tiles, antique furnishings (such as a blue Pierre Jeanneret armchair from 1960s and a mid-17th century Chinese console) and a colour palette inspired by 17th-century Antwerp. Taupe, black and white feature extensively in the decoration, juxtaposing beautifully with a dining room that is painted in sultry red ochre and a vibrant collection of storied items.
And what a collection it is. “Our key is to be inspired by objects and artwork,” says Boris. “I think polarity creates a dynamic. It is about
「跟父親一樣，我對舊建築同樣著迷。」Boris回想當年離開安特衛普東北部Gravenwezel城堡老家時的情況，他12歲便隨家人搬到那裡居住。「我想要尋根，又喜歡住市中心，儘管如此這裡還是這麼的寧靜。」整幢房子朝南，充沛的自然光照亮了不同材質的室內設計。這幢不規則伸展的房樓高五層，以木板為框架配啞白色牆身，帶出用灰泥粉飾的效果。Axel當年把其中兩層改建成夾樓層，俯瞰超高樓底的客廳。連接各樓層的是水泥螺旋樓梯，由Axel在70年代親自設計安裝。壯觀的大火爐為空間帶來濃厚的歷史氣魄，配上大塊石板瓦、古董家飾；想像一把60年代出產Pierre Janneret的藍色扶手椅，和17世紀中期的中國地櫃，還有從17世紀安特衛普擷取靈感的配色：褐灰色、黑白為主色調，跟土紅色的客飯廳，以及色彩斑斕歷史畫裝飾品互相映襯。
“LIKE MY FATHER, I ALSO HAVE A FASCINATION WITH OLD BUILDINGS”