Can you imagine living in a home where almost everything is for sale? I’ve come across this concept before with a specialist in twentieth century antiques who furnished his Edinburgh home with a combination of personal pieces – the things he would never part with – alongside an ever-changing selection of vintage pieces, from furniture to lighting and ceramics, all of which were for sale. He liked the idea of clients viewing pieces in a living space; it made each item feel more personal, used and loved. It worked brilliantly.
Still, I’d hazard a guess that this is a fairly unusual way of designing and furnishing your home. The owners of this neoclassical house is the Saint-Gilles district of Belgium, which I spotted featured on Dwell, bought the property to create, as Ike Udechuku says, “a gallery of the living experience.”
Udechuku and Kathryn Smith partner with European galleries to present a selection of furniture, objects and art that they live with in their home, dining, as here, from the rare rosewood and black glass dining set by Joaquim Tenreiro, and sharing their drawing room with pieces by the likes of Sergio Rodrigues and Alberto Reis – all part of a Brazilian Modern exhibition that was in-situ when these photographs were taken.
Clearly this couple share a fantastic eye, while the building’s soaring ceilings and elegant period detailing provide an ideal backdrop for their collection. As Udechuku says in the Dwell article: “These pieces are intended by their makers to be used, not to be in a museum.”
Photography by Chris Tubbs. See the article and slideshow here.
