Dearest readers and friends, I would like to thank you for your friendship this year. I was so pleased to read all of your nice comments and emails, and I so appreciate you have taken the time to write me! Every single day you all encouraged me to go on with my blog Belgian Pearls. Thank you so much for your hartwarming words again and again!
Thank you for being with me this year!
xx
Greet
Hello my dear readers, I have to admit that I am not that often behind my computer these days, I try to slow down a bit and to enjoy these holidays with my family. But I really had to share this news with you!
This month the most beautiful horse in the world is been chosen in Paris at The World Championship for ArabianHorses. The winner is the Belgian stallion QR Marc, which is owned by the Belgian Paul Gheysens, of the stud Knocke Arabians.
An exceptional performance, because such beauty contests are usually dominated by horses from the Gulf region.
QR Marc has won international prizes before: last year he won an international beauty contest in Dubai. The horse now has about 700 descendants, including many who also won prizes.
QR MARC source http://knockearabians.com
QR MARC source http://knockearabians.com
Click on this picture to see more of QR MARC.
Video of QR Marc and owner Paul Gheysens of Knocke Arabians. Source Nieuwsblad.be
Click on the picture to watch this video of QR Marc
Source Vimeo
If you are interested to see more pictures of QR Marc and Arabian horses, please visit the Knocke Arabians website HERE.
Being a Belgian and a true horse lover I was very proud to hear that a Belgian horse is chosen as the most beautiful horse in the world !
Congratulations to QR Marc and Mr Paul Gheysens of Knocke Arabians!
I do hope you all enjoy these last days of the year!
xx
Greet
From our home to your home : Happy New Year !!!
xx
Greet
Hello dear readers! Happy New Year to you all ! I do hope you enjoyed your holidays !
May this new year bring you the best life has to offer!
Since yesterday we started working again, so everything is back to normal!
In my first post of this new year, I bring you some interior design images I came across lately, in which something caught my eye, something that inspired me…
In this first image, I love the contrast between the stained paneling and the white seats. And I do love that chandelier and the hurricane lamps on the coffeetable.
Source unknown
This antique French paneling stole my heart! And I am wondering if the mirror on the right is hiding a secret door?
Source here
The color scheme of the old painting is repeated in the chosen fabric colors of this living room. Gorgeous, isn’t it?!
Source here
One of my favorites! This interior radiates a mysterious atmosphere! Notice the French bergère in the foreground!
Source here
Paneling, mirror, painting, armchairs, tables… the perfect combination!
Source here
English paneling! So beautful!
Source here
Wouldn’t you love to see your attic decorated this way?!! Look at that paneling with integrated door! I have always loved Windsor chairs as the ones here around the table.
Source here
A typical Belgian styled farmhouse living room, with oak paneling and linen slipcovered seats!
Source here
An English Queen Anne chest of drawers and paintings of horses above! 
Source here
What a superb detail of this beautiful upholstered armchair!
Source here
What do you think? Do you understand why these images are inspiring me?
Talk to you soon my friends !
xx
Greet
Hello my friends, to start this new week I love to share with you my first beautiful finds of this new year! All gorgeous antique furniture!
1°/ Swedish bench at BIE BAERT ANTIQUES & DECORATIONS
Swedish 19th century rococo bench with rests of old paint. Matches perfect with its Belgian linen upholstery.
For more information, contact Bie Baert atinfo@biebaert.be
2°/ Italian armoire at BRIGITTE & ALAIN GARNIER
Italian 18th century armoire with original patina
For more information contact Brigitte Garnier at info@garnier.be
3°/ Spanish cupboard at INTEMPO
Spanish 18th century hanging cupboard
For more information contact In Tempo at info@intempo.lu
4°/French cupboard at ANTIEK AMBER
French 18th century impressive arched cupboard with shelves
For more information contact Antiek Amber at info@antiekamber.be
5°/ French vaisselier at NATALIE HAEGEMAN INTERIORS
Pine vaisselier from Bourgondië
For more information contact Natalie Haegeman at info@nataliehaegeman-interiors.be
I wish you a fresh start of this new week!
xx
Greet
A lot of us have an old furniture piece somewhere that we either don’t like anymore or that doesn’t match with the rest of our décor.
A client of mine had an antique French small Louis XV bergère that didn’t fit their new, more contemporary, home interior, and asked me what to do with it.
The floral damask fabric was totally damaged, so we needed to reupholster the bergère. At this moment we are finishing the interior design of the house and for all of the fabrics we prefered to choose for tones of blues and greys.
The antique bergère with damaged damask fabric.
The framework of the bergère is painted in white/gray with a shade of blue.
Because I knew that my client had her doubts about choosing to reupholster the bergère with either a classic or a more contemporary fabric, I suggested to use 2 different fabrics.
A floral patterned fabric for the frontside and the seat cushion and a checkered fabric for the backside of the bergère.
In the composition of both fabrics, 30% to 50% linen is used.
ARISTIDE Flax Cedar Sky
ARISTIDE Flax Vancouver Sky
We finished the upholstery with a traditional trimming.
JAB trimming Engadin
The reupholstered bergère, ready to move to our client’s home!
I have always loved the small French bergères, they have a feminine look and they fit in several rooms.
I show you a few examples of small bergères placed in different rooms of the house.
In the entry hall.
Source here
In the kitchen.
Source here
In the living room.
Source here
In the bedroom.
Source here
In a dressing room.
Source here
In a library or study room.
Lefèvre Interiors Source here
Source unknown
There are many different ways to embellish a French bergère.
You can choose for a more feminine and romantic fabric as the one here of the KATE FORMAN collection.
Kate Forman Source here
Or you can opt for a plain fabric in combination with a patterned fabric.
Source here
Or a velvet upholstered bergère.
Source here
Do you love the French bergères? I do hope I inspired you to make the right choice to upholster yours !
xx
Greet
Belgian styled sofas seem to be very popular. They are seen in a lot of projects by interior designers from Belgium and abroad.
A lot of the sofas are covered in Belgian linen.
Interior design by John Minshaw (UK). Photo credit James McDonald. Sofa ‘Brian Junior’ by Axel Vervoordt covered in the Sylt Blamine fabric by Bruder. Source The World of Interiors October 2012
Interior design by Axel Vervoordt (Belgium). Photo credit Jean-Pierre Gabriel Source Architectural Digest
Interior design by Alexandra Siebelink (Holland). Source Alexandra Siebelink
Interior design by Rose Uniacke (UK). ‘Studio’ sofa. Source Rose Uniacke
Interior design by James Michael Howard (US). Source James Michael Howard
Interior design by Cameron Kimber (Australia). Source Cameron Kimber Design
Interior design by Greet Lefèvre - Lefèvre Interiors (Belgium). Sofa ‘Ralph’ covered with Libeco linen. Picture by me
Interior design by Marc & Liesbeth Soudant (Belgium). Source Marcus Soudant interior architecture & antiques
Interior design by Home World of Interiors (Belgium). Source Home World of Interiors blog
Interior design by Rela Gleason (US). Sofa ‘Montgomery’ of the Rela Gleason collection. Source Architectural Digest
Interior design by Mark Mertens (Belgium). Source Le Chalet Zannier Megève France
Interior design by Brooke Giannetti (US). Sofa ‘Courtney’ of the Patina Style collection. Source Giannetti Home Patina Style
Interior design by Philipp Vogt (Germany). Sofa Home Collection Philipp Vogt Interiors. Source Philipp Voght Interiors
In the middle of preparing this blogpost today, I received the latest blogpost of Joni, author of the blog Cote de Texas and I couldn’t resist to take over this picture of her interesting post about a brand new interior design Magazine MILIEU, that will be on the stands this fall.
Home of Andrew & Annette Schatte (US) featured in the brand new Magazine Milieu. Photo credit Peter Vitale. Source Cote de Texas
Do you like the Belgian styled sofas?
xx
Greet
King Winter is ruling over Belgium these days! The frigid temperatures may chill the bones, but snow and ice lend a magical air to almost any landscape.
I took some pictures of our garden and wanted to share them with you today!
A few days ago it started to snow in the evening.
The morning after.
Today.
Ralph and me having snow fun!
And for those who are visiting Maison & Objet in snowy Paris, don’t forget to visit the booths of our Belgian companies.
Here are 3 of several Belgian brands, present at M&O.
Tables and furniture, home & outdoor collection
Sneak peek into the St-Paul Home booth at Maison & Objet. Promising isn’t it?
To see more of this gorgeous hand made Belgian furniture collection, please visit their website at
Image sources : St-Paul Home facebookpage here
Furniture, accessories and linen for the home
Scapa Home booth at Maison & Objet.
Discover what this Belgian label has to offer at
Image sources : Scapa Home facebookpage here
Libeco Home collection : pure linen sheets, duvet covers, linen tablecloths, linen fabric and much more...
Libeco Home booth at Maison & Objet.
Discover the world of Libeco Home at
http://www.libecohomestores.com/index_en.htm
Image sources : Libeco Home facebookpage here
To discover all Belgian companies at Maison &Objet, please click HERE.
Ralph and me wish you all a lot of snow fun today!
xx
Greet
Dear friends, today I do have to tell you about my new friend, the Napa Valley based interior designer RELA GLEASON.
Rela Gleason
If my husband would have known that I was going to write this post, he absolutely would have insist to write down : ‘We do have to tell you about OUR new friends Don and Rela’ !
And actually he is right, we met Rela and Don in Belgium, a few days before Christmas.
Jan and I, both have a weakness for the spontaneous way American people behave. We just love this ! A few moments after our meet and greet, it actually felt as we did know each other since a life time. We spent a wonderful evening together in a restaurant in Brussels. And while Rela and I were talking about interior design and all things related, Jan had a heartwarming conversation with Don.
Rela and I
Don and Jan
In earlier times we already met American designers and architects Natasha Esh (New York), Maryanne Flaherty (Texas) and Brooke& Steve Giannetti (Los Angeles). All such a wonderful people who became dear friends. We do cherish these friendships!
Natasha Esch and I - Jan and Natasha’s husband Matt (Brussels, November 2009)
Maryanne Flaherty and I – Jan and Maryanne’s husband Peter (Paris, January 2010)
Brooke Giannetti and I – Jan and Brooke’s husband Steve (Brakel, June 2011)
Blogging is a fantastic way to connect with people from all over the world.
Back to Rela now!
Stumbling on my blog a few months ago, Rela contacted me by email to ask me about some interesting places to visit in Belgium. She was planning a business trip to Belgium.
I realized that Rela knew a lot about Belgium! Not surprising, if you do know that she was raised in Brussels! She probably does know more about our capital than I do!
After Rela contacted me, I visited her website Rela Gleason Design and I was thrilled to read that Rela collaborated with one of my favorite American architects Bobby McAlpine of McAlpine Tankersley, to build her house named ‘CASA KULANU’, which means “all of us” in Hebrew. So’ Casa Kulanu’ is a warm and inviting family home.
Rela and Don told us that they both love to have their children and grandchildren around.
‘Casa Kulanu’, the Napa Valley home of Rela and her husband Don, which was the first California commission for the Alabama based architect Bobby McAlpine.
It was Rela herself who made the first house sketches.
The house definitely has architectural influences of the Flemish farmhouses of Rela’s Belgian childhood, but Rela emphasizes that she loves authenticity and she absolutely didn’t want to create a faux-Tuscan villa. ‘Casa Kulanu’ is an honest house and the architecure of it possesses a Napa-style authenticity.’, Rela says.
The salon, - with steel doors, wooden beams, linen upholstered seats and a Flemish chandelier -, reveals Rela’s Belgian childhood.
Rela knows exactly how to choose the right furniture for every particular room of the house and she even has her own furniture collection.
The cavendish daybed - Rela Gleason Design Collection Source website Rela Gleason Design
The sunroom of the house.
Red-cedar-paneled library.
Gorgeous master bedroom! Rela combined a love seat and a wing chair of her own collection with an antique armchair.
Beautiful bathroom design! Notice the marble vanities with iron mirrors, designed by Rela herself.
A chalet-style box bed in a child’s guest room.
Rela travels across the United States and to Europe to find the most beautiful antique pieces for her clients. Her interiors are stylish and are composed of bespoke furniture and quality pieces. “Invest in quality pieces that can follow you anywhere.” says Rela convincingly. And I couldn’t agree with her more!
If you are interested to see more of Rela’s work, please visit her website RELA GLEASON DESIGNhttp://www.relagleasondesign.com/
If you would love to ask Rela to help with the design of your interior, please contact Rela at info@relagleasondesign.com
Blog Rela’s Journal : http://relasjournal.blogspot.be/
For the wine lovers among you, I do have to mention that the Gleasons are settled in the Northern Californian’s wine country and that the family’s Summer Hill Vineyards produce Cabernet Sauvignon wine and olive oil.
Vintner Don driving through the family’s Vineyard.
Source images : Architecutal Digest November 2011 – Photography by Roger Davies
Please tell me, do you love Rela’s house and her design work as much as I do?
XX
Greet
Hello my friends, oh yes I am so very busy! Besides working on clients projects, we are in the middle of our living room redo.
To my blog colleagues I would love to ask, if they please can forgive me for not finding much time to comment on all their latest blogposts! I promise to catch up with reading and commenting a lot of blogposts within a few weeks.
The redo of our living room was planned last year, but we didn’t make it ! So Jan and me deciced that it had to be ‘our beginning of the year 2013 project’.
Following my blog, you maybe will remember having seen pictures of how our living room looked like until a few days ago.
Living room as it looked.
On Monday morning we started to empty the room. And this is how it looks like today!
Living room this morning.
Yes, there are planned some changes. The room will be totally paneled, the parket floor should be given another finish, the window treatment fabric has to be chosen and we’d like to bring in some new furniture.
Of course, paneling will be manufactured in the workshop of our company Lefèvre Interiors, according our design sketches. The paneling will be executed in French oak and is inspired by French 18th century paneled rooms.
Sketches of the paneled living room. (copyright Lefèvre Interiors)
I just love 18th century French paneling as seen in this picture.
Image source here
At this moment the painter-artist of our workshop is preparing a few samples of the patina the paneling wil be given. This is the most difficult part! We have to mix and brew until the perfect patina is found!
Different patina options.
When I discoverd this beautiful aquarelle painting at the FB page of my French friend and renown aquarelle painter Céline Chollet, I was thrilled!! OMG! I do know that she has to paint an aquarelle of our living room too!
Source FB page Céline Chollet. Blog of Céline http://wwwboitedaquarelles.blogspot.be/
To be continued…
I promise to share the progress of our living room redo in later blogposts!
If you would like us to help designing and manufacturing your paneling, feel free to contact us at info@lefevre.be
For more Lefèvre Interiors realisations visit our website atwww.lefevre.be
xx
Greet
I have always loved wingchairs. Fabric or leather upholstered, slipcovered, I love them all.
Placed next to the fire place, at your desk or mixed with chairs around your dining table, there always is a suitable place for a wing chair.
A wing chair (also, wing-back chair or wing-back) is an easy chair or club chair with "wings" mounted to the back of the chair typically but not always stretching down to the arm rest. The purpose of which was to enclose the head or torso areas of the body in order to provide comfortable protection from drafts, and to trap the heat from a fireplace in the area where the person would be sitting. Hence, in historic times these are often used near a fireplace. Currently most examples of wing chairs are fully upholstered with exposed wood legs, but, many of the oldest wing chair examples have an exposed frame with padded cushions at the seat, arm rests, back and sometimes wings.
Though there are many types of wing chairs there are two standard wing styles - the flat wing and the scroll wing. There are also bat wings and butterfly wings just to name a few. The length, depth, vertical position and shape of the wings may vary from chair to chair.(Text wikipedia)
Pam Pierce Photo credit Peter Vitale
Source here
Source here
Source here
Darryl Carter Source here
Source here
Source here
Source Book Lichfield Style : Classic Country Houses of Connecticut by Annie Kelly – Photo credit Tim Street-Porter
Source here
If you want to see more wing chairs images, please visit the HOUZZ website wing chair page HERE.
I wish you a happy start of this new week !
xx
Greet
Today it is my son’s 17th birthday!
Happy Birthday Anthony !!!
xxx
Mom
Dear readers, first of all I want to thank you for all your lovely comments and emails on Anthony’s 17th Birthday ! So nice to read all of them! Thank you so much !
And yes, I really am knocked down by the flu since last Thursday! I feel so very sick! And I am terribly behind on my work!
So today no very creative post !
I only share with you a few images I love.
Image source Wilson Kelsey Design Blog
Image source El‘lefébien
Image source here
Image source unknown
I do hope I will feel better within a few days! Talk to you asap!
xx
Greet
Even on Valentine’s Day the flu isn’t gone yet ! But it is the first day I do feel a little better.
Thank you for all your lovely words of support !
I wish everyone of you a Happy Valentine’s Day !
xx
Greet
For those of you who are interested in our living room redo, today’s post gives an update of it. In case you missed my earlier post, please click HERE.
The previous days, all required electricity and plumbing works were finished. Next week we will start to treat the parket floor to give it an aged and greyed look.
Our living room today.
In the meantime my husband and our team of employees were really working hard on the manufacturing and assembly of the paneling in our workshop.
Sketch view chimney.
The construction of an 18th century French styled paneling is a huge and extensive work from start to finish!
French oak tree trunks in our woodshed.
After sorting out the wood carefully, we have to prepare the oak wood trunks into different parts with the required length and width.
Every part of the paneling is precisely noted down on the technical plans of the paneled room.
I posted a few of my favorite pictures of ‘the making of’. Enjoy!
Mouldings made after detailed drawings.
Frame supports.
Detail of some of the mouldings.
Different treatments to give the wood a more aged look.
Joining of the different parts into the frames.
Mortice-and-tenon joining technique.
Ready to bring in the panels.
Everything assembled! Ready for the montage.
One of the most delicate jobs is to find the right patina to bring on the natural oak paneling. A lot of color samples will be made by mixing different ingredients and will be treated by the hands of the artist.
The artist-painter is trying to find the patina that we have in mind! We would love to give the paneling a very aged look. Finally the painter will bring on the patina after the paneling is assembled in our house.
Yesterday our employees started to build up the paneling in our workshop.
Here is a sneak peek !
By the end of next week I will show you the complete montage of the paneling in our workshop.
I hope you enjoyed this post about the progress of our living room redo.
To be continued…
If you would like us to help designing and manufacturing your paneling, feel free to contact us at info@lefevre.be
For more Lefèvre Interiors realisations visit our website atwww.lefevre.be
xx
Greet
White in the spotlight !
All pictures of today are of Belgian interiors.
Lefèvre Interiors Photo credit Claude Smekens
Source Magazine More Than ClassicAugustus-September 2012 Photo Credit Guy Obijn
Axel Vervoordt source Architectural Digest
Lefèvre Interiors Photo credit Claude Smekens
Axel Vervoordt source Litwin Davies blog
AD Applications source FB page
Lefèvre Interiors Photo credit Claude Smekens
Lefèvre Interiors Photo credit Jo Pauwels
As you all know I am very busy with the redo of our living room! I will post about it later!
xx
Greet
ROME
The renowned piano duo and sisters Katia and Marielle Labèque grew up in southern France and moved all around Europe the past 25 years. Today they live in a historic building in Rome and collaborated with Axel Vervoordt for the design of their gorgeous apartment and studio.
Image source here
Since Katia and Marielle met Axel Vervoordt in the early ‘80s at the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, they collaborated with him on everyone of their homes.
Living room of the apartment in Rome, designed by Axel Vervoordt - source AD Photo creditSimon Watson
To read the complete story and to see more pictures, please visit the website of Architectural Digest HERE. And here is a beautiful video to watch. The Labèque sisters are talking about their Rome apartment and studio !
To read more about this renown piano duo, please click HERE.
___
BRUGES
I want to congratulate my friend and interior designer Natalie Haegeman with the featuring in the Belgian magazine TIJDLOOS. The February issue of the magazine features the guesthouse White Rooms in Bruges, which is completely decorated by Natalie. A few months ago I wrote about the guesthouse HERE.
Guesthouse White Rooms in Bruges
Guesthouse White rooms in Bruges featured in Belgian interior design magazine Tijdloos February 2013
Photography Claude Smekens
To see the full report, please click HERE. You will love it !
If you plan to visit Bruges and you would love to stay in a guesthouse, decorated in the Belgian way, please visit the White Rooms website : http://www.white-rooms.be/
To see more of Natalie’s work, please visit her website : http://www.nataliehaegeman-interiors.be/
I wish you all a great weekend !
xx
Greet
I am thrilled to introduce you to MILIEU, a brand new American magazine of style, to be launched this fall !
I do know that a lot of my American readers will have heard yet about this magazine by following blogs of some of my American blogger colleagues.
I really wanted my European readers and readers from all other parts of the world get introduced to this magazine.
Picture by me
Founder and Editor in Chief is the renown Houston based interior designer Pamela Pierce.
Homepage website Pam Pierce Designs
Since I was introduced to Pam’s work, through blogging (I have to credit Joni of the blog Cote de Texas for introducing me to Pam’s work), she became one of my favorite American designers! I love her design approach. Pam’s projects all show clean lines and authenticity and Pam loves to bring in natural and elegant materials and isn’t afraid of mixing antiques with pieces from today. She creates gorgeous timeless interiors.
Pam definitely has an eye for beautiful fabrics and I just love her way of furnishing! Don’t you love this living room designed by Pam? Notice the elegant furniture, the natural materials as the linen slipcovers. Beautiful antique mirror on the wall. A very carefully chosen color palette. The color of the rug and the neutral linen fabrics are all related to the background color of the stone walls. In this room everything is merging. Simply gorgeous!
Sourcewebsite Pam Pierce Designs Photography by Peter Vitale, courtesy of Veranda Magazine
Pam’s work is been featured in many interior design magazines and some time ago she decided to found an interior and lifestyle magazine herself, which will be launched this fall !
The brand new magazine MILIEU.
The quarterly print magazine will show the readers great houses and gardens in the United States and Europe. Milieu aims to introduce readers to the best designers and projects, and to interesting people and never seen places.
‘Milieu speaks directly to readers who are sophisticated about design, worldly, well-traveled, and possess a discerning eye, but who also are playful, free-spirited, insatiably curious, and unafraid of the new and the bold.’ (text Milieu website)
In order to introduce the magazine to potential advertisers, the team of MILIEU has produced a small issue of the magazine, the MILIEU ‘mini-mag’.
COVER OF THE MILIEU MINI-MAG
Cover of the Milieu mini-mag Photography by Peter Vitale
When I first read about the MILIEU magazine on Joni’s blog Cote de Texas, I couldn’t get my eyes off this image, one of the pictures published in the MILIEU mini-mag.
Again a very well chosen color palette. I love everything in this room. The gorgeous paneling and stone mantel, the silk carpet… And I noticed an influence of the Belgian style as well here! Steel windows as we do see them in Belgium and a Belgian inspired sofa !
The Schatte residence Interior design by Pam Pierce Image source MILIEU mini-mag Photography by Peter Vitale
Pam and her team also created the MILIEU website where people can read interesting articles about all things related to interior design and lifestyle.
‘We created a website suited perfectly for Milieu readers – people who are sophisticated and worldly, insatiably curious about the world of style, and open to the new and bold.’ , is to read on the MILIEU website.
I am sure you will all love the MILIEU website articles.
This is a picture of the latest article (posted 2/22/13) about Houghton Hall (UK).
Houghton Hall, UK Image source MILIEU-website Photography provided by Houghton Hall
Ok, now you all wonder what I do have in common with this brand new magazine !?
I am thrilled and honored to tell you that a few days after I first read about this brand new magazine – to be on the stands this fall –, I received an email from Pam Pierce herself to ask me if she could call me the other day because there were a few things she wanted to discuss with me! Can you imagine how thrilled and curious I was?
Well, Pam called me indeed and we talked about how exciting it is preparing the launch of a new magazine. Finally, Pam asked me if I could be interested in assisting her and the MILIEU team to do some scouting for the magazine here in Belgium and in Europe! Of course I was interested! How exciting was this!!
So, since a few days I am trying to help Pam and her team to find interesting projects, people and places to feature in one of the first issues of the magazine.
And I am so pleased to tell you that Pam will come over to Belgium in the month of June, when a photoshoot will be taken of our first MILIEU-project in Belgium! I can’t wait to meet her in person.
The Editor At Large published an article about MILIEU and I was so thrilled to see my name on the list of all the magazine’s contributors. To read the article, click HERE.
I can’t wait to receive my copy of the first issue of MILIEU this fall !
Photography by Peter Vitale
DISCOVER MUCH MORE ABOUT MILIEU AT http://milieu-mag.com
If you are interested in advertising in MILIEU, please click HERE.
For information about subscriptions, please click HERE.
Milieu mini-mag cover Picture by me
I am sure you will all love this new magazine ! And I do hope that MILIEU will be seen on the European and Belgian stands as soon as possible.
xx
Greet
I promised to keep you updated about our living room redo. Today I will show you the progress over the past two weeks.
If you are interested to read my two earlier posts about our living room redo, please click HERE and HERE.
Past week the parquet floor was treated to give it a gray weathered look.
The natural oak boards flooring before.
This is how our parquet floor looked like after several treatments.
After : the grayed floor.
What do you think about it? Do you love the look? We are very pleased with the result.
So far the parquet floor.
Previous Monday our employees started the montage of the paneling in our living room.
Plan with the assembly instructions.
Start on Monday morning
Pretty exciting to see the trumeau coming in!
Some years ago we found the French 18th century walnut mantel in southern France at CHEMINEES ANCIENNES JEAN ZUNINO.
I do hope to find antique mirrored glass for the chimney trumeau.
If someone of you does know an address in Belgium where I could find antique mirrored glass, I would appreciate if you would let me know.
Continuation on Tuesday
Notice the secret door towards our library.
We do have to ask Peter van Cronenburg for his help to choose the right doorlocks and hardware for the secret doors.
I love this doorlock and handle of Peter’s collection.
Image source Peter van Cronenburg Architectural Hardware
Paneling with integrated secret door towards the entry hall.
Wednesday
The existing double door towards the dining room will be given the same patina as the one of the paneling.
We are still thinking about the color of the patina! It is really hard to choose!
Examples of patinas which will have to give the room an 18th century atmosphere.
Lighting fixtures and picture lights will be very important to create the intimate atmosphere.
Thursday
So many things still to think about! As the choice of the window treatment.
This morning (Friday)
A meticulous job to add the paneling around the arched door.
Next week our employees Ines and Davy will continue the montage of the paneling and they will have to add skirting, chair rails and corniches.
To be continued…
If you would like us to help designing and manufacturing your paneling, feel free to contact us at info@lefevre.be
For more Lefèvre Interiors realisations visit our website atwww.lefevre.be
Enjoy the weekend !
xx
Greet
Suzanis are used as decorative elements by a lot of renowned interior designers.
Authentic suzanis are hand-embroidered textiles originating from Central Asia, made in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and other Central Asian countries. Suzanis are sewn using bright, vibrant colors. Popular design motifs include sun and moon disks, flowers (especially tulips and irises), leaves and vines, fruits (especially pomegranates), and occasional fish and birds.
Suzani with pomegranata design.
Suzanis are often made in two or more pieces, that are then stitched together.
The oldest surviving suzanis are from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but it seems likely that they were in use long before that.
Suzanis were traditionally made by Central Asian brides as part of their dowry, and were presented to the groom on the wedding day.
Authentic suzanis
Image source
Image source
Image source unknown
Suzanis hung at the head of the bed instead of a headboard.
It's also quite popular to use suzanis as rugs.
Image source
Pomegranata Ivory rug – The Rug Company
A suzani used as a bed cover or throw.
Douglas Mackie via House & Garden August 2012
Richard Shapiro via AD
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A Suzani used as a seat throw.
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Natalie Haegeman has draped a suzani over a table as a tablecloth.
Lots of ready-made suzani pillows to find on ebay.
Nowadays there is a huge range of suzani inspired fabrics.
I have always loved the colorful suzani pillows.
Suzani pillows in the chaise longue of our bedroom. Brunschwig & Fils fabric Dzhambul.
Brunschwig & Fils Dzhambul Ref.BR-71099-06
Brunschwig & Fils Dzhambul Ref. BR-79189-06
Suzani inspired fabrics used as furniture upholstery.
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Do you love the decorative suzanis as much as I do ?
xx
Greet
