Her elegant, understated, and timeless interiors have undeniably influenced the world of bespoke Belgian design. (I know they have influenced mine!) A Pearl of a Belgium Home & Designer revisits an enchanting property in Belgium where a talented designer, business owner, and stylemaker lives. What a gift she shares its beauty with the world. Let’s explore and revisit the work of a true Belgian pearl, Greet Lefèvre.
Photography: Greet Lefèvre and Claude Smekens
A Pearl of a Belgium Home & Garden
Friend to this blog, Greet Lefèvre of Belgian Pearls knows we admire her timeless work since we cannot go very long without spotlighting it. That’s the beauty of timeless…it’s always relevant and evergreen.
Can we imagine calling this Belgium home “home?”
Shaping A Legacy of Belgian Interior Design Inspiration
Greet has delighted us with rich Belgian interior design style online a decade and a half, and it’s forever a pleasure to direct others to her blog, Belgian Pearls as well as her family business, Lefèvre Interiors.
We almost met in person when I visited London in 2018 as our blogs were both nominated for an Amara Interior Blog Award. Sadly, she wasn’t able to attend the ceremony.
That night, Greet was thoughtful enough to arrange a meeting for me with friends of hers who were representing her the evening of the award ceremony!
What a kind gesture! And what an honor to be the recipient of her kindness. (Pssst. It isn’t typical to encounter such graciousness in the blogging/publishing world. You might be surprised to know how many charming online personalities behave offline!)
Defleure Home Collection
Her lovely home is graced with furniture pieces of her own design (like the Mimi chairs above) from her furniture line with Defleure Home Collection.
If I seem half crazy to suggest there are actionable ideas to score from fantasy level properties like hers, well…
I suppose I am and can live with that. This is a site for dreamers after all.
Natural Beauty Inside & Out
How can one enhance an interiors and well being in one fell swoop.
Make sure to introduce flowers, fruit, plants, branches, and bits of beauty from outside (even small stones collected outside) to your nest inside.
Do you love the look of Greet’s potted boxwood? Do a little research online and then give it a whirl!
Does the sight of climbing ivy bring you delight? You need not own a fantasy property in Europe to enjoy such romantic whimsy.
Such beautiful lush and wild foliage can creep up the simplest of structures including sheds, garages, and assorted outdoor buildings.
Are she-sheds a bit too shabby for your taste? Maybe a more elegant alternative awaits in your imagination!
Old World Style for Modern Living
There’s something comforting about planting seeds now to enjoy a rich landscape in the future. Do you suppose most gardeners are horizon types?
Grand gardens certainly don’t bloom without devotion and tireless labor.
Without a gardener, I can only imagine how many Saturdays must be sacrificed to grow and maintain such an Eden.
Yet small gardens and tiny patches of fresh life deliver doses of paradise too. Is there a wee patch in your yard right for planting? A tiny balcony where containers of lush goodness may thrive and lift spirits?
While I love the desert, you have to hand it to rainy April days sprinkling generosity!
Breathtaking Scale in the Lush Gardens
There are large pots, and then there are TREE SIZED POTS…
I know precious little about gardening, but I know things become interesting with a playful mix of whimsy and scale.
So allow yourself to think beyond what the neighbors are doing.
Allow yourself to listen to your inner dreamer who imagines __________ would be a hoot to grow and enjoy in the garden.
The patina and weathered look of materials around this property seems to heighten the beauty and character of it.
Are you quick to replace things inside and out that begin to show age, distress, and change?
What if you slowed down just a tad? And what if you allowed them a little more time to bloom into the fullness of their ripe character?
Timeless Design Ideas from Belgian Pearls
Belgian design ever appeals to me in fresh ways with its divine mix of old and new. Contrast can be so energetic. Bold colors from nature popping against an elegantly subdued backdrop.
Modern silhouettes (in art, floral design, and accents) in a mix of antiques and soulful surroundings gives birth to new interest and fresh energies.
Contemporary patterns, textures, and art can feel very much at home with centuries old fixtures and traditional architecture. (What about adding a striking pillow to an otherwise humdrum moment at your own home? Could it spark renewed appreciation for what is already there?)
Tranquil & Soothing Color Palettes
As a lover of neutrals, I am awed by how Belgians use textured, natural, understated, richly complex color. It never feels stagnant or boring to these eyes.
If you are curious about living with tone on tone, you need not remake your entire home. Gaze at an unused space with fresh eyes and begin to experiment.
You won’t be pressured if you start with a space where you don’t spend a lot of time.
Who knows? If you find yourself drawn to your experimental room, maybe the experiment can spread as your gaze carries you to the next blank slate.
Belgian Kitchen Design Inspiration from Greet Lefèvre
There are so many actionable ideas inspired by Greet’s beautiful bespoke kitchen. You hardly need additional commentary.
Notice how cabinet storage is a mix of wood and plaster in warm, neutral tones. The range becomes a grand moment of wondrous glory, and the tall windows flanking it mean the gardens and light are part of the design.
This Belgian kitchen with its narrow dining table (oh, the intimacy!) and finishes that get better with age is an example of an unfitted design that will never look out of style.
If you have yet to discover the beauty of Belgian stone and handcrafted everything, perhaps this quest will unlock treasures untold.
So many American kitchens are conceived and constructed quickly and without mindful consideration. We’re a busy, bustling culture, and we often do not think about long term commitments with homes, kitchens, and places. We tend to focus on resale and what others are including. Timeless design is often overlooked or deemed too labor-intensive. For example, plaster walls demand time, labor, and talent…drywall can sometimes be completed in a single day.
But what if we began to freshly discover the beauty of slow?
The study of design, sensibilities, and lifestyle from cultures beyond our own can enlighten and reveal the possibilities.
Glowing Glorious Palette
Introducing rich texture on your walls need not entail a massive budget. Bespoke paneled walls may be beyond the budget, but what about applied trims and moldings?
Also, notice the scale of the baseboards above? Do you have a room with high ceilings where such bold drama could enhance the space?
Bespoke Wood Paneling Distinguishes This Lovely Manse
The timelessness of the artful paneled walls and built-ins are breathtaking in Greet’s home.
What actionable ideas could we take away?
We can study the character, patina, and texture of the paneling and notice how it adds a rich layer that painted sheetrock lacks. Plaster, limewash, Roman clay, and even Sure-Crete finishes can be a source of texture too. Wainscot, tongue and groove, and even shiplap are other ways to introduce depth and character.
I may not live in a European manse, yet many of the colors and textiles I live with are suggestive of a Belgian country home.
For me, it’s often a matter of starting with sure things. For example, I know I never tire of Belgian linen (its color, durability, strength, and texture). If I allow design decisions to flow from what feels timeless and harmonious with the Belgian linen pieces, the field narrows.
A narrowed field helps with endless choices and options in the marketplace.
Inspired Sophisticated Whimsy
I am ever smitten with sophisticated whimsy since it says something about the homeowners.
Can a room full of serious furniture or antiques at your house be lightened up with humor?
Even a happy pattern like a checkered floor may do the trick.
Again, my emphasis is on actionable, so I realize a marble checkered stone floor can’t just appear without great effort and expense. But a checkered rug?
Sunlight Welcomed Within An Orangerie
An orangery or orangerie is a space on the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries where citrus trees were protected during the winter.
Similar to a greenhouse or conservatory, they aren’t common in my neck of the woods.
My actionable tip here is maybe a little bit dreamy, but if you are a DIYer like me, who knows?
Interior windows can be suggestive of such a space even and maybe especially if a space is not very sunny.
Adding a reclaimed window to a wall (we have done it so many times over the years!) is a way to: add architectural interest, capture light from an adjacent space, and introduce bespoke character.
Romantically Bold & Appetizing Dining Room
You already know, I can’t seem to live with red, but if the energy of red lifts you, isn’t this shade chic?
I would love to own a dress this color!
Quiet Sophistication in a Wine Cellar
As stated earlier in the orangerie discussion, creating a luxurious cellar for wine is not within my skillset.
But how may we store a collection of treasures that will also please the senses?
Because if we are clinging to a collection, the objects must hold meaning.
Perhaps it is time we think more deeply about how to live with such objects more intentionally.
We inevitably form attachments to objects, and sometimes life moves so fast we forget to revisit what the attachments mean.
Do your belongings or boxes of treasures still spark joy? Are there things long forgotten that should be displayed?
Could decluttering or paring down spell sweet relief?
Old World Style + Soulful Craftsmanship
A home like Greet’s certainly won’t just happen.
Homes evolve as we do.
One last actionable tip I’ll mention is to allow the evolution of your home to unfold gently.
Hurrying can hurt us in ways we may not be able to see clearly. There’s less overwhelm when we take our time with each layer. Who knows? Ultimately, it may even be more gratifying when gentle slow strokes form an integrated whole.
Should the timeless elegance of these designs soothe your senses, you will be charmed by BELGIAN PEARLS, where Greet shares her fine journey in a friendly fashion.
See More Beauty from Belgium
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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