Pursuit of Chic: Belgian Chocolate, Fries and Interiors!

I heart Belgium. What is there not to love about this country? Exquisite chocolate shops around every corner, street vendors selling the most amazing frites and waffles I have ever tasted and easily the best beers in the world. Now, the interiors. I first fell in love with Belgian style without even knowing what it was. I stumbled into a charming shop in Charleston, South of Market, and I was in awe. This was the first time in my life (I was about 25 at the time by the way) that I walked into a home store and LOVED everything I saw. I could have had the shop owner drop off the contents of the entire store at my house and live a happy life! Fast forward a couple of years to 2008 and I was able to define the style when I saw this home designed by Barbara Westbrook and Kim Winkler featured in the May issue of House Beautiful:

View of the Sitting Room and Kitchen. This was the first time I had ever seen open shelving in a kitchen - LOVE!

Love these dark grey walls in the dining room - Tabacco #33-19 Pratt & Lambert

Elegantly slipcovered sofas in a neutral palette with punches of turquoise and blue accents

This article was the gateway to my discovery of Belgian style and Axel Vervoordt, one of the best known designers of of this style. Belgian style is marked by a neutral color palette, texture, simple lines, reclaimed wood, iron and linen. At once rustic and sophisticated, you won't find anything too fussy or overdone here. It is such an approachable style that it has now found it's way into mainstream stores like Restoration Hardware. Rustic and worn woods and slipcovers are a cornerstone of belgian style so it is a naturally good fit for family friendly lives. I also like that this style lends itself to sustainable and eco-conscious design with reclaimed woods and repurposed objects as art. See below photos from another House Beautiful feature - Kay Douglass of South of Market is the designer.