Belgian interior architect and furniture designer Bieke Casteleyn has long admired midcentury houses in Palm Springs and Los Angeles. When she designed her own family home, she borrowed from that tradition and adapted it for a colder, darker country, creating a house that reads as belgian midcentury modernism.
The house sits in the polders, the flat, low-lying countryside area of Belgium. It is a single-level home with warm wood and wide windows, and its designer describes it as a winterised take on California modernism, a local expression of belgian midcentury modernism. The plan is open, but the materials and proportions were changed to suit the local landscape and weather.
Fans of the California influence might enjoy this 1963 Long Beach midcentury duplex for sale, with its clean lines and period detail.
The exterior uses stone that Casteleyn and her husband sourced themselves. They chose a grey-green tone so the walls would sit comfortably against the fields, a quiet choice in keeping with belgian midcentury modernism. The flat roof is covered in grass, which lets the building merge with the green ground around it.
From first sketch to finished interiors
Casteleyn started the project in 2018. She worked on the first plans with architect Simone de Burbure, then refined the design with a site coordinator, an external architecture office, and a member of her own team. She designed the interiors herself.
Her career as a furniture designer began in 2015, when she launched her first collection. That work is known for organic curves, tactile materials, and a playful streak. The house carries the same instincts, alongside her long-standing interest in midcentury modernism.
The main living spaces are separated from the private wing by a 36-metre corridor. Its walls are glass, so the corridor keeps the residents connected to the landscape while they move through the house. Curtains were added along the glass for privacy when needed.
Outside, a wooden claustra, or architectural screen, runs along the facade in an elongated oval pattern. The same oval appears throughout the interior, from the door handles to the kitchen cabinetry. Casteleyn uses it as a visual signature for the property, a motif central to belgian midcentury modernism.
Balancing light and shelter in belgian midcentury modernism
Casteleyn had a clear goal for the balance between openness and enclosure. “Houses with extensive glazing and long sightlines can sometimes feel exposed or impersonal,” she says. “By contrast, homes with smaller corners and enclosed spaces tend to feel naturally more inviting.”
She aimed for a middle path. “I wanted to find a balance between the two: a home filled with light and long views that would still provide warmth, privacy, and a sense of shelter.” Rich woods, natural materials, organic curves, and tactile textures run through the interiors, reflecting the signatures of her furniture work.
The couple collected furniture and art over the years of the project, and those pieces shaped the rooms. Casteleyn reversed the usual order of decorating. “Instead of having the interior and then choosing which pieces fit, I chose to do the opposite: design the house around the furniture,” she explains.
The result mixes collectible design pieces, antiques from Casteleyn’s family, and select designs of her own. In the living room, a sofa by Minotti, chosen with RR Interieur, sits beside a coffee table prototype by Bieke Casteleyn in high-gloss ivory lacquer and afromosia wood. Vintage Artifort armchairs complete the group. In the dining room, an inherited table has legs that Casteleyn upholstered in burgundy. It stands beneath a tiered midcentury chandelier from Morentz Gallery.
Connecting the house to its site
Several features tie the house to the outdoors. On one terrace, a circular opening in the roof lets a tree grow through the structure. Stairs lead down to a small deck over a pond, where seating allows the household to watch birds and take in the flat, open landscape.
For a contrasting Belgian approach, see this Belgian timber house with prefabricated pitched roofs, which trades a grass roof for sharp angles.
Via wallpaper.com
Frequently asked questions
Where is Bieke Casteleyn’s family house located in Belgium?
The house sits in the polders, which are flat, low-lying countryside areas of Belgium. Its design was adapted to suit that local landscape and weather.
What kind of roof does Casteleyn’s Belgian midcentury house have?
The flat roof is covered in grass, which lets the building merge with the green ground around it.
When did Bieke Casteleyn start designing her family home?
Casteleyn started the project in 2018. She worked on the first plans with architect Simone de Burbure.
What oval design motif appears in Casteleyn’s house?
A wooden claustra, or architectural screen, runs along the facade in an elongated oval pattern. The same oval appears throughout the interior, from the door handles to the kitchen cabinetry.
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