In the early 1990s, H&F had a house built for themselves and their 3 children. Their eye had fallen on a new allotment near Leuven. A few years -and a lot of construction problems- later, the time had come: the family was moving. Everyone -from toddler to adolescent- gets their own place in the spacious house. Practicality takes precedence in the kitchen - after all, five mouths have to be fed every day. There is a continuous worktop against two walls, with as much storage space as possible at the top and bottom. And only low-maintenance materials: ceramic tiles and laminate, resistant to dirty children's hands. In the centre of the space, there is a place at the table for all family members.

Fast forward to the year 2015; the children are all out of the house by now and H&L are dreaming of retirement. After more than 20 years, the kitchen has seen its best days. With the years also come some new insights. While washing up, you might be able to watch birds flying off and on in the garden, but from the dining table you have a view of... a lot of kitchen cupboards. Guests are invariably received in the living area, as the kitchen does not score very high on ambience and cosiness. Could the little daylight have something to do with that, too?

So it's high time for a thorough renovation. After analysing the residents' requirements and wishes, everyone agreed that the existing volume of the house should not be extended. Instead, the connection between the kitchen, living space and garden should be completely different. The designers remove all barriers; the door to the living space disappears and the existing extension with the kitchen is made fully glazed. 2 large sliding windows in black aluminium give out onto the redesigned terrace; the uninspired tiled rectangle has given way to an organic outdoor space in quarry stone that embraces the ground floor.

In the kitchen, three objects are introduced.
A floor-to-ceiling cabinet wall in oak connects the kitchen to the living space. This meandering piece of furniture incorporates -in addition to still ample storage space- a breakfast niche, dishwasher, refrigerator and the passage to the existing kitchen pantry. Black Bakelite cabinet handles and switches add a playful touch.
The sink and oven come in a floating low wall cabinet in solid surface.
The kitchen table is still at the centre of the room, but now it is a custom-made one in oak, which incorporates a raised zone with an induction hob. This cooking zone is in the same material as the new floor : a PU-based cast terrazzo. The choice of robust, natural materials creates a luxurious look.

The birds in the garden are still there. They can now be closely watched all day long from the sunlit living kitchen. And the guests? They simply sit down at the kitchen table to enjoy an aperitif together while the chef puts the finishing touches to dinner. Practical ánd cosy.