- Interior
- Art & Design
Bieke Casteleyn is a designer in more than one sense of the word. With BCINT and Shaping Objects, she creates both interiors and design objects. Her clean lines in natural materials radiate as much tranquillity as they intrigue the eye.
Casteleyn studied interior architecture at LUCA School of Arts in Ghent and product design at the Domus Academy in Milan. In 2012, studio BCINT was born, with which she designs interiors without frills that still radiate homeliness. Next to her work for BCINT, Casteleyn designs interior items with Shaping Objects. Emerging from her work as an interior designer, she develops objects under this brand that she simply cannot find anywhere else. Over time, Casteleyn designs a whole series of objects following the same philosophy. 
The curves are manipulated until I think they are perfect’
Where did your passion for interior and design come from?
‘My passion didn’t necessarily start with interior and design, but mainly with refinement. I’ve always been focused on the details, and I still am. For example, I find it hard to stomach when I see a product where the finish is lacking. Besides that, I’ve always been fascinated by the designers of the 1930s to 1950s. They had a clear view on things and applied it to their furniture and collections. It was mostly these stories that made my passion for interiors, and especially furniture design, grow.'
You are both an interior and product designer. How do these roles influence each other?
‘The product designer in me refines my interiors in terms of design, lines and especially detailing. Every detail is thought through and everything needs to be proportional. I often begin designing my interiors from the final stage of the project, meaning the furniture and the atmosphere I ultimately want to create. From there on, I take a few steps back to see how we can achieve my idea in terms of interior design.’ 
How did you come up with the idea of the Shaping Objects collection?
‘My parents have a holiday home in Tenerife and wanted a table for the indoors. In Tenerife, everyone lives outside, so I came up with this idea of making a kind of hop-on- hop-off table. Because of the atypical shape, you never get the feeling there’s a big empty slab of table hanging right next to you. At first glance, the lines of the table seem to be randomly or instinctively drawn. It’s true that I use freehand drawing to make the first sketch of these unconventional shapes, but afterwards I make sure they get refined. Every curve is examined with care. The curves are manipulated until I think they are perfect. That way, an atypical shape doesn’t feel complex, but serene.’ 
If you want to learn more about the work of Bieke Casteleyn, be sure to read our full article in Imagicasa Spring 2021.
Images courtesy of Bieke Casteleyn