- Interior
Not everyone who lives in Ostend overlooks the sea. The seaside resort has other environments on offer, such as the green park that this country house borders. Here, TJIP interior architects set to work to give the existing house a new concept, without neglecting the initial architecture. As always, the duo once again provided a concept in which the design substantiates the excellence of the location.
More than 800 square metres: that is the living area presented to TJIP. In the past, they have already worked on projects where they had to deal with remarkably small homes and therefore had to arrange the floor plan in the most space-efficient way possible. The finesse with which they approach such challenges is well known to us by now. At the other end of the spectrum, you find commissions like this one, with a spacious country house lacking no room for movement anywhere. Although expectations were high, the agency once again delivered on their promises. Specifically, they had been asked to tackle the current property with a bold redesign while integrating the right elements of yesteryear into the new plan. Apart from a series of practical wishes, the clients were happy to give them carte blanche. They themselves are now the third or fourth family to live there, so the property was anything but a blank sheet. Therefore, respect for historical traces was an absolute bonus. By preserving a few things with care, the interior architects achieved a contemporary residence with the class of a country house. 
For Thomas Meesschaert and Jakob Vyncke, the environment of a house is every time the foundation on which they base their creative concept. At TJIP, a design is never disconnected from its location. Indeed, their work is an endeavour to just enhance and emphasise the appeal of certain places. Moreover, throughout all past projects, they have honed their technical and mathematical insights to the point where they have also fully mastered the rational workings of a project. If a home is to look fluid, a logical and reasoned core is indispensable. Their interiors may look effortless, but they are the outcome of tremendous efforts that include even the subtlest detail. That precision catapults them ever more clearly into Belgium's top names. Here in Ostend, they offer you one more reason to believe that with project Maria Hendrika. No seascapes this time, but they do have an adjacent park and a vast garden to be inspired by. These assets led to a clear goal, which was to give residents the feeling of belonging to the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, in every commission they try to incorporate architecture and interior into a flawless fusion, without unevenness or friction. This drive for balance and harmony between the various aspects of a home is expressed across the entire line of their work and has become their trademark with increasing conviction.
If a home has to look fluid, a logical and well-founded core is essential
Upon entering the hall, residents and visitors immediately get a sense of the grandeur the team left behind. An agile but serene staircase leads you to the first floor and there is even a house lift, although it is neatly hidden away in the architecture to be as unobtrusive as possible. The spatial experience is an appropriate precursor to the rest of the abode. From here, you walk on to the living room. There, the preserved fireplace rightly demands one of your first glances, followed by the expansive seating area. An inviting sofa in a sort of U-arrangement is perfect for cosy social moments, while you can also curl up with a book for quiet relaxation. From here, you can walk through to the dining room. Remarkably, you can close off this area with a pair of double doors if desired, temporarily creating a more intimate setting. The kitchen is in a separate room next door. This construction has to do with the house's past. Indeed, it used to be common for the kitchen to be separate and considered a kind of work space that had to be primarily functional, while the dining room was opulent by way of contrast. Although it is now also visually a component in its own right, TJIP did retain some of that original structure. They themselves see this as an advantage. However, as the available space here is much larger, they now had the margin to zoom in very specifically on the house. The different activities were all given their own area, but thanks to a worked-out circulation, there is a natural flow through the rooms.Instead of a corridor with separate branches, residents move organically from zone to zone. 
Want to read more about this? You can read about it in the Summer 2024 edition of Imagicasa Magazine.
Photography by Alice Mesguich
Text by Cara Jacobs