- Interior
The gourmet restaurant Fine Fleur by star chefs Thomas Diepersloot and Jacob-Jan Boerma recently opened its doors in the heart of Antwerp. The centuries-old architecture of the fifteenth century site largely inspired interior designer Dennis T'Jampens.
He is not only the manager but also the first architect of 'D' Architectural Concepts. With his office, Dennis T'Jampens realises both new construction and renovation projects and has built shops, flats, residential villas, outdoor spaces and recently also his first restaurant project. He will always work with pure materials because he finds the play between different contrasts in materials, such as rough and soft and shiny and matt, very interesting. What's more, he likes to create tension and surprise within a project, but above all strives for timelessness and warmth. In addition, he finds a personal approach with his clients very important. ‘Clients come to me for my work and what I stand for. They therefore deserve my individual attention and guidance and are definitely not just a number,’ we hear. 
In early November 2021, Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp (Imagicasa Autumn '21) was officially opened, a luxurious hotel located in a former monastery. This five-star hotel, designed by AID architects, houses no less than four high-end restaurants under one roof, including the Fine Fleur restaurant. This unique setting is located in a centuries-old, beautiful site in the city centre and was designed by Dennis T'Jampens. Although the design and realisation were mainly dependent on the grand overall project, the interior designer managed to give the restaurant a unique atmosphere of history. ‘The combination of old and new in the interior forms a harmonious whole,’ he says of his very first restaurant project. His clients are the restaurant's two great chefs, Jacob Jan Boerma and Thomas Diepersloot. They had almost no specific wishes regarding the interior and gave him their full trust. They did, however, have some practical wishes concerning the kitchen, the cooking itself and the service, which are of course all things that were completely new to T'Jampens. ‘So it certainly wasn't always easy but I learned a lot and in the end result is perfect,’ says the interior designer. 
The interior is an extraordinary play between old and new.
The main wish of the clients was as follows: ‘The washroom should be Instagrammable.’ That was their only wish so T'Jampens answered with round mirrored walls and a massive marble hand-washer. The interplay between antique architectural details and modern materials creates an extraordinary play between old and new. The floor, for example, seems to be made of loam with tight bronze lines running through it. The ceiling contains old oak beams with modern bronze mirrors in between. In short, both the floor and the ceiling benefit from a bronze finish. Furthermore, the walls have been limed and the windows have been kept in their rough original state to accentuate their historical roughness. Both were finished by Texture Painting with a patinated painting technique based on lime and loam. This contrasts with the modern glass walls and the remarkably authentic Belvedere marble details. 
The concept of the realisation is closely linked to the architectural vision of the interior designer. The result reveals itself as a cosy fine dining restaurant with a traditional touch and modern and subtle lighting. Surrounded by an oasis of green and situated in the bustling city centre, this address is definitely at the top of our list.
Photography by Cafeine