MP Louise is our most challenging project to date: a dramatic house with loads of personality, we wanted to respect the space while meeting the needs of our residents for convenience, community and, when needed, some privacy.

What were the design elements you wanted to accentuate when doing the interiors for the house?

This is a very traditional bourgeois home from the turn of the century with marble fireplaces, 5 meter high ceilings and lovely period details. We really wanted to accentuate the original architecture and atmosphere of the house while keeping it modern and light. The wallpapers are a humorous nod to the house’s bourgeois past while the eclectic furniture makes it feel like a true home  where you could put your feet up and stay a while.

How did you incorporate the needs of a demanding co-living community?

Rule number one: invest in the wifi. We learned this the hard way so now we have the best provider in Brussels. Feedback from our other houses is that residents want to be able to get out of their rooms without having to face their housemates’ dinner party in the common space. So we have created different areas to curl up with a book or do some work from home. Storage is also big concern, as is keeping your stuff separate in the kitchen because there is always that one person…

How did you manage to make each room individual?

Isabelle sourced most of our furniture from vintage markets here in Belgium and in Scandinavia, so there isn’t one look but a happy mix. We wanted it to feel like the house had been in the same family for generations, relaxed and lived in. No two rooms are alike, just like our residents!

What are some of the surprises residents will find about the house?

Afternoon sunlight in the upstairs reading nook, the piano in the living room… just some of the surprises that await.