AT ONE with nature

The couple who built this home on the outskirts of Antwerp were influenced by their experience of living in Japan, so the inside is as peaceful as the outside

- THIJS DEMEULEMEESTER

Years ago, during a walk, I stumbled upon an isolated farmhouse and barn in a rural area between Antwerp and Mechelen. It clearly was empty and dilapidated. But I immediately felt the energy and potential. You could turn it into something beautiful,' recalls the Antwerp doctor who owns this rather special Belgium home with his wife. 'Shortly afterwards, we moved abroad for five years. When we returned, I was surprised the property was still there. An omen, I thought, so I took a chance and tracked down the owner, who wanted to sell the property.

The package not only included a 19th-century farmhouse with a bread oven, but a barn, a meadow and a private forest, plus a polo field. A rural paradise. When we agreed on the price, I thought: "now we can start renovating". But to our surprise, the municipality allowed us to build a new house on the plot. Suddenly we could realise our dream home, instead of restoring the farmhouse."