Both Jannah Field and Rik Vannevel have found a home in the real estate equivalent of an opponent’s rack. Located in the Belgian town of Kortrijk in West Flanders, it dates back to 1936 and has a well-preserved Art Deco facade and the “dense garden” they love. However, the interior had been stripped of its historic details in recent years, and its previous owners set out to recreate this new design – but they didn’t finish before they decided to change plans.
When Jannah and Rick walked into the space – which was devoid of a kitchen – which suited them – they welcomed the opportunity to add their own touch. The couple has three young boys and are both creative: Janna is a fine art painter and printer who recently took up ceramic art; Rick runs the education department at contemporary art platform Be-Part. Working on a limited budget, they initially decided to install IKEA cabinets with custom fronts.
Then it happened on the Instagram account of Pieterjan Dehaene and Louis Seynaeve, a duo of trained architects who work in practical construction. Located nearby in Ghent, Atelier Dehaene Seynaeve (@atelierdehaeneseynaeve) collaborates with architects and also creates their own designs. After seeing what Jannah describes as “solutions that are both practical and aesthetic,” she and Rick began dreaming of a custom kitchen. “We have some pet peeves about traditional kitchens,” she continues. ‘We really wanted a kitchen with modular elements: Rick likes to mix, match and reorganize every six months. “I love the open design and wanted to avoid closed cabinets that look like a big block in the room.”
Peterjan and Lewis listened enthusiastically, and got to work. “Yes, our kitchen cost a little more than an Ikea kitchen, but their contemporary style and high-quality materials, plus the good conversations that went into making it happen were worth it,” says Jannah.
Photography and courtesy Rick Vanneville.
The green metal frame came from Rick’s parents’ music store—they’re from a shelving system that’s no longer in production called Tixit; The couple requested they be incorporated into the design as a “lovely memory from Rick’s childhood.” The plan was initially for neutral-colored wheels, but Lewis surprised and delighted her with red. The tall, slim refrigerator is Severin.
