Towhouse VI by Decancq-Vercruysse Architects
Towhouse VI anchors a careful renovation of a 1950s house in Kortrijk, Belgium by Decancq-Vercruysse Architects. The project treats everyday rituals as design drivers, translating personal habits into warm materials, generous storage, and measured connections to a walled garden. Living areas open to light and greenery, while quieter rooms lean into darker tones and soft texture. It reads as domestic craft tuned to daily life.
Low morning light hits oak grain, then slides across patinated metal before reaching the glazed wall at the garden. The house feels settled as the living room opens to a green patio, turning routine movement into a soft ritual.
This is a compact house in Kortrijk, renovated by Decancq-Vercruysse Architects with a focus on interior palette and furnishing. The team studies daily patterns, then edits material and storage to remove friction from living. Warm wood, darker tones, and precise joinery give each room calm and tactile depth.
Open Living, Garden Edge
On the ground floor, a new floor-to-ceiling wall of windows dissolves the boundary to the walled patio garden. Air moves freely and light lands deep in the room, drawing the eye to planted surfaces beyond. Oak wall panels quiet the acoustics and temper the brightness. A deep sofa faces a bespoke patinated stainless steel fireplace, with an inherited coffee table and an upholstered Bachelor chair anchoring the seating group.
Oak, Stone, Steel
Material choices carry the mood. Oak clads walls and, upstairs, ceilings to create continuity and a steady visual temperature. The fireplace’s treated steel brings a subtle sheen beside the warm wood, while grey stone surfaces in service areas add weight and practical durability. Tones skew darker in the bedroom and bathroom, where layered natural materials and custom bedside pieces trade glare for intimacy.
Kitchen Layers
Upstairs, the kitchen and dining room switch rhythms through finish and floor. Wide wood planks sit under the table, then brown square tile takes over in the working zone for grip and easy cleaning. Walls alternate between oak panels and taupe paint, giving the long room a balanced cadence. Grey stone countertops line the kitchen, which opens to a sunlit terrace for meals and quick garden views.
Storage as Calm
Order begins at the door. The entry hides coats, shoes, and bikes, and even folds in a small shower for the dog to keep mud at bay. In the kitchen, a single display shelf collects artwork, while most storage sits below the counters to keep surfaces quiet. Throughout, built-in cabinetry absorbs daily clutter so rooms hold their poise and movement stays simple.
Quiet Rooms, Darker Tones
Sleeping and bathing areas lean darker to match their use. Natural fibers, custom tables, and low, warm light wrap the edges of the rooms and steady the pulse after a day outside. The palette feels grounded and gently cave-like, encouraging slower time and a closer read of texture. Short steps, soft thresholds, and steady materials keep the body at ease.
The day ends with light fading across oak and stone, the patio still visible through tall glass. Materials hold the mood while storage holds the rest. The house hums at a low volume, ready for tomorrow.
Photography by Eric Petschek
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