Looking outward for inspiration, the sandy dunes of Cadzand, the Netherlands, inspire the resulting palette for Residence Blanke Top. Belgian-based designer Eline Ostyn layers varying textures of softness to propose a home that connects intimately to its place while also embodying ideas of calm and retreat.
Any coastal siting incites a sense of quietening through the rhythms of the sea; the ebb and flow of the ocean is synonymous with a meditative state. In the small Dutch coastal village of Cadzand, Eline Ostyn connects to the idyllic setting while adding considered insertions that connect and bind the home and its owners.
The Arrow pendant by Apparatus anchors the kitchen space. Studio Liaigre stools and dining chairs, and a Pyla chair by Bruno Moinard sit up at the custom island/ informal dining area.
Eline Ostyn collaborated with Obumex’s Wouter Tousseyn to design the custom Dei Medici natural stone kitchen shelf with bronze suspension.
The living space combines complementary tones of timber, Hullebusch stone and paint to create a welcoming and inclusive place to recharge.
The home features made-to-measure fixed furniture by Obumex.
Mixing the soft and the bold, gestures of contrast connect the home and help to balance both, directing views outward to the ocean.
Throughout, craft is expressed in several ways and celebrates the handmade. A close relationship between designer and maker ensured that a shared rigour and commitment to the overall space as a collective of ideas and details is realised. A beautiful resolve emerges through the continual pushing of boundaries of constructability and the materials themselves.
Design subtleties further emphasise an internal softness, matched by the billowing sand dunes surrounding the home. Located near the Belgian border, the Zeeland dunes and polders define a language of undulation that is carried inside. The soft movement of elements, listening to and following nature inspire the approach.
A dedicated study space is a functionally-driven, sculptural addition to the living area.
The living space features the Verneuil sofa by Christian Liagre and vintage Chandigarh chair by Pierre Jeanneret. A Dorothee Loriquet sculpture is pictured on the plinth in the corner.
Bruyere stool by Christian Liaigre
Timber veneer brings warmth to the spaces, complementing the restrained palette while balancing linen and textiles throughout. Selecting the right timber veneer patterning was crucial to how it would complement the interior and add richness and movement to the home. Together with the aerated and dusty appearance of the beige Dei Medici sandstone panels, each element plays its part in creating a place of true immersion.
With the views out a clear focus, the interior becomes a destination of its own and a cocooning shelter from which to watch the world pass by. Eline Ostyn combines monolithic and bold moments within the kitchen and the fireplace, sculpting each as its own living artworks while also bringing people together. The result is a home of lasting resonance, responding to nature and place as an anchoring amongst the dunes.
The primary bedroom features a custom bed and bedside table, with Roy Tavolo wall lights by Mario Nanni for Viabizzuno.
