March 24, 2026 | DESIGN & INTERIORS
RESTORING a QUIET LEGACY
A house reopened to light, landscape and time.
words Noah Mercer
photos Tijs Vervecken
In Knokke-Le-Zoute, just a short walk from the coastline and overlooking one of the area’s most established parks, Villa Sous Tous Vent sits with a certain quiet presence. Originally built in 1926 by architect Valentin Vaerwyck, the house once belonged to Belgian painter Albert Saverys. That history still lingers, not in obvious ways, but in the atmosphere — in how the house feels settled, almost resistant to unnecessary change.
The recent renovation, led by Maison Osaïn, works with that existing character rather than against it. Spaces are opened up where needed, but without losing their sense of enclosure. Light moves more freely now, passing through the house rather than stopping within it. The result is subtle, but noticeable over time.
REWORKING THE INTERIOR WITHOUT OVERDEFINING IT
The interiors are guided by a careful balance between continuity and adjustment. The kitchen, positioned at the centre of the house, is treated as a working space first — open enough to connect with the garden, but not overly exposed. It holds its place without dominating.
Elsewhere, the approach shifts slightly. The bathroom is more inward-looking, quieter, closer to a place of retreat than routine. Materials are used with restraint. Nothing feels overly decorative, but the spaces aren’t stripped back either. The project avoids clear statements, favouring a more measured rhythm.
This is where Maison Osaïn, founded by architect Thomas Maria Verschuren and designer Ann Butaye, becomes more legible. Their approach is less about transformation, more about recalibration — allowing the house to move forward without losing its original tone.
EXTENDING THE HOUSE INTO THE LANDSCAPE
The collaboration with landscape designer Piet Oudolf shifts the project outward. His planting doesn’t frame the house in a conventional way. It softens it, sometimes even loosens it.
The garden grows into the architecture rather than sitting beside it. Boundaries blur gradually. What begins as a defined interior starts to dissolve into something more open, especially in the way views, planting and circulation overlap.
Alongside this, the artistic layer is developed with the Italian collective KALPA, founded by Olga Niescier. Works by Eleanor Herbosch, Annelies Toussaint and Sabine Pagliarulo are placed throughout the house. They don’t draw attention to themselves immediately, but they change how the spaces are read over time.
In the end, the project doesn’t position itself as a statement. It feels more like a continuation — of the house, of its setting, and of a way of living that doesn’t need to be fully defined to be understood.
