Let's dive right in to Belgian Style! What is it that makes a Belgian Style Living Room? My definition would be that it's about combining extreme visual restraint and rustic warmth to create elegant, pared-down rooms with a strong nod to an industrial past.
In these posts, I'll only be drawing on elements I love about Belgian Style living rooms. I looked at herrr-yuuuuuge numbers of pictures of this look, discarded what I don't like and curated what I do. I think that's always the way to create a look that you love, a look that feels like a space to call your very own.
I've put together a list of elements I consider to be my Top 5 Belgian Style Living Room essentials, which we can break down, bit by nectarous bit.
The first element has to be bare wood: Usually left unfinished, perhaps waxed at most, which creates that essential rustic atmosphere.
A restricted muted palette: The colours used (though colours seems a rather flighty word to use in this slightly sombre context) are restrained greys, taupes and off-whites in order to draw your eye to the charms of what lies within the rooms.
A touch of Soft Industrial: By which I mean upcycling beautifully-made objects with some kind of mechanical past to give them a joyfully stylish present.
Used Furniture: You'll find very little newness in Belgian Style Living Rooms. The pieces have a somewhat battered beauty and are the better because of it.
A mix of textures: yes, the colour palette is extremely restricted but these rooms are visually extravagant. The interest springs from an array of different textures. Belgian linen is beautifully nubby and, combined with cottons, velvet, weathered wood and wicker, plus wool and cashmere in the colder months, create the perfect means to draw your eye.
And now, let's take each of these five esssential elements for any Belgian Style Living Room to see how we can get the look...
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Nothing "new", well loved, raw materials unfinished, natural materials and subtle tones; sounds like Wabi-Sabi which I also love!
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