An art deco gem in Ghent

Location: GENT      Project: Art-deco gem in Ghent

Louise and Thomas fell in love with a genuine art deco house located on Papegaaistraat in the centre of Ghent. They wanted to restore this beautiful, historic property to its former glory, and to renovate it while respecting its original features. One year on from buying the house, the renovations are complete and the result is amazing. Let's take a stroll together around their home.

Modern touches, but respectful of the original character

The old, colourful tiled floor in the entrance hall sets the tone the instant you walk in. Original features have been given a new lease of life in this home. The original wooden doors and the parquet floors have been sanded and freshened up in a lighter shade. They have been combined with new, high-quality, decorative features from Orac Decor®, that help to bring out the house's character. 
The sleek High Line skirting boards for instance, lend the entrance hall added style at the transition from floor to wall.

SX181

On the ground floor, there was only a single room which still had its original cornices. To restore this decorative feature to all the downstairs rooms, a combination of two mouldings was chosen:  a cornice and a wall panel with typical art deco steps. These are a  perfect match  to the style of the house.

Transforming a dark environment

In the little downstairs study, where there is little natural daylight, the height of the space and the mouldings are accented using a sleek indirect lighting strip . The soft lighting gives the room a really cosy atmosphere. The tall, sleek High Line skirting boards from Belgian designer Pierre Daems are once again in line with the modernist character of the home.

L3 - C381  |  |  SX181

Creating a sense of comfort and space

For each individual room, the most suitable solution was found. On the first floor,  the modernist Steps cornice.s used to great effect. In the middle room, this was combined with a cornice incorporating  indirect LED lighting, again creating a comfortable, light space and highlighting the patterns made by the lines of the cornice.

C393 |  L3 - C383

Some of our interior decorating tips at a glance

More atmosphere? Indirect lighting does the trick!

1. Indirect lighting is ideal as mood lighting. 
The reflection of the light source on your ceiling, wall and/or floor gives a soft, cosy feel to your interior. Added bonus? No shadows or glaring direct light! It is an even, balanced source of light, that can be subtly integrated into a picture rail.

2. This type of lighting draws attention to the architecture and gives your home a feeling of space. 
The indirect lighting in this home places the emphasis on the height of the rooms and the decorative, modernist rails. Make sure there is enough space between the uplighter and the cornice – at least 14 cm (about 6 inches) – for an attractive effect.

3. Choose warm LED lighting hat can be dimmed. 
This will allow you to adjust the brightness to match the mood you want to create. LED lighting is also sustainable and saves energy.

Renovating an original home? Bring out its character using modern features

1. In our extensive collectionyou will find a cornice that is a perfect match to the character of your home. 
These add an extra cachet to your interior, and complement the original features.

2. Original plaster cornices? 
The renovation of these types of decorative features requires the touch of a professional and is extremely expensive. Our synthetic cornices offer an equally attractive alternative. They are  light, sturdy and easy to install and give your interior the same authentic look as before.

3. If you like authenticity with a modern touch ...? 
choose Steps cornices that create an elegant play of light and shadow with their sharp, angled lines. Stylish and daring! Also opt for the tall, sleek High Line skirting boards that lend added style to the transition from floor to wall. The final result is an interior that's full of style.