Located in the seaside town of Knokke, Belgian interior designer Nathalie Deboel shaped this second-floor apartment to resemble the spirit of a boutique hotel, drawing on the reflections of the surrounding lake and landscape.
The owners had long admired the composed, serene quality that defines the work of Brussels-based interior designer Nathalie Deboel. When they acquired a lakeside apartment in the Belgian town of Knokke, they turned to her instinctively. “For their own home, they were looking to achieve the same kind of atmosphere that we deliver,” Deboel says. “A place where they, too, could find peace.”
Now dividing their time between Antwerp and the coast, the couple sought a home that could accommodate both quiet daily living and moments of hospitality. With adult children and young grandchildren often visiting, the apartment needed to balance functionality and ease of upkeep with a sense of refinement. They were particularly drawn to the mood of a luxurious boutique hotel—serene, refined and grounded in nature. In this case, that connection came through the view of the lake behind the apartment.
“Aesthetics play a central role in their lifestyle, and they were especially drawn to the refined, luxurious feel of the ‘Japandi’ style,” Deboel explains. “Nature—particularly the surrounding greenery—became a guiding element in the design and colour scheme.”
Positioned on the second floor, the apartment follows an open-plan layout, oriented to frame the lake and invite natural light deep into the interiors throughout the day. Given the owners’ love of cooking and entertaining, the kitchen needed to feel part of the living environment without overtaking it. Deboel responded with a spatial strategy that integrated the kitchen into the shared spaces, using a rhythm of wooden claustra panels to offer both transparency and enclosure.
Elm wood, a timber historically used along the Belgian coast, was selected for its warm tone.
Pictured: the BRDR Krüger ARV chairs with armrests by David Thulstrup, the Bruyere stool by Christian Liaigre, a custom sofa by Nathalie Deboel upholstered in Collet&Victor fabric and a sculpture by Belgian artist Dean Recoules.
The interiors unfold with a restrained material palette and a conceptual clarity grounded in ‘Japandi’ principles. Having travelled extensively and overseen previous renovations, the owners brought with them a nuanced design sensibility—one that found resonance in Deboel’s quiet, textural language. Vertical elm wood creates a gentle rhythm throughout the home, referencing its historical use along the Belgian coast.
The timber detailing is paired with green- and grey-hued natural stone tiles in the bathroom and a marble splashback in the kitchen, introducing tonal depth and cohesion. “Every detail was considered to ensure that practicality never disrupted the visual tranquillity,” Deboel notes. Clay-based plaster walls further echo the home’s proximity to the sea, lending a subtle, earthy tactility.
To enhance the textual depth and acoustic softness of the interiors, Deboel lined cabinetry and bed backings with fabric. “Every element needed to be purposeful,” she says. “Nothing was decorative for its own sake.”
Deboel softened the precision of ‘Japandi’ minimalism by introducing a lived-in warmth through vintage pieces, artwork and bespoke furniture. Her own creations feature throughout: a custom sofa that doubles as dining seating, along with a coffee table and stool from her Nomad collection. A sculpture and painting by Belgian artist Dean Recoules, a reupholstered vintage settee and footstool by Adrian Pearsall and a 1950s French Diabolo floor lamp lend quiet punctuation to the restrained palette.
Nathalie Deboel has shaped a Knokke apartment where warmth, clarity and lived-in comfort are held in measured balance—a home attuned to the mood of its setting and the rhythm of its inhabitants’ lives.
Several custom Nathalie Deboel pieces from her Nomad collection are scattered throughout, including a stool and coffee table.
Pictured: a newly upholstered vintage settee and footstool by Adrian Pearsall, alongside a vintage Diabolo floor lamp from 1950s France. Behind, an artwork by abstract artist Dean Recoules.
The Bruyere stool by Christian Liaigre.
The materials were chosen to keep in close dialogue with the natural surroundings, with the bathroom tiles honouring the green hues of the lake and surrounding landscape.
In the bedroom, the Cassina Indochine Swivel armchair by Charlotte Perriand.
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