A Sacred Nature

Changing homes wasn’t part of the plans for this Belgian couple, but as often happens, the best things happen by chance. Or maybe not, perhaps because one is ready to receive the gifts of destiny

So it happened to Els Lambrechts and her husband Ken Joris, who, during a ride with their vintage car in the municipality of Meer in the province of Antwerp, stumbled upon an old juniper distillery with an attached ancient chapel and an extraordinary garden, freely wild, grown in autonomy and beauty. Six years later, the two have transformed this area of Noorderkempen – a region located in the northern part of the Belgian province of Antwerp, near the border with the Netherlands and characterized by flat lands, woods, and agricultural fields – into a heavenly oasis of peace. This is the story of love at first sight.

“When we arrived here for the first time, you could really see the signs of time. The walls were full of mold, and mushrooms had even grown on the walls of the chapel. We saved the house from oblivion. I am a dreamer. For me, the journey is as important as the final result. My husband, on the other hand, is the daring one, practical. This blend of dreams and courage, of thought and action, was essential to transform this house into what it is today. Alone, we couldn’t have done it.”

When Els Lambrechts, a Belgian photographer and entrepreneur, mother of two sons, “creative tout court,” as well as an influencer and content creator specializing in interiors, and her husband Ken Joris stumbled upon an old juniper distillery near their home in 2018, they were immediately fascinated by the garden.

“So overwhelming, alive, that after the first visit, we couldn’t forget it,” Lambrechts says. “Today I can really say that I immensely love this garden, it’s my fairy tale. I often organize parties for friends or even just lunches and snacks for the family. I would always be in the garden. But going back to the past: in short, this greenery struck me, struck us, indeed. And so we went back to see the house, determined to make this investment.”

Together with their sons Louis (15) and Marcel (13), they decided to give new life to the immense estate of 70 acres and to restore the house. Not an easy task, but the idea of living in that paradise fascinated them. In 2018 they signed the deed, and two years later the renovation began: in 2021 the project was completed.

“This house has a will of its own. Its history is here, the house tells it itself, indeed it makes you live this story as if you were a protagonist,” says the homeowner.

On the original builder of the house, the couple didn’t find much. But on the original inhabitants, yes. In 1853, Maximiliaan Van den Bergh, an industrialist from Antwerp and descendant of a wealthy shipowner family, bought a ducal farm with 1200 hectares of land. Van den Bergh owned a thriving juniper distillery in the Eilandje neighborhood (a district of Antwerp known for its historic port and for having been the subject of urban regeneration in recent decades, with the transformation of old warehouses and port areas into residential, commercial, and cultural spaces. It has become today a trendy area, with restaurants, bars, and tourist attractions).

Van den Bergh transferred the business to Hoogstraten, a municipality located in the Flanders region, famous for its agricultural fields and rural landscapes, and transformed it into a profitable agricultural and economic complex. Thanks to the economic success, in 1863 Van den Bergh built a couple of luxurious residences and buildings around the distillery on the land. The late 19th-century Maxburg castle, named after the owner, was the “highlight” of these luxurious places. His successor and cousin Constant Van den Bergh added the chapel and adjacent stables in 1887. In the ’30s, the chapel and stables were sold to Father Albert Naveau, who founded a natural history museum and a nursery here, and organized summer camps. The right wing also housed his assistant Rosa for several years. In the ’90s, the house was renovated by the previous owners, albeit with little sense of authenticity. Today the estate is fragmented and belongs to different owners.

“You feel the rich history of the surroundings everywhere,” says Lambrechts. Turning that dream into reality, however, was something different: this was by no means an ordinary renovation.

“During the renovation, we found bullet holes from World War II in the chapel wall. And a roll of entrance tickets from the Natural History Museum, which found temporary refuge here after the war. The previous owners of this house, an elderly couple who had lived here lovingly for years, had created a classic home within the walls of the original structure, with many rooms and even more doors,” explains Lambrechts. “Of the original stables, practically nothing remained, and the chapel was in poor condition.”

The couple turned to architect Vera Suls of the Vanhecke and Suls architecture studio in Antwerp. A studio that had previously renovated the Castle d’Ursel and the town hall of Poperinge.

“This house asked to be ‘guided’ by an expert hand. Without Vera, we couldn’t have completed this work.”

Els and Ken thus began a renovation respecting the history and style of the house. In the chapel, which is a historic landmark, everything has been preserved, including the Via Crucis, the marble floor, and the altar. The existing materials were also “brought” inside the house to give a sense of continuity.

Wild outside, relaxed inside

The interior of the house is characterized by a minimal climate, which infuses great serenity. The kitchen is made of larch wood, a species of tree that is also found in the garden. The concrete floor extends to the terrace and connects the interior with the exterior. White linen curtains divide the living room and create cozy corners. The vintage sofas are Ligne Roset’s “Togo.”

“Sitting on the armchair, we can look directly into the garden. We wanted to maintain this connection with nature.”

For the furnishings, Els chose modern, simple design, interspersed with vintage pieces. Els took care of the “aesthetic” part while Ken took care of the technical part. They trusted each other blindly, and since they both love pure and organic materials, the result is remarkable. In terms of aesthetic yield, the fact of having used a limited number of materials has helped to maintain a sense of conformity and lightness. Few selected design pieces, but rather a minimal, décontracté mood, as the homeowner explains: “I like it when you don’t blatantly know where a piece comes from, when you don’t really know who designed it. This house imposes a certain nonchalance on you, a concept that fits well with my design philosophy,” Lambrechts continues. “I have a dislike for the word ‘chic.’ If something “shines,” I immediately feel the impulse to “sand it down.” The sense it must give you is of truth, it can’t be too perfect. Perfection tires, it doesn’t exist. Contrary to what many think, we don’t live in a museum or a gallery. Above all, it must remain a home!”

A home for all seasons

Through the arched windows of curved wood – a tribute to the original stables – the gaze falls on the beautiful hilly garden. Here is the true heart of the house. “When we arrived here for the first time, the garden was so wild that we couldn’t walk barefoot in it. If it were up to me, we wouldn’t have changed anything, but of course, we knew maintenance was needed. But at first, I admit, the temptation was not to tame this ‘rebellious character.”

For the design of the garden, Els and Ken did not consult a landscape architect but worked with gardener Kris Van Looveren. The result was a mix of “well-behaved” meadows and flower beds where the vegetation is wild, as if you were in an uncontaminated forest. The winding pond was kept but equipped with a walkway for fishing. Among the centuries-old pines, there are now also an outdoor shower and a modern jacuzzi. “It was a compromise between who we are and what the garden wants to be.”

Today the garden is a leitmotif for Els and her family. “I often wondered if this was a more summer or winter home, and in the end, I decided that this is a home for all seasons. The house literally lives with nature. And so do we, since we’ve lived here. In my “previous life,” I was a city dweller, today my sons and I can’t tear ourselves away from the garden. It lives with us, in us. We relax, unload, and recharge at the same time. The house is a radical invitation to change. Sometimes I still can’t believe we can wake up here every day.”