HOUSE TOUR | ROOMS & GARDENS | CABANA MAGAZINE
Emma Becque steps inside Isabel Miquel Arqués' 1913 Antwerp villa, once home to the aristocratic Le Grelle family and formerly a school. Now, the elegant family residence hosts Bloomsbury-like dinners among antique treasures.
BY EMMA BECQUE | ROOMS & GARDENS | 11 OCTOBER 2024
Walls in Farrow & Ball’s Arsenic Green for "a microcosm where we can retreat", according to Spanish artist Isabel Miquel Arqués © Isabel Bronts
“This house embodies harmony and cultivates inspiration. For me, it is a microcosm where we can retreat,” says Isabel Miquel Arqués of her family's grand villa in Antwerp. Over the years, the Spanish-born Belgium-based artist, along with her husband, an entrepreneur, have maintained and revealed the spirit of their home.
Original cascading Carrara marble staircases, wooden panelling, five-meter-high oak doors, and a mismatched set of pastel tiles are just a few of the treasures discovered beneath laborious wallpaper peels. "Every corner has offered up an opportunity to create" Isabel explains. In this 1913 residence, objects are cherished totems while rooms team with inspiration, and books, for family and guests.
The couple purchased the house in 2005, confident they'd found their "forever family abode" with their four children. The building - constructed in the early 1900s for the aristocratic textile family, the Le Grelle - needed restorative care, but was brimming with history. The pair were undeterred. "We were willing! For example, there wasn't a bathroom in sight and the kitchen didn't exist," Isabel laughs.
Just steps from the lively Belgian streets, the metropolis villa offers a sanctuary of tranquillity and warm color. Take Isabel’s husband’s office, where floor-to-ceiling Bibliothèque cabinetry surrounds the room, which is painted a deep library green. The space is completed with a Sam Dillemans painting, a vintage Las Vegas chair, and a 19th-century chandelier sourced from an antique dealer in Mechelen. The interior echoes that of the popular Vascobelo cafes, a Belgian coffee brand and brasseries founded by Isabel's husband, where the artist's designs come to life.
Isabel’s eye for composition blossomed when her father gifted her a camera aged 10. Her time living in Barcelona, Amsterdam, London, and now Antwerp, allowed her collect. “I adore everything within the house,” she says, pointing to her 1920s vanity closets. Each, when opened, reveals untouched labels; one reading “opera hats” is in active use.
Drawing inspiration from her camera obscura skills, Isabel has garnished the villa with “organic props” - shells, splintered driftwood, and thimble-sized pebbles from her walks. For the artist and mother, nature is "the most wonderful source for creative work and decor”. This philosophy is evident: one of the few white walls displays an expansive serigraphy of abstract waves captured at different stages of impact by the artist, an ethereal tribute to her love of nature’s ever-changing beauty.
"It's easy to get lost here," muses Isabel as she ascends the spiralling iron staircase that winds through the villa's six floors. Secret passageways behind doors hint at the building’s past life as a schoolhouse. Hats, baskets, and timeworn suitcases along these corridors serve as curated visuals. The bedrooms appear endless; some are tucked high within the eaves, others are prim awaiting lucky renters while the primary bedroom offers sweeping views of the emerald city garden.
In Isabel’s studio, a green iron bookshelf takes centre stage. A closer look reveals a miniature La Comedia dell'Arte theatre sourced from her travels © Isabel Bronts
Like the bedrooms, the bathrooms evoke a romantic nostalgia. Venetian mirrors are paired with vintage lamps, while antique shaving tools nod to the home’s heritage. Practical elements are artfully hidden, with marble-clad “water closets” concealed behind panelled walls. Isabel commissioned a freestanding shower modelled after a 1920s relic in one bathroom. “Everything came from a brilliant antique shop, Hot and Cold, which has closed.” Over time, original 1913 tiles, uncovered beneath layers of paint, now stand as charming, imperfect symbols of the home’s history.
The handsome kitchen was carefully crafted. Working with local artisans, including Antoine Vandewoude - a favorite of Dries van Noten - they designed the island with an antique effect. “We painted it in layers, so as...the paint wears, it will reveal different colors beneath, like an old piece that has been loved and lived in.”
Copper pots were a must for their frequent dinner parties, while the slender Dutch kitchen table from Frans Roling, paired with auction-won Thonet chairs, enhances the convivial atmosphere. A charming early 1900s galley kitchen serves as “the perfect hideaway for unsightly essentials”.
The couple’s home is more than just a setting for family meals; it’s a hub for Isabel’s renowned Bloomsbury dinners, a nod to her admiration for the literary circle. The space, steeped in its storied past, isn’t a mere display of perfect aesthetics but a dynamic, lived-in canvas designed for gatherings. Isabel’s house exudes a magnetic romanticism, where “each room inspires” her ongoing work.
Her latest achievement, a trilogy titled Beyond Borders, delves into the stories of three female artistic pioneers—Karen Blixen, Virginia Woolf, and Georgia O’Keeffe—whose influence is intricately woven into her artistic world.
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