Dries Van Noten: His House, Were It Mine

Vogue Sometime-Spring-Sometime

Sitting in my small, but cozy, apartment in the middle of a big city, this view looks like one that I would trade for in a heart-beat. Although I enjoy the symmetry of geometrically laid-out French gardens, it is this more lushful explosion of bountiful greens, colors, heights, ground covers, and perfectly designed madness. I could get lost in this secret garden certainly. The English garden.

It is the home of Dries Van Noten, a designer. The house is Ringenhof, set in a 55-acre park on the outskirts of the medieval town of Lier in Belgium. The article gives many details of the renovations of the home and grounds from the time that Van Noten and his partner purchased it, which is interesting, I suppose, but the fact that a suburb lies just beyond the gardens on one side and a commercial street with car dealers on the other, is incredible. It truly is a secret tucked into ordinary life. One I would like emulate in my own space in the middle of a city.

I love how the interiors of the home reflect the blooms that dominate the grounds. The one room, pictured just left, looks like the interior of a heart. I imagine that it is very comforting to sit in its warmth ... going out to buy paint to cover my own walls later, I wonder if I could go so far as this? I cover my own walls with deep, intense colors to create warmth, though I've never gone to such a rosy hue.

The house and grounds aren't only feminine, in the orangerie (can you imagine?!), great sculpted heroes have been plucked from a bank entry to protect oranges now. I also enjoy architectural remnants to occupy my space. The history of what they have been before and the warmth that they lend given their years and wear, comfort me.

It's a lovely home. The old girl is dressed up nicely.