For Sloft+ members only
A place that’s at once nomadic, dynamic, urban and versatile – all notions gracefully encapsulated by 31-year old Enya Pannecoucke – art director, scenographer and founder of the PYLOT design studio, soon to be joined in her Antwerp two-room apartment by her partner Daan.
“Having just returned from Sri Lanka, where I’d been living, I needed a place where I could settle down, refocus, that I could also rent out from time to time. A place that was, above all, a sensible and profitable investment – even though I had only a limited budget to begin with.” The apartment is rather small compared to those usually found in the area, but it has everything going for it: “an ideal south-west exposure coupled with plenty of natural light, no direct neighbors, a terrace and infinite parking possibilities in a peaceful area,” explains the globetrotter. Above all, it could be transformed without breaking the bank. Its potential was obvious from the first visit.
The renovation was carried out with two very specific ideas in mind, written into the very first lines of the specifications: “firstly, to make it a vacation home, a peaceful retreat – one of those exotic places where you can rest and recharge your batteries. Secondly, I wanted a place for artistic and sensory experimentation.” The haphazard tiling and garish colors of the derelict space gave way to a maelstrom of pigments, solvents and ingenuity. In the kitchen, stainless steel is chosen to play optically with the rays of the setting sun and create “an otherworldly experience.” The bathroom, inspired by the art of Southeast Asian bathing, would become a “mini-sanctuary” where one can plug into renewed energy.
The approach is both ethereal and pragmatic: “in this case, I couldn’t rely on materials like tadelakt, which are too expensive and fragile. So I opted for a DIY solution, creating my own epoxy-based coating in this unique shade. After the first coat, the effect was catastrophic. By the third, the result exceeded my wildest expectations.”
“Test and learn” sums up the dynamic in which Enya Pannecoucke operates: “I’m aware that almost anything can be undone. My approach is based on the intuitive, organic transformation of a space over the long term. I’m convinced that a place can only be fully appropriated over time.” Even – and especially – when it comes to making it your home base.
