“The rest of our plants come from Patch Plants in London,
“We’ve had the ficus lyrata for years,” says Jack.
The reclaimed Georgian pine floor boards were sourced from Woodworks Floors by Ted Todd.
“We wanted to restore the original warehouse character in a very respectful yet modern way,” says Jack, “so we incorporated natural and salvaged materials where possible.”
After: Spencer and Alessio tiled the bathrooms themselves, modeling the pattern in this one on the ground floor after a vintage men's locker room.
After: A bed for two occupies a new skylit nook on the second floor, further highlighted by its blue paint.
A vintage apron front sink now anchors the kitchen, with new cabinetry, drawer pulls by Linnea, and honed granite countertops.
Large operable picture windows and French doors from Andersen, adorned with gold-toned hardware from Valli & Valli, frame views while bringing tons of natural light into the house. A downstairs bedroom has a built-in bench where Jes’s daughter, Beatrix, reads.
Inside, Jes opted for a stripped-back look reflective of New York lofts. On the ground floor, wide-plank wood flooring from Austria sets the stage for restrained furnishings, including a white Molded Task armchair by Charles and Ray Eames from Herman Miller.
There’s no deck or patio at the back of the house—nature begins directly at the doorstep. "Our home steals as little space as possible from the setting. It is almost traversed by the forest,” adds David.
Annemie Lathouwers grew up in a forested enclave on the outskirts of Antwerp, Belgium. A nature preserve filled with stately pines, the area lured her back when she and her husband, David D’Hulst, began thinking about trading their house in the city for greener surroundings.
Several doors provide an entrance through the private outdoors space.
Another of the children's bedrooms.
Nine-year-old Stan reads on the platform bed his father built for him. A trio of birch branches helps to bring the outdoors in. The pendant and bed linens are custom.
David and Annemie's daughter swings in the living room. A door provides access to the lush backyard and surrounding area. “The kids have a lot of freedom. They have a big area where they can go and play without needing supervision,” says Annemie.
A look at the bathroom. “The window also gives a view out to the front garden and lets the morning sun in,” says David.
The oak cabinet in the living room was another secondhand find. “It had the exact measurements of the wall,” says Annemie. “We just needed to hang it.” The throw blanket is from La Femme Garniture while the pillows and pendants are custom.
With the addition of a curtain, a niche above the hallway will become a guest sleeping area. The chair is from IKEA.
The master bedroom features a closet in the corridor to use less space. Sight lines lead to the forest from nearly every space.
The view down from the bathroom window provides a closer look at the white and green pendants that Annemie made from glass found at a flea market. The doors and windows were crafted by carpenter Peeters Schrijnwerkerij, the side tables are custom, and the chair is a vintage find.
Concrete from the exterior continues indoors as a fireplace surround. For the couch, Annemie found the wooden base and cushion covers in a secondhand store and used baby mattresses as inserts. David made the oak back.
The hanging textile, which is used as a room divider, is by artist Nathalie Van der Massen.
Many of the furnishings were made by the couple from salvaged materials. David designed and built the oak cabinetry in the kitchen, which features a Mortex-coated island.
Dabito says he had to get creative to maximize the home’s small plot of land. The entire bottom floor is dedicated to entertaining, with two bedrooms upstairs.
“The fun part is choosing the materials, colors, and unique pieces that make the space truly shine,” says Dabito, like this Cronus chandelier by Corbett Lighting.
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