Marked by wildflower-studded heaths and pine forests, the Campine region in northeastern Belgium is about as bucolic as it gets. It’s here, on a placid patch of countryside, that Belgian artist and photographer Wim Tellier and his adventure-loving family—his wife, Muriel, their two sons, Rio and Yenno, and their dog, Lola—chose to build their home.

Best known for his attention-grabbing, larger-than-life photo installations (such as a project covering Antwerp’s docks with enormous prints of senior citizens sunbathing in the nude), Wim Tellier invites boldness and playfulness into his creative practice. This extended to the building of his family home designed by Antwerp-based firm ABN, founded in 2000 and led by Nicolas Vanderhaeghen.

“We work together with creative people with a young and open mind,” says ABN. In their collaboration with Wim, they were thrilled to find “space for wild dreams, for art-residential forms and concepts. Creative plans flowed from those dreams, and separate pieces of the puzzle suddenly fit together.” Out of their brainstorming and sketching sessions, the team found that this particular puzzle would take the shape of an enlarged, archetypal chair, balanced upside-down.

This shape gives the dwelling its idiosyncratic structure as well as its name, the Chairhouse, though it’s also known as Villa Tellier. The form is also a cheeky abstraction of Wim’s initials, W.T. With its strikingly graphic shape, the family home “stands for balance, simplicity, creativity, and innovation,” according to ABN, who worked with Building Projects Thys and Carl Mintjens on the construction.

Taking sustainability into consideration, the architects specified cross-laminated timber (CLT), a highly modular building material that allows for easy layering and versatile configurations. This helped “convert this complex form of housing into a technically and economically feasible solution,” says ABN, while tying back to the natural landscape.

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Floor-to-ceiling windows and doors bring in a rush of natural light and allow the boys to zip between the living room and the playground that is their generous backyard, which boasts an 18-meter-long swimming pool with mirrored sides that reflect the fields, a custom skate ramp, a tree swing, and an off-road buggy.

Inside, the adventure can continue thanks to wide, black-stained wood ladders, a climbing wall set into the steep roof of the house in the children’s bedrooms, and spacious recreation areas with a cozy vibe thanks to pinewood walls and dark concrete floors.

Thoughtful touches personalize the home. Wim commissioned custom furniture from Belgian wood design specialists, Woodspot, who created chairs that echo the shape of residence and a petrified wood coffee table. Bulbous, golden ceiling lamps from Tom Dixon’s Melt series and a Ligne Roset couch in teal add a contrasting touch of glamour to the otherwise down-to-earth ambience, further enhanced by large plants and floor-to-ceiling mirrors reflect the outdoors.

Subtly integrated infrared heating keeps the home cozy in the colder seasons. Beyond its function as a family home, the building was designed to be flexible and modular to accommodate the shifting requirements of Wim’s art practice. The ground floor can be transformed into a light-flooded exhibition space, while the facade can be wrapped with his enormous photos.

A spacious open-plan residence, kids’ adventure playground, and flexible art space, the Chairhouse does nothing less than epitomize “the symbiosis between art and architecture,” in the words of ABN.

Related Reading:

This Beguiling Guesthouse in Belgium Has an Underground Cinema and a Watchtower

This Chapel-Turned-Office in Belgium Is Unbelievably Cool

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: ABN Architecten / @nicolas_vanderhaeghen

Building: CLT-S

Structural Engineer: CLT-S

Interior Design: ABN Architecten

Bespoke Furniture (Wood): Woodspot

Photography: Mr. Frank

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A Belgian Photographer’s Country Home Is a Playground for Kids and Adults Alike