10 Ways to Incorporate Belgian Style Into Your Home
Belgium may be known for the most mouth-watering things in the world—fries, chocolate, and beer. But this stunning country offers more than just brilliant food ideas. In the last couple of years, Belgian-influenced styles have become the latest trends in home interior decorating. There’s something about the Belgian aesthetic that combines the simplicity of minimalism to the organic energy of a shabby chic home. The result of Belgian decorating is often a stunning display of clean elegance and quiet luxury. If you’re looking to transform your house into an inviting and comforting home, here are 10 unique ways you can incorporate the Belgian Style into your decorating.
1. Add some neutral colors
You can easily find inspiration from nature to make this happen. A simple walk through a forest will show you the colors that you should bring into a home. The idea is to have a palette of similar hues in your home. The color of the earth, the trees, mushrooms, and stone are some examples of what you should look for. You should opt for more natural hues that make any room feel light and airy.
2. Use linen everywhere
Following the aesthetic of being light and airy, using linen for fabric makes sense. It also makes sense considering that linen has always been a natural resource for Belgium. You can use linen for your draperies, and your room will instantly become brighter. Adding linen covers, runners, and the like will also add to the overall cozy feel of any room. If you’re shopping for furniture and décor, think about buying big items that use linen as materials—headboards, couch covers, dining chair covers, and even small items such as lampshades.
3. Utilize actual organic materials
If you want a room to feel organic and natural, the best way to achieve that is to actually use organic materials. Organic materials are things that you can naturally find in nature. Wood is wonderful thing to decorate a home with; but to achieve the Belgian style, try to stay away from dark and/or heavy wood stains. Try to keep any wood finishes as close to natural as possible.
4. Think large-scale
When it comes to furnishing your home the Belgian way, start thinking big. Of course, you wouldn’t want to overcrowd your space with too many large items. If you have a smaller room, think of one large piece of furniture that can serve as the focal point of the room. The Belgian style favors few large pieces over several smaller ones. Look for pieces that standout dramatically through its architectural qualities over its color or patterns. If you have to use patterns at all, think simple ones that will complement your large-scale furniture.
5. Avoid too much ornamentation
When you look at a Belgian-styled home, the first thing you’ll notice is the simplicity of everything. It may all look simple at first glance. However, you’ll see that there’s actually thought in the simplicity of Belgian decorating. You must avoid ornamentation as much as possible. Anything that’s glaring will take you away from the Belgian aesthetic. Avoid any gold or silver details. Try to keep small decorative items to a minimum, and try to keep them in the same color palette.
6. Use some gray
It’s easy to navigate towards the browns and creams when you’re thinking natural and organic. However, the magical color of the Belgian style is in the gray. You should opt for lighter tones instead of dark in order to preserve the lightness you’ll want to have in any room. The use of gray almost adds a textural quality to a room without actually painting it. Using grays in an organic Belgian room will remind you of many things in nature that’s soothing and calming—rain, mountains, river stones, and more.
7. Minimize the clutter
Apart from avoiding ornamentation, try to also minimize the clutter altogether. There’s a minimalistic sensibility that makes sense with the Belgian aesthetic, but it’s not quite totally minimalism. The Belgian style encourages you to basically simplify your décor and make sure everything has a place. There will never be enough breathing room in a cluttered room, so make sure you have enough negative space in every single perspective of your home.
8. Balance the old with the new
Many people are calling the Belgian style “the new antique,” and there’s a slight bit of understatement in that. The Belgian style is the perfect marriage of old world and modern, and the key word has to be balance. Different elements such as antique and minimalist should be able to exist in the same dimension without clashing. There’s a natural “old world” feel that comes with using elements such as patina, but we know that even patina looks good on a brand new items. So if you can’t find anything with patina, make sure you find out how to do it yourself.
9. Have some natural light
By now, your Belgian home is feeling already light with all the linen and neutral colors all around. However, if you want your home to be truly Belgian, you’ve got to open up the shades or the blinds, open the windows up, pull the drapes back, and let some natural light flood your space. Natural light will always be the best way to brighten up a room. Make sure to find angles in your home where you can benefit from the natural light the most, and angle your sitting areas that way.
10. Add random European touches
It could be the addition of a French door. Or maybe it’s the half shutters. You can also add in antique pieces that might remind you of an English cottage. No matter what you do, make sure you scatter some European touches throughout your Belgian décor.
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