In Belgium, Twin Sisters With Distinct Styles Build Two Vibrant Homes—One Above the Other
Barbara Van de Velde is a bit of a minimalist. Her sister Lien is into bold patterns. They both live with their families in a new waterfront building with some architectural twists.
Barbara Van de Velde is a bit of a minimalist. Her sister Lien is into bold patterns. They both live with their families in a new waterfront building with some architectural twists.
The Van de Velde family has always been close, but twins Barbara and Lien have taken it to a new level: The sisters live with their respective families in apartments stacked atop each other in a new building near Ghent’s historic center.
As tourists and property developers slowly wake up to Ghent’s placid beauty, the Belgian college town still maintains its medieval village charm. This is a place where locals know their neighbors well enough to drop by for a cup of coffee on Sunday-morning walks. It’s a place where word travels quickly, where childhood friends grow old together, and where family is at the heart of it all. To some, the closeness and familiarity might feel stuffy or suffocating. To Lien and Barbara, it feels just like home.
The twin sisters grew up a stone’s throw away in Schellebelle, a tiny town that was once crowned the village with the most beautiful name in all of Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium. The Van de Veldes are a large family (Barbara and Lien have two additional sisters), none of whom have strayed too far afield. To this day, the twins’ parents host Sunday dinners in Schellebelle for all their daughters, and their partners and children too.
See the full story on Dwell.com: In Belgium, Twin Sisters With Distinct Styles Build Two Vibrant Homes—One Above the Other