In the Canary Islands, an Artist Residency Blooms in an Abandoned Farmhouse

A Belgian couple set down roots on a working farm and craft an oasis dedicated to creative growth.

In the Canary Islands, an Artist Residency Blooms in an Abandoned Farmhouse

A Belgian couple set down roots on a working farm and craft an oasis dedicated to creative growth.

Belgian couple Yves Drieghe and Bert Pieters set down roots on a working farm on Lanzarote and crafted Hektor, an oasis dedicated to creative growth.

Bert Pieters and Yves Drieghe left their home in Brussels to spend a year abroad in 2020, with no idea where they’d end up. Over the previous decade, the couple had built a successful branding agency with offices in Belgium and Holland from scratch, but the pandemic left them wanting for a change—something different, something new.

A raised pool in the northeast corner of the building provides relief on hot, sunny days.

A raised pool provides relief on hot, sunny days.

Photo by Yves Drieghe

Within a year, they sold their agency and decided to set up a new life on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. As they browsed properties away from the island’s main tourist strips, they discovered a farmhouse in the Los Valles region and started to get excited. They’d been searching for somewhere that felt local and cozy, and a space they could make their own—and the charming country home was set on an expansive plot of land that had been handed down for at least three generations.

Hektor is divided into four independent suits and a central communal area.

Hektor is divided into four independent suits and a central communal area.

Photo by Yves Drieghe

Bert Pieters and Yves Drieghe furnished Hektor with pieces they brought over from Belgium and Holland, as well as secondhand furniture from Lanzarote.

Bert Pieters and Yves Drieghe furnished Hektor with pieces they brought over from Belgium and Holland, as well as secondhand furniture from Lanzarote.  

Photo by Yves Drieghe

See the full story on Dwell.com: In the Canary Islands, an Artist Residency Blooms in an Abandoned Farmhouse
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