À l’instar des experts en gestion patrimoniale , comme par exemple la banque Delen, Edmonde Rothschild ou Degroof Petrecam, qui préconisent la diversification des avoirs, je suis convaincu que la clé d’un intérieur exceptionnel réside dans l’harmonie subtile entre le contemporain et le passé. Il n’existe pas de formule toute faite en la matière. Cette approche équilibrée permet non seulement de façonner un espace reflétant votre essence, mais aussi d’investir dans des pièces destinées à traverser le temps, certaines acquérant même une valeur accrue. Pour les joyaux vintage, privilégiez les créations méconnues de maîtres du design tel que le Danois Finn Juhl, dont le génie n’a pas été industrialisé. Visez l’unicité et délaissez les sentiers battus du style. Jadis, le mobilier scandinave monopolisait les éloges, mais les tendances évoluent sans cesse. Veillez également à ce que les étoffes qui revêtent vos fauteuils d’époque soient d’origine. Quant au mobilier contemporain, méfiez-vous des tentations soldesques et virtuelles, sources d’éphémères caprices esthétiques, au détriment d’une pièce intemporelle à l’aura singulière. Interrogez-vous sur l’intérêt réel d’acquérir une chaise Pantone que l’on retrouvera autour de plusieurs tables amicales. L’objet singulier, en revanche, confère une noblesse à l’espace qui l’accueille. Pour créer des harmonies saisissantes, privilégiez les pièces pour leur texture et leur travail artisanal d’exception. Pour se distinguer, n’hésitez pas à enrichir votre foyer d’objets ou de meubles rapportés de voyages lointains ou proches, témoins de vos pérégrinations.

“I dream first, I draw, and then we find solutions; the reverse would be boring…”

The idea is to be happy in life, each person positions themselves based on what they believe they are capable of doing.
So, it’s best to have confidence in oneself and dream. In this article, we delve into architecture, decoration, design, art, creativity, and expertise.
We encounter a beautiful personality, someone free-spirited and dreamy, powerful because of her confidence in her worldview.

Caroline Notté is an internationally renowned interior architect who has graciously joined our group of Insiders at LB.



We had the pleasure of meeting her during an interview, aiming to give you a deeper understanding of her, share her vision and life, and discuss the projects she and her team are working on in her amazing Brussels interior studio.

CN Interior – Six Senses Palm Jumeirah Hotel Dubai project

With Caroline, we will regularly explore these fascinating topics of interior decoration, design, space transformation, architecture, and especially Art, which she skillfully employs to add the most judicious creative touches to her projects.

CN Interior – Strates table – Brafa – stand Delen

A meeting with a lovely dreamer full of talent and a Brussels’ lover adorned with diplomas!

LB Interview “Inside” // Jan. 10, 2024, by Calista.

LB > Looking at your journey and your current endeavors, art holds a significant place in your approach, your personal workspace, and your projects. How do you weave this artistic universe into your work in architecture and interior decoration?

CN > I have always been passionate about art and a collector since my very first contract. What could be more natural for a polymath and erudite than to inspire my clients to invest in art? Art is a way to complete a space and make it dynamic; for instance, a sculpture is an essential element in a composition.
In my studio, a gallery and an icon of Belgian architecture, I make it a point of honor to showcase all my artistic favorites.

LB > The concept of “trends” impacts all creative professions. Do you typically follow these trends, fashions, or other references when starting a project in decoration or architecture? What inspires you, Caroline, when you delve into a new project?

CN > Trends result from a fashion imagined by creatives, in which people find themselves, often intertwined with society and its needs. Similar to art, trends can emerge from frustration and reaction. I tend to swim against the current and avoid plagiarism.
I strive to invent different, extraordinary universes. Instead of replicating showrooms, I create living spaces without any preconceived direction, respecting the location and listening to my clients’ true wishes. The goal is to tell a story closest to the truth, rich in meaning. I blend, I embrace, I take risks, but I don’t compose like a decorator who gathers information from magazines or showrooms.

LB > Architecture is a profession of techniques, specialties, and materials, but also of innovation, imagination, and creation. Caroline, how do you navigate between the purely technical aspects and the realm of creativity, the realm of what is possible?

CN > That’s the exciting aspect of the profession that has always appealed to me. I was good at science and math, but above all, I had the soul of an artist.
I dream first, I draw, and then we find solutions; the reverse would be very boring!

LB > Which project has been the most incredible for you to undertake, without using the terms difficult or challenging? Looking ahead, on what projects are you currently working or would you like to work?

CN > The organization of the Belgian commercial register interior during the Covid period and the renovation of the Bonbon restaurant in two weeks have been incredibly fulfilling. Looking ahead, I aspire to work on opera set designs, contribute to school projects in Africa, and participate in the creation of wellness centers.

Interview Konbini mode, short question, short answer:

“Night” or “Day”? > Night, the notté ^^.
“Meat” or “Fish”? > Fish.
“Diamond” or “Sapphire”? > Sapphire.
“Lion” or “Tiger”? > Tiger.
“Fantasy” or “Comedy” film? > Comedy.
“Starter/Main Course” or “Main Course/Dessert”? > Starter/Main Course.
“Dog” or “Cat”? > Dog.
“Sea” or “Mountain”? > Both; I’m like a fish in the water, and I love parachuting in the mountains.
“Thai” or “Italian” cuisine? > Italian.

Interview “DefLux LB” > According to you, Caroline, which definition of luxury is closest to your vision of luxury?

Oscar de la Renta: “Luxury is not about buying expensive things; it’s about living in a way that allows you to appreciate them.“
Henry Royce: “Luxury is when quality remains long after the price is forgotten.“
CN > I prefer Oscar de la Renta’s definition; it’s true, luxury is about enjoying life and savoring every little moment of joy.

AD100 – We are delighted and proud to be part of the AD 100 – 2024, standing among 100 visionary creators who shape the world with their talent. Icons of design, architecture, and decoration.

And what’s our favorite project of the year?

The renovation of Maxim’s, Pierre Cardin’s former restaurant, has been beautifully renewed under the guidance of Paris Society.

And our preferred decorators?

Dorothée Meilichzon, Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow, Erwan & Ronan Bouroullec, Humbert & Poyet, Ilse Crawford, India Mahdavi;  Jacques Garcia , Joseph Dirand, Vincent Darré , Kelly Wearstler, Laura Gonzalez, Linde Freya, Franklin Azzi, Elliott Barnes, Marine Bonnefoy, Martin Brudnizki, Alexis Brown

Inspired by insular landscapes, this series of seats engages with the visual language of archipelagos. Shaped by the force of time, they reveal sculpted edges and strong internal landscapes.

THE CG01: AN ICONIC LAMP

Designed by Christophe Gevers (1928-2007), one of Belgium’s most influential designers. This lamp will delight aesthetes with a passion for beauty and ingenuity. To be called 01, you have to be worthy of identifying with perfection!

A subtle blend, delicately proportioned, this luminaire is more sculpture than simple lighting, making the CG01 a work of art full of anecdotes.

Christophe Gevers has left an indelible mark on Belgian design with his sense of materials and tactile modernism. He is considered one of the most important interior designers of the post-war period. He favoured a warm, comfortable modernism, using noble, durable materials. He founded his own company, Gevers Design, and worked as a teacher at La Cambre in the decoration and furnishing department. His work is a hallmark of Belgian design, and his creations are sought-after today. Hats off to the artist, Gevers is enjoying the success he deserves!

Placed in 1968 in the restaurant “Le Cap d’Argent” in Brussels, the CG01, designed in a deep, bold red, illuminated this brasserie and made it an emblematic image of Belgian design. It goes without saying that the internationally renowned “Aux Vieux Saint Martin” also incorporates the 01 into its restaurant, which is frequented by some of the world’s leading figures. The Canterbury still bears witness to its unique style, which has nothing old-fashioned about it.

Today, the CG01 is being reissued by the Belgian high-end lighting manufacturer axis71. Renowned architects and prestigious institutions choose the appropriate colour with subtlety and judiciousness.

Isabelle de Borchgrave has chosen a warm, luminous golden yellow; Edouard Vermeulen, inspired by his bold new couture collection, has opted for an Oxford blue; Valérie Barkowsky, faithful to her natural, chic and timeless tones, has selected an aubergine shade.

CG01 reinterpreted by Caroline Notte

“My first thought when choosing a new color was to think of a non-color, to leave it raw, a sheet that would have always existed, total respect to let the shape speak for itself, an intrinsic hue. My second instinct was to choose a natural color that would evolve over time, illustrating strength and resistance and a return to our roots. A corten finish as well as vert de gris copper that blends in perfectly with nature and today’s interiors, where materials are given pride of place, ensuring timelessness.

Keeping her child’s soul: this is the intention of Adelie, a multifaceted artist whose colorful, playful and joyful universe is inspired by the spontaneity of childhood and its brightly colored games such as as legos and puzzles.

Adélie Ducasse grew up in the islands, New Caledonia and Réunion, where she developed her taste for colors and primitive shapes.
Later, it is in California, that she reconnects with the feelings of her childhood. She lived there for a while and returned there often to enjoy her sunshine, her lifestyle and to be inspired by the modernist architecture that characterizes the region.

The geometric abstraction of these creations has its origins in her passion for mathematics – an extension of her childhood games – which she studied at university.

Adélie loves natural materials and works with craftsmen with unique know-how. She uses ceramics to shape design objects and sculptures with her own hands, giving them a unique appearance and expressive personality. From it is reborn the joyful naivety and poetry of childhood.

Have you heard the big news? The BEL is welcoming 3 new members.

Openness is the key to expansion. That’s exactly why the BEL always keeps an eye out for new Brussels-based talents & takes pride in welcoming them into its circle of expertise. 

This month, we’d like to wish Caroline Notté, a warm welcome. We have no doubt she shall inspire us & you with their singular artistry & radiate Brussels uniqueness through their expertise. 

BEL presents Brussels luxury items in Belgium and beyond our borders, all of which encompass local savoir-faire, unique service and exceptional products.

Each one of these unique talents, that often exist from generation to generation, remind us that it is more important than ever to develop and perpetuate arts and crafts and services in order to embrace innovation, which is so intimately compatible with tradition, as well as cultivating curiosity.

Nacarat – Charles Schambourg  – Au Vieux Saint-Martin –  Baobab Collection -Dandoy – Diane Von Furstenberg – Delvaux -Filigranes – JML – La Villa Lorraine – La maison Degand – Le Chalet de la Forêt – Le Saint-Aulaye – Manalys – Natan – Pierre Marcolini – Vervloet – Wolfers – Comme chez Soi