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27-12-2019
Timeless elegance: Project IN Ghent
 

A black marble floor with white cores of Marmopanel immediately sets the tone for any room. That's how interior architect Dirk Vanhaverbeke thinks about it. Reason enough to set up his own office IN on the Nederkouter in Ghent. The floor is a real eye catcher, in the right combination with other materials it is timeless.

TEXT Lightning Writing agency PHOTOS Jürgen de Witte  

 

Interior architect Dirk Vanhaverbeke started his own office IN in December 2019. The large building on Nederkouter 77 in the heart of Ghent is combined with a kind of showroom. It contains self-designed furniture and some detailed interior plans. Sober, not too busy, relaxing. This is how Vanhaverbeke likes it. "The space is not a real store, but everyone is welcome to step in here," he says.

Eyecatcher

The eye-catcher in the interior of the Vanhaverbeke office is undoubtedly the floor: the black and white marble from Marmopanel. "Every time I walk into my office, I still look at it full of wonder," says the interior architect. “A beautiful floor is an important starting point for every interior. You do not have to use many materials, and also not always exclusive materials. As long as you keep the whole thing soothing, you can use both noble and poor materials. "

Imperfections

Tranquility and only a few, honest materials. That is the principle that Vanhaverbeke applies throughout his designs. So also in his own office. He combines the black-and-white Marmopanel with white walls in lime that match the white vein of the marble. The wood used, American walnut, gives an extra warm touch. “The American walnut is also light in color and a natural material. That is why it goes perfectly with the floor to create the right atmosphere of peace and enjoyment, "says Vanhaverbeke. “Natural stone is a material that lives and has its imperfections. Cracks, cracks. The drawing is very graphic. You must, of course, like that. "

Expertise

A room can therefore be successful with the right floor, according to the interior architect. But, Vanhaverbeke warns, he must be properly laid. "And that requires some expertise, because laying the large plates of Marmopanels is not that obvious."

He ended up with Van Landeghem from Temse, specialists in the field. They make the panels to measure with material supplied by Stone Senses from Oostkamp. "When you lay tiles, you must always ensure that the four corners are at the same height," Vanhaverbeke explains.

“You can easily move them with smaller tiles of 50 by 50 centimeters. But with the large Marmopanels of 1.80 by 1.20 meters, craftsmanship is needed. ”To install the panels, air pistons are placed in every corner. This made it easier to lay the tiles evenly.

The Marmopanel is thinner, lighter and more flexible than other natural stones and therefore quicker and easier to install. "The substrate is very important," says the interior architect. “A completely flat surface is even necessary. You put glue on the ground, but you also glue the tiles because that glue provides extra support.”

Carrier

Marmopanel is barely 1 centimeter thick: 5 millimeters for the marble and 5 millimeters for the support in 3D fiberglass. This support gives the panel extra strength and supports structurally so that the marble above does not crack. Vanhaverbeke: "Normal natural stone is 2 centimeters thick, so a slab of 5 millimeters thick and almost two meters long is exceptional."

The possibilities of the Marmopanels are, according to the interior architect, almost endless. “You can lay the panels as a floor, but also on walls and with the new Ultrathin of 1 mm thickness, furniture can even be decorated. Just think of cupboards or tables, or a part of your kitchen island in a beautiful natural, durable and maintenance-friendly material. The sky is the limit. "