We live in busy times. That’s why a sense of calm at home is more than just a luxury. But how do you create it? There’s no one better to answer that question than Pieter Peulen. Pieter is a design influencer who lives in a home that radiates pure tranquility.
Earthy tones
A cocoon of serenity with a blind façade facing the street and bedrooms tucked underground, that’s what Pieter built for himself four years ago. The entire home is made of raw concrete. The large windows, which let in an abundance of sunlight, are framed in wood. To maintain the calm atmosphere, Pieter carried that earthy palette through to his furniture. “For my furniture, I chose tones that lie between the grey of the concrete and the brown of the windows,” he explains. “I found those shades in materials like wood, rattan, and leather. It’s wise to define your palette beforehand, but I’ll admit: I wasn’t that calculated myself. It was a process that took four years, and it’s still ongoing. A home evolves organically.”
Pure materials
The most dominant material in the house is concrete. “When I was sixteen, studying architecture in secondary art school, I was already drawn to concrete and the minimalist style of Tadao Ando,” Pieter says. Ando is the world-renowned Japanese architect known for his heavy yet extremely austere concrete architecture. “Concrete radiates a deep sense of serenity and, like other natural materials, it’s very tactile. Design isn’t just about what you see, it’s also about what you feel.” His tip? Choose sober, natural materials that invite touch.
Clair-obscur
An essential and often underestimated feature of the home is the light. For Pieter, good lighting isn’t about flooding a space with brightness. Shadow plays just as important a role. “Some walls catch full sun at certain times of day, others remain in shade. In my photos, I play with the contrast between light and shadow.” One way to create shadow is through the use of small lamps positioned off-centre. A big ceiling light in the middle of the room, he says, is a real mood killer. “I collect small floor and table lamps that I place throughout the space. They create a beautiful, dim glow. When my husband is cooking, he sometimes switches on the main light, and that has been known to spark a discussion,” he laughs. “With that kind of lighting, it feels like living in an aquarium.”
Undressed walls
One thing he never does is hang anything on the walls, no paintings, no shelves. “People often comment that there’s nothing on my walls and not a single photo to be seen in the house. But I have millions of photos on my phone. I don’t feel the need to display them at home.”
Room to breathe
A striking feature in Pieter’s home is that every piece of furniture has enough space to shine. “Space is incredibly important to me. That’s why my husband and I deliberately chose to build a spacious house in an affordable town, rather than buy an apartment in a more expensive city. Everything in the house needs to be able to breathe. Openness matters. If you were to cram the same beautiful furniture into a tight space, it wouldn’t have nearly the same effect. That space in between helps to calm the senses.”
Playfulness allowed
Anyone who follows Pieter on social media knows that in his home, furniture rarely stays in the same spot for long. “Of course, what you see online is a bit of an exaggeration. I move things around often to take photos. But beyond that, my furniture and objects naturally travel through the house. My tip: move things around and invent new corners or cosy spots. It keeps the home feeling fresh and exciting.” To maintain that sense of flexibility, Pieter prefers smaller or modular furniture and objects. “A piece is successful, to me, if it works in different places. The sofa by Bea Mombaers for Serax is a good example. You can split it into several easily movable seating elements. Some parts are in the living room, others outside. The same goes for the concrete side table by Marie Michielssen. It’s been everywhere in the house, by my bed as a nightstand, as a side table, you name it. And the bigger a piece is, the more important it is for it to have a simple, understated shape.”
