Liene Meneve has always been fascinated by beauty and aesthetics. Through her creative work, she seeks to inspire people by focusing on the effortless beauty of life and the things we surround ourselves with. This idea is also reflected in her home, which is characterised by large, open spaces, brick walls, bare concrete beams, high wooden ceilings and beautiful natural light.
When asked, Liene Meneve finds it challenging to explain exactly what she does: “I am someone who never stands still and is always looking for new, beautiful things. I want to make people happy and inspire them. That is why all my work has one starting point; to focus on beautiful things and the frivolity of life”.
Because of her fascination with aesthetics, Liene’s creative process begins with a feeling or a particular connection to a colour, shape or object: “A small creative spark can quickly turn into a sea of fire, a stream of ideas and realisations”. As is often the case, inspiration can happen anywhere and at any point in time, which is why you’ll often see Liene taking pictures for her personal digital archive, which acts as an inexhaustible source of inspiration: “Often, my family and I pass something, and I make everyone stop to take a picture. This can range from a beautiful incidence of light, a magical location to the dreamy gaze of my children”.
Because Liene’s creative journey often begins at home, her architecturally designed 1975 home in the Belgian countryside plays a significant part in her life. This is where she can truly withdraw and connect with her family; her husband, William and their two children, Loewè, 3 and Sézane, 5.
The family decided to move out of their house in the city two years ago when they needed more space, both physically and mentally: “We started looking for a house in the countryside. Both our jobs were hectic, and we felt like we needed a place to clear our heads”. When Liene and her family saw the house, which was initially inspired by the brutalist architectural style and designed by architect Paul Meekels, they fell in love:
“The house has a large open plan, and is built with high-quality materials that speak for themselves. The brick walls, bare concrete beams and wooden ceilings really dictate the general atmosphere of the house. It also has large windows where lots of beautiful, direct sunlight can beam through.”
In addition to being with her family, Liene feels at home when she is surrounded by serenity, unity and simplicity. Taking those first steps into Liene’s home, we are also met with an overwhelming feeling of visual calm, which exudes from every corner of the house. “I don’t think it is ever a good idea to overthink interior design. For me, it is important that my home is filled with objects that spark memories and mirror our personal discoveries”. This is also reflected in one of Liene’s favourite things; the decorative and functional cork objects that she and her husband designed together.
Accentuating one rather unique element of their home – Liene nods to the large built-in sofa, which represents the very nerve of the entire house. Together, Liene and her husband have transformed this area of their home into a unique, multifunctional seating landscape: “My kids call it ‘the pond’, and they love to play here. We also like to have our aperitif here when we have friends over, and on Sundays, it is the perfect place to lounge and read a good book. I find that it embodies the perfect balance between aesthetics and comfort. In many ways, this small nook is what makes me and my family feel at home”.
