Posted on 23 Mar 2023
Sometimes everything comes together just right. Like in this beautiful country house in rural Massemen. Thanks to carefully selected furniture, accessories, textiles and paint, everything is perfectly coordinated.
Valérie Casse is a marketing manager at the leading Belgian interior design company Flamant. Until recently, she lived with her family in a beautiful rental house that, of course, was decorated in true Flamant style.
A few years ago, Valérie couldn't believe her luck when, during her search for a family home, she came across a large country house in the East Flemish village of Massemen. Valérie: “It's quite rare to see such a beautiful house in such a prime location being put up for rent. It was built fairly recently and has a large garden, surrounded by fields. And it was in impeccable condition and completely finished with old, authentic materials. Even the laundry room – usually considered of lesser importance – was carefully finished with lots of attention to detail. It was love at first sight!”
Once the house was decided on, it was time to think about furnishing and finishing touches. With lots and lots of items from Flamant, of course. “Even long before I worked at Flamant, I was into interior design,” says Valérie, who obtained a degree in interior decoration. “I like to make things cosy at home and I like to work with colours, materials and furniture. My current job is more a matter of chance and luck. Four years ago I attended a Christmas tree decoration workshop at Flamant, and I struck up a conversation with one of the employees. That got the ball rolling, and just two weeks later I was hired in the position of marketing manager. My two passions really come together in this job: interior design and marketing.”
Her passion for interior design and her current job have taught Valérie that Flamant is so much more than your typical chain of furniture stores. “It's a lifestyle brand with a broad range of indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting, tableware, textiles, paint, wallpaper, accessories, you name it. It literally has everything you need to turn any house into a warm and cosy home,” she says. “The collections are inspired by antique furniture and accessories, and are made according to authentic methods in small workshops across the globe. No two pieces are identical. I like furniture that's a little rough around the edges, with a lived-in look. It's just so much warmer and cosier.”
For Valérie, the country house in Massemen is the pinnacle of what she calls a Flamant interior. The old, authentic elements like the oak plank floor, the natural stone floor in the hall, the oak kitchen with wrought-iron fittings, the marble sink, the wooden panelling, the fireplace, the high ceilings and the built-in library blend really well with the furniture.
“The whole interior is in harmony. The peace of mind you get in return is invaluable.”
To enhance the rural look of the house, all walls are painted with lime paint from the Flamant Paint collection. With a whopping 128 unique colours in three different finishes, there's something for everyone.
Valérie: “In the realtor's pictures, the dining room walls were burgundy. While I think it's a very nice and warm colour, it was rather dark in combination with the oak panelling. So that's why I painted over it in a lighter shade, for a more tranquil vibe.”
“I like to make things cosy at home and I like to work with colours, materials and furniture”
Valérie: “I like rural elements, but it's easy to overdo it with too many jars, candles and knick-knacks. I prefer to keep it clean and simple, with select furniture and accessories. I adhere to the philosophy of decorator and antique dealer Axel Vervoordt, who says the walls of a room are just as important as the pieces in it. So I prefer fewer items, but really nice ones.”
Valérie: “What I love about this house is the location. From the living room, the kitchen, the dining room and the top floor, you have beautiful views of the large garden and the surrounding fields. This is all farmland, so there are no roads in sight. I'm an outdoor person, I love animals and plants. The patio was filled with frost-resistant terracotta pots containing conservatory plants such as lemon and olive trees. Actually, I could really see myself moving south in a few years to go live in a Mediterranean climate.”
"I like furniture that's a little rough around the edges, with a lived-in look; it's just so much warmer and cosier”
