Items & interiors Items & interiors: two words that sum up the life of interior stylist Bea Mombaers. They exemplify how the foundation of Bea’s world is formed by her innate fascination for things with a past life, for objects that tell an extraordinary story, combined with an unsurpassed sense of how to create a unique atmosphere. The urge to collect was there from an early age. For as long as Bea can remember, she has felt that intuitive attraction to beautiful things, just as she has always had a penchant for unique finds and personal trouvailles in which no one else saw the value. Whether it was a sculptural rock, a weathered piece of wood or an old tea set; anything that piqued her interest earned its place in her collection. “I’m so partial to beautiful things that it’s almost problematic”, she said of her passion for collecting years ago – the lightness in her tone suggesting quite the contrary. Over the past three decades Bea Mombaers has blossomed from a passionate gatherer into a reputable name in the international art and design scene. From the start, her lifestyle boutique in Knokke, ‘Items’ – what’s in a name? – was the place to be for rare collector’s items, original works of art, vintage furniture and a selection of exclusive homeware articles. Each precious collectible that leaves the shop frees up space for something new. Today Bea still wakes up every morning with a curious longing for what the day will bring. ‘Chineren’ – a Bea-nism for sauntering – is a force stronger than herself. Everywhere she goes, she comes across something she has to buy. And each find seems predestined – even though the factor of chance is quite relative when you’re a professional collector. What Bea loves most is travelling all over the world like a modern nomad, in search of authentic items, up-and-coming artists, interesting collaborations and inspiring locations to spice up her interiors. Buying a handmade tea set on day one of a tour of Mexico? Picking up a lot of Berber carpets during a trip through the Moroccan desert? Classic Bea. Add to this insatiable hunger for collecting the incontrollable urge to decorate spaces and you’ll get an idea of how busy things are inside Bea’s head. She lives in a showroom, but she wouldn’t want it any other way. Her interiors are an extension of her personality. From the precision with which she drapes a wool plaid over a sofa of her own design, to the setup of the pots in the bathroom: nothing is left to chance in Bea’s world. As soon as she changes the position of a chair or rearranges a rug, the scenography is off and everything has to be redesigned. Until it’s just right. And then the fun part is over and the drive to start a new project kicks in.
5
Items & interiors Items & interiors: two words that sum up the life of interior stylist Bea Mombaers. They exemplify how the foundation of Bea’s world is formed by her innate fascination for things with a past life, for objects that tell an extraordinary story, combined with an unsurpassed sense of how to create a unique atmosphere. The urge to collect was there from an early age. For as long as Bea can remember, she has felt that intuitive attraction to beautiful things, just as she has always had a penchant for unique finds and personal trouvailles in which no one else saw the value. Whether it was a sculptural rock, a weathered piece of wood or an old tea set; anything that piqued her interest earned its place in her collection. “I’m so partial to beautiful things that it’s almost problematic”, she said of her passion for collecting years ago – the lightness in her tone suggesting quite the contrary. Over the past three decades Bea Mombaers has blossomed from a passionate gatherer into a reputable name in the international art and design scene. From the start, her lifestyle boutique in Knokke, ‘Items’ – what’s in a name? – was the place to be for rare collector’s items, original works of art, vintage furniture and a selection of exclusive homeware articles. Each precious collectible that leaves the shop frees up space for something new. Today Bea still wakes up every morning with a curious longing for what the day will bring. ‘Chineren’ – a Bea-nism for sauntering – is a force stronger than herself. Everywhere she goes, she comes across something she has to buy. And each find seems predestined – even though the factor of chance is quite relative when you’re a professional collector. What Bea loves most is travelling all over the world like a modern nomad, in search of authentic items, up-and-coming artists, interesting collaborations and inspiring locations to spice up her interiors. Buying a handmade tea set on day one of a tour of Mexico? Picking up a lot of Berber carpets during a trip through the Moroccan desert? Classic Bea. Add to this insatiable hunger for collecting the incontrollable urge to decorate spaces and you’ll get an idea of how busy things are inside Bea’s head. She lives in a showroom, but she wouldn’t want it any other way. Her interiors are an extension of her personality. From the precision with which she drapes a wool plaid over a sofa of her own design, to the setup of the pots in the bathroom: nothing is left to chance in Bea’s world. As soon as she changes the position of a chair or rearranges a rug, the scenography is off and everything has to be redesigned. Until it’s just right. And then the fun part is over and the drive to start a new project kicks in.
5
Don’t ask Bea to define her style: she lets her interiors speak for themselves. An eclectic mix of vintage furniture, unique collectibles, minimalist design and worldly influences. Everything perfectly balanced and orchestrated down to the last detail. No detail is too trivial, there is never too much or too little. Pure, but always with a certain edginess. Refined, but never blasé. Timeless, but always up to date. Her work is relatable but at the same time in a league of its own. An eternal quest for the perfect imperfection. Over the past thirty years, Bea has seen many trends have their moments on the interior design scene; each time she distills the essential from them and makes them her own in a most creative way. From the patinated cupboards she started with in the early nineties, to the Japanese wabi sabi influences of today. She draws inspiration from books and magazines, from fashion, from her travels, from encounters. She never coasts along on trend waves, but instinctively senses what’s brewing, and interprets the zeitgeist in her own way. And exactly this idiosyncrasy is her strongest calling card. It’s the reason why her clients keep coming back, and eventually become her friends. Bea is always on. Especially at night, she’s overflowing with creativity. If she finds there are things missing in her interior, she has them made. She is an inventor, not a maker. Fortunately, she always knows how to find the right people to translate her ideas into a feasible design. In Axel Van Den Bossche from Serax she found the perfect partner to launch a collection of multifunctional indoor and outdoor furniture, which carries her name, as well as handbags and lifestyle accessories. And in Peter Ivens she found the perfect partner in crime. For over a decade she has been intensively working together with this talented and reputable interior architect. Many of the projects in this book are the result of these two virtuosos’ teamwork. Their roles aren’t exactly divided in the most classic way: both the architect and the decorator enjoy exploring one another’s territory. And it’s exactly this mutual cross-polination that makes their collaboration so unique. Bea Mombaers embodies an art de vivre that organically permeates every aspect of her existence. From her lifestyle boutique ‘Items’ to her tasteful design bed and breakfast ‘Bea’. From the personalised interiors and large-scale international projects she creates together with architect Peter Ivens, to her extensive ‘Bea Mombaers for Serax’ homeware line; just about everything in Bea’s life is the consequence of a coincidence. Everything at the right time, in the right place, with the right people.
6
Don’t ask Bea to define her style: she lets her interiors speak for themselves. An eclectic mix of vintage furniture, unique collectibles, minimalist design and worldly influences. Everything perfectly balanced and orchestrated down to the last detail. No detail is too trivial, there is never too much or too little. Pure, but always with a certain edginess. Refined, but never blasé. Timeless, but always up to date. Her work is relatable but at the same time in a league of its own. An eternal quest for the perfect imperfection. Over the past thirty years, Bea has seen many trends have their moments on the interior design scene; each time she distills the essential from them and makes them her own in a most creative way. From the patinated cupboards she started with in the early nineties, to the Japanese wabi sabi influences of today. She draws inspiration from books and magazines, from fashion, from her travels, from encounters. She never coasts along on trend waves, but instinctively senses what’s brewing, and interprets the zeitgeist in her own way. And exactly this idiosyncrasy is her strongest calling card. It’s the reason why her clients keep coming back, and eventually become her friends. Bea is always on. Especially at night, she’s overflowing with creativity. If she finds there are things missing in her interior, she has them made. She is an inventor, not a maker. Fortunately, she always knows how to find the right people to translate her ideas into a feasible design. In Axel Van Den Bossche from Serax she found the perfect partner to launch a collection of multifunctional indoor and outdoor furniture, which carries her name, as well as handbags and lifestyle accessories. And in Peter Ivens she found the perfect partner in crime. For over a decade she has been intensively working together with this talented and reputable interior architect. Many of the projects in this book are the result of these two virtuosos’ teamwork. Their roles aren’t exactly divided in the most classic way: both the architect and the decorator enjoy exploring one another’s territory. And it’s exactly this mutual cross-polination that makes their collaboration so unique. Bea Mombaers embodies an art de vivre that organically permeates every aspect of her existence. From her lifestyle boutique ‘Items’ to her tasteful design bed and breakfast ‘Bea’. From the personalised interiors and large-scale international projects she creates together with architect Peter Ivens, to her extensive ‘Bea Mombaers for Serax’ homeware line; just about everything in Bea’s life is the consequence of a coincidence. Everything at the right time, in the right place, with the right people.
6
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bea mombaers items & interiors
Photography Graphic design Texts Translation Print
Raf Maes Geoffrey Brusatto Tine Zwaenepoel Louise Vanderputte Printer Trento, Italy
D/2020/12.005/9 ISBN 9789460582530 NUR 454 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher. An exception is made for short excerpts which may be cited for the sole purpose of reviews.
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