Victor Horta’s Villa Carpentier : the sleeping beauty

by Jacinthe Gigou

Tucked behind trees in the small Flemish town of Renaix, the “Campagne Carpentier” (also called “Villa Les Platanes”) is a true slice of paradise. Commissioned by textile industrialist Valère Carpentier and his wife Marie-Louise Huybrechts, a childless couple who wanted a countryside retreat to host friends, primarily for hunting parties, they entrusted their vision to Victor Horta, then at the peak of his career. At the time, Horta was 38, having just completed the Maison du Peuple in Brussels and working on his own home in Saint-Gilles. Construction of the Villa Carpentier began in 1899 and was completed in 1903.

“I acquired this house in 2004. I rented it out as a Bed & Breakfast for a few years. After it closed, we began restoration work and fell more in love with it every day ! My wife and I decided to keep it as our country home,” recalls Michel Gilbert. This isn’t their first Horta house—it’s their fourth. “Once I have two objects, I start a collection…” admits the owner. The couple splits their time between the Max Hallet Hotel on Brussels’ Avenue Louise and the Villa Carpentier in Renaix. Both in life and work (in real estate), Michel and Olga Gilbert are partners.

When asked how they live in a Horta house in 2024, they explain that it’s possible by adding contemporary touches through furniture and art, avoiding the feeling of living in a museum. Michel elaborates: “I’m not passionate about Art Nouveau itself, but about Victor Horta. His style is unmatched, nothing in his constructions is left to chance.” Their passion runs so deep that they named their children Victor and… Orta!

Walking up the gravel path leading to the house, we’re dazzled by the centuries-old trees in the park surrounding the villa: beech, ginkgo biloba, plane trees, sequoias, poplars, chestnuts, birches… and the countless plant and flower species that make up the gardens. “When we arrive here, it’s pure joy, we breathe in the air and nature. This is our house of rest, my dollhouse,” confides Olga Gilbert. The picturesque charm of the place is softened by the Japanese-style roofs covering the villa, reflecting Horta’s love for Oriental art.

The 700 m² house and its outbuildings, gatehouse and stables, are set within a three-hectare wooded park. A few steps of blue stone lead to the vast central hall, which connects the living spaces on the ground floor : living room, dining room, and office. A staircase leads to the seven bedrooms and their bathrooms. To the left of the entrance, a blue stone veranda allows guests to enjoy the garden, sheltered from rain and sun. Its walls are adorned with magnificent sgraffito by Adolphe Crespin, depicting large birds, recently restored by the couple.

As with many of his projects, Horta collaborated with renowned artists to furnish the home. The reception hall features a monumental tapestry by symbolist artist Émile Fabry, titled “Hymn of Gratitude Before the Charm of Nature,” and stained-glass windows by Raphaël Evaldre. The dining room is decorated with a mural by another symbolist painter, Albert Ciamberlani. True to form, Horta created a total work of art, from the architectural plans to the interior design.

More unusually, Horta also designed the park’s layout and selected its tree varieties. He created a singular, spectacular network of paths around the house in the shape of a nautilus shell. Though the gardens disappeared over time, they were entirely recreated between 2016 and 2018. While the heavy work was carried out by the specialized company Steve Delusinne, the design and plant selection were overseen by Olga Gilbert, the creator of the new garden. “I learned everything on-site. I couldn’t find a landscaper who satisfied me, so I designed the garden myself.” The original winding paths were rediscovered using an aerial view. “Michel flew a drone, and I followed his directions with our yellow water hose to retrace the perfect original curves.”

As Léon the peacock strolls across the path, Olga lists the varieties and quantities of plants she used: 20 maples, 29 rhododendrons, 30 azaleas, 20 hydrangeas, 90 roses… hundreds of carefully chosen species. “I only wanted fragrant and repeat-blooming plants.” She then shows us the hundreds of sketches she drew herself, along with photos of gardens that inspired her, such as the Art Deco Van Buuren House in Brussels and New York’s Green Line. “I loved these gardens, but I had to adapt them here. You can’t pair just any plant with Horta. Each façade of the house is different, with its own colors. So I designed all the flowerbeds based on their location relative to the house.” In front of a red-brick façade, she planted warm-toned species, while near a blue stone façade, she chose cool-toned, deep purple varieties. Meticulous research and long reflection resulted in an enchanted garden.

“For two months, the kitchen walls were covered in Olga’s sketches,” Michel recalls. Around the house, several terraces were arranged to enjoy the sun, or shade, depending on the time of day. “In Horta’s time, people didn’t sunbathe as we do today. But now, breakfasts on the terrace with our children are pure happiness,” Olga shares. This conviviality is part of a shared domestic history. She concludes, “A Horta house is about sharing the joy of living.”

Victor Horta is the leading figure of Art Nouveau in Belgium, considered a genius for revolutionizing the traditional house plan by creating fluid spaces that allow light to flood in through skylights and light wells.

He designed every detail of his houses, down to the furniture, carpets, and lighting. His preferred materials were iron, glass, and stone. His organic architecture, inspired by nature, is defined by his signature “whiplash” line: “From the flower, I take only the stem,” he said.

However, Art Nouveau quickly fell out of fashion, and many of his buildings were demolished in the 1960s, including the Maison du Peuple and the À l’Innovation department store. In Brussels, he designed numerous townhouses and the Palais des Beaux-Arts. His former home and studio in Saint-Gilles is now the Horta Museum, open to the public.

JACINTHE GIGOU

Art and architecture historian, Jacinthe Gigou has spent 20 years promoting and disseminating modern architecture. She worked as a curator at CIVA and director of the heritage agency Arkadia in Brussels until 2020. She co-founded the Brussels Art nouveau & Art Deco Festival and the Brussels Biennale of Modern Architecture. In 2021, she launched Modernista, a platform dedicated to Belgian Modernism. Alongside her curatorial work, she writes as an architecture journalist and critic for various media and co-authored the book 150 houses you need to visit before you die.

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