Scaffolding has come down, the garden is in bloom, and the final details are being completed. High above the street, two new apartments are almost ready to welcome their first guests. Conceived as a natural extension of the store, Marina has designed them as bright and welcoming spaces, where every choice — from the materials to the rooftop plants — was guided by her thinking of the ideal lodging.
For the new apartments, Marina imagined spaces that would act as a neutral canvas for the furniture, minimal in form, but never cold or slick. The palette continues the light tones of the store, chosen to reflect the natural light on the rooftop. The concrete floors reveal the stones within, showing a quiet variation of grains and tones. “We used a light concrete with white pigment to keep the finish soft and pale,” Marina notes. Walls and ceilings received particular attention. Rather than flat surfaces, she opted for textured renders, applied indoors and out, to give a sense of materiality rather than just a surface treatment, so that even when the rooms stand empty, they still bring warmth and presence. On the exterior, the finish of the walls is reminiscent of traditional concrete render. “It wasn’t easy to achieve, as most renders today tend to be very fine,” she says. “And we couldn’t just apply it the traditional way, since it had to go directly on the insulation instead of bricks or concrete blocks.” There are deliberate contrasts too. The entrance hall is painted in a dark olive green, creating a passage that leads the eye directly to the patio through a full-height window. In the bathrooms, floors and walls are entirely tiled in an unglazed green stoneware tile from Winckelmans. “It gives the rooms a real tactility, a sense of material rather than just a finish,” she explains.
The construction relied largely on one worker, who quite remarkably built the new floor from the ground up: installing the metal beam structure, laying the floor concrete slab, raising the walls and roofs, rendering inside and out, tiling bathrooms, and even completing the kitchen counters. “A magical worker who can do it all,” as Marina says. Specialised subcontractors joined for specific elements such as the windows, the electricity and the plumbing; a carpenter was responsible for the built-in carpentry, such as doors and cabinets.
Over the past six months, the garden has expanded and settled into itself with surprising speed. Planted at the end of December, it already feels as though it has always belonged there. This is thanks in part to the thoughtful plant choices of the garden designers Bart and Pieter, and also to the way the patio is sheltered from wind and nurtured by this year’s generous sun. The results have been more than ornamental. “I’ve been picking figs almost every day these past weeks, and using thyme, sage and rosemary for the café,” Marina says. Bart and Pieter have also designed for the seasons, balancing bloom, evergreen, and texture so that the garden offers something welcoming all year round.
Designing a new floor allowed Marina to address insulation and energy use from the beginning. Walls and roofs are insulated to the best possible standard, while heating is provided by a heat pump that consumes very little electricity. When needed, it is supplied by twenty solar panels installed on the roof. These also power the ovens in the café for baking focaccia. Windows are made from solid wood with triple glazing, ensuring both comfort and efficiency. Every roof surface, the patios, terraces, and even the apartments themselves, is covered with soil and plants. This not only improves insulation but also addresses water drainage, slowing runoff and reducing flooding in a city where impermeable surfaces are increasing. “We’ve also installed a large rain barrel,” Marina adds, “so we can use rainwater to irrigate the garden, flush toilets and run the washing machines.”
Above all, Marina designed the apartments as the kind of place she herself would want to stay in when travelling: bright, welcoming, and with just the right balance between comfort and simplicity. “They should be well equipped if you want to cook,” she says, “but the kitchen also stays discreet if you’d rather just make tea and eat out.” The apartments cater both to those looking for a peaceful workspace and to travelers eager to roam the city. Outdoor spaces provide a place to unwind after a day of walking, or simply to enjoy a morning coffee under the open sky.
Marina also paid close attention to the small touches that make a place feel uplifting: high-quality bed linen, thoughtful care products, pantry essentials, and a few treats. Extras can be requested too, such as a breakfast basket or the rental of electric bikes. Guests enter independently, with a code to the building and their own key, ensuring a smooth coming and going. To guide visitors through Brussels, each apartment includes the Brussels by Locals guide (published by Bautier in 2024) along with new discoveries from the neighbourhood. “The apartments are like an extension of the store,” Marina reflects. “They’re a way for people to fully experience the atmosphere we try to bring through our furniture and accessories.” The shop and café on the ground floor offer an extra layer of conviviality to future guests.
The Bautier Apartments will be open for booking from the 1st of November.