From an old gallery to an architect’s studio, even a law office featured as a temporary showroom — some presentations took place in unique or private spaces during Antwerp Design Week. I didn’t know what to expect. A different energy to Salone del Mobile. More intimate. More local. A celebration of Belgian contemporary design through pop-ups and temporary interiors.
FeelGood Designs, Koen van Guijze, Marie Vansteenkiste of Objects by Marie.
Through a passageway into a courtyard, and then into a temporary showroom set in a former art gallery, there is a second inner court garden. European agent Objects by Marta presents the handwoven rattan pieces by Australian brand FeelGood Designs. Alongside it, they commissioned Belgian architect Philippe Allaeys to develop T’ALPH — a modular table system in walnut or birch, made entirely in Belgium. No sharp corners. No rigid symmetry. Functional, minimal designs. A natural addition, shaped with the same sense of aesthetics.
In the same space, Belgian designer Koen Van Guijze presents a selection of his lighting objects. With over 25 years of experience, his style blends function with a raw, industrial edge. His work appears throughout Botanic Sanctuary, Antwerp’s first five-star hotel. Each piece is made in Belgium — in blue steel, bronze or brass — tailored and tactile. From the graphic Double Square to larger made-to-measure designs, his lighting complements the rattan furniture and wooden tables, reinforcing the space’s minimal aesthetic.
Marie Vansteenkiste creates spaces for connection. In business for less than a year under the name Objects by Marie, she presents her collection of organic-looking tables in an active law office, temporarily transformed into a pop-up showroom during ADW. The largest table seats up to 14, while others serve as creative work surfaces — like the one she uses in her own home by the sea. Fluid in form and sculptural in shape, her pieces are crafted in wood, often with rounded marble elements integrated into the surface. Each table invites presence and togetherness. “It’s not about having a table,” she tells me, “but creating space for real moments.” Her take on design is holistic: tuned to the senses, and made to support how people gather and feel in a room. Every element can be customised — from size to material — allowing for a deeply personal kind of design.
Antwerp Design Week takes place each June across various locations in the city — from private studios to unexpected architectural settings.
Discover more:
www.adw.life
https://martaonline.eu
www.koenvanguijze.com
www.objectsbymarie.com
Images by author and Double Square by Koen van Guijze, courtesy of all the brands and designers.
