Bautier Apartments

Two Apartments above Marina Bautier's Forest Showroom in Brussels

Furniture designer Marina Bautier founded her Brussels practice in 2004 on a straightforward premise: that well-made oak pieces, stripped to their essential form, are more interesting than decorated ones. The Bautier Apartments are the logical conclusion of that thinking. There are two units, furnished entirely with her own work, sitting above the showroom and café she has built over the past decade in Forest. The building is a 1925 former mechanic's garage on Chaussée de Forest, 10 minutes from the Midi station on foot.

Marina grew up in Brussels, studied furniture design in the UK, and returned to set up her studio here in 2004. She has since designed for Ligne Roset, Case, and Stattmann, and built her own brand into a nearly full home collection—all manufactured by a small family-run carpentry in northwest Germany. The apartments occupy a newly built top-floor addition over the shop, constructed with a heat pump, 20 solar panels, and a rain barrel that irrigates the courtyard garden. Interior walls throughout are finished in trowel-applied cement: uneven, textured, and deliberately unpretentious.

Every piece of furniture is a working Bautier product. The one-bedroom unit holds a king-sized oak bed frame and has a private balcony. The studio features a queen bed and has access to the shared courtyard. Both units have a round dining table, side tables, and daybed, all German-made waxed oak. Bedding is 100% Belgian linen produced by a 150-year-old manufacturer. Bathroom walls are lined in tactile unglazed tiles from Winkelmans of northern France. Dhurrie rugs are undyed New Zealand wool hand-loomed in India by Nani Marquina. Libeco linen curtains, Mogensen J39 chairs, a Pierre Culot carafe, Asano Shoten paper lanterns, and an Edifier sound system complete the picture. Toiletries are by Habeebee.

Both apartments open to a planted courtyard designed by landscape duo Bart & Pieter, with fig trees, perennials, and herbs grown for the café below.

What we love

It's the perfect combination of great design, unusual material combinations and the most personal hospitality experience. Marina's "Brussels by Locals" guidebook sits on the shelf with real recommendations from people who actually live here. Every piece of furniture is a Bautier product , and breakfast baskets are prepared by the owner herself. Walk out the front door and WIELS is practically next door—a former Art Deco brewery turned into one of Europe's more rigorous contemporary art spaces.

Layout

There are two apartments, both for two guests, on the second floor of a 1925 building (with no elevator). One extra guest may be accommodated in each, using day beds, and a baby cot is available on request.

- Côté Jardin: one-bedroom apartment, garden-facing, with private balcony. Separate bedroom with king-sized oak bed and Belgian linen. Living and dining area with daybed, round dining table, and full-height balcony door. Separate bathroom with tiled walls and separate WC. Kitchen with oven and portable induction hob.

- Côté Rue: studio apartment, street-facing. Open-plan living and sleeping on a queen bed. Dining area with round oak table, and sofa. Access to the shared courtyard. Separate bathroom with tiled walls and separate WC. Kitchen with oven and portable induction hob.

Experiences

Breakfast baskets are available (at additional cost), with homemade scones, granola, yogurt, and fresh eggs. A curated selection of cookbooks and architecture books is provided in each apartment, along with a copy of Marina's "Brussels by Locals" guidebook: 184 pages of recommendations from Brussels creatives in the city's cultural and food sectors. The shop and café on the ground floor are open Wednesday through Saturday.

Good to know

Long stays of up to three months are possible. Bed linen, towels, and pantry essentials are included. Breakfast baskets are optional, ordered via the café. The apartments are on the second floor with no elevator and not suitable for guests with significant mobility requirements.

Amenities & services

Self check-in, Wi-Fi, kitchen with oven and induction hob, pantry essentials included, bed linen and towels included, optional breakfast basket from café, private balcony (Côté Jardin only), shared courtyard garden, baby cot on request, Edifier sound system, Habeebee toiletries, curated books and Brussels by Locals guidebook, Bautier store and café on ground floor

Around

Forest is Brussels' most quietly compelling neighborhood. The area around Chaussée de Forest holds a cluster of independent cafés and restaurants; Marina's guidebook, written with contacts from the city's cultural and food scene, is left in each apartment for exactly this reason. WIELS, the contemporary art center housed in a 1931 Art Deco former brewery a short walk away, is one of Belgium's most serious international exhibition spaces, running temporary shows by established and emerging artists year-round. The Bois de la Cambre, Brussels' main urban woodland, is reachable on foot. Brussels-Midi station, with Eurostar and Thalys connections, is a 10-minute walk. A car is not required.

Location

Forest, Brussels, Belgium. Nearest major station: Brussels-Midi (Gare du Midi), approx. 10 minutes on foot. Nearest international: Brussels (BRU, 25km)