A Nordic style bakery

Wood and marble are the materials that provided the inspiration for the stylish Boulangerie Leslie, located in the small Belgian municipality of Nieuwerkerken. A mere hour’s drive from Brussels, it has the poetic, fairy-tale atmosphere of certain Flemish paintings, a far cry from the urban style of the city. The interiors of the newly renovated bakery reveal a contemporary Nordic inspiration, evident in the understated elegance, the spare but essential decorative elements, and a colour scheme based on whites and earthtones. The internal layout consists of a relatively small brightly lit open space with large windows encompassing the bakery kitchen, the counter and the eat-in sitting area. The furnishings are inspired by the international Nordic style of the fifties and sixties, including chairs modelled on the historic Eames Plastic Chairs by Vitra, Hektar series pendant lamps from Ikea, and characteristic high tables with a square top and central base. The aroma of freshly-baked bread and confectionary wafts through a space in which the floor and wall tiles are specially chosen to create a sense of fluidity and harmony, at the same time introducing a touch of warmth and softness to an otherwise rational and sparsely-furnished ambience. To achieve this, the designers combined two different and seemingly contrasting lines: Wooden Tile and Stone&More 2.0, both from the Florim brand Casa dolce casa — Casamood. The first is a highly versatile porcelain inspired by the warm texture of wood, the second an eye-catching marble effect tile chosen in the colour Calacatta for the floor, walls and countertop. At the same time the sense of space is enhanced by the Florim Magnum Oversize collection of large tiles (sizes up to 160×320 cm in a thickness of just 6 mm), which create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. This effect is particularly striking when the same surfaces are used for different functions and contexts, in this case floor, walls and countertop. The Calacatta colour in the Stones & More 2.0 series has a pale, luminous surface like the splendid eponymous stone, which brings light and harmony to the interior spaces. Rather than creating a sense of contrast, the juxtaposition with the pale-coloured, natural texture of Wooden Tile feels like an integration or complement. Despite its relatively small size, this neighbourhood boulangerie has fully exploited its architectural potential, particularly the large open space and the abundant natural light that floods in through the large windows. In particular, the natural, pale-coloured surfaces coupled with eye-catching patterns — such as those inspired by marble — have been used to create a sober, measured aesthetic free from any form of excess but at the same time highly chic and sophisticated.