Some people just have that magic touch (combined with lots of hard work of course), to create breath-taking space. Charlotte from HIJA is one of them.  

Charlotte, tell us something about your purpose

I'm an interior architect and furniture designer. I love traveling and have spent some years abroad, working in Amsterdam, New York and Sao Paulo. It was only after working for other companies that I started to develop my own design language, which I describe as warm minimalism, a style that embraces refined materials and a strongly embedded sense of craftsmanship. As a result, I decided to take the big leap three years ago and started my own creative studio in my hometown Antwerp. 

If your loved ones would describe you, what would they tell us?

That I’m brutally honest :) but someone you can always count on

Where would you take us on a soulcation? 

A small village called Trancoso in Brazil; the ultimate place to slow down. We had the chance to live in Saō Paulo for 2 years and Trancoso was the best city and life getaway.

What can we find on your nightstand? 

A pile of half-read books  / interior magazines…even with corona life I’m not able to finish them

What’s the first thing you did this morning?

Cereal chaos breakfast with my little daughter Luísa

Do you have some good advice for our readers? 

Literally, let it go once and while. Learn from your kid's carefree fantasy world because it’s okay to get off track to compensate with all the busy days. Create and make plans, even small ones for the weekends, so you have some extra motivation to battle the workweek.

What/who inspires you? 

My best inspiration comes out of exploring a new culture and looking for old detailed craftsmanship. Not inventing something new, but looking at existing architecture and objects that already passed the test of time.

Portrait by Marieke Verdenius