Lessons in Maximalism by Stephanie Barba Mendoza

With details that arouse curiosity at every turn, the house design of this Antwerp home is like a jewel box full of surprises. From the tasseled fringe on a lampshade to the braid framing a hand-painted wallpaper; From the piping of a sofa to the contrasting lining of a curtain, there is always something to catch the eye.

“It’s the little details that make the difference,” notes Stephanie Barba Mendoza, the creative behind these confident yet surprisingly calm interiors. “They transform a room from good to great,” she adds.

(Image credit: Tim Van de Velde)

Born and raised in Mexico, Stephanie met one of the most notable maximalists of our time, Martin Brudnizki, who has studios in New York and London. She spent 10 formative years in the London office and it was her work as lead designer for the lavish interiors of Mayfair’s private members’ club Annabel’s that caught the attention of these homeowners.

(Image credit: Tim Van de Velde)

“I had just set up my own studio in early 2020 when they contacted me, originally for help with the salon,” she recalls. The couple – he is Belgian, she is Dutch – had built the Tudor-style house on the outskirts of Antwerp six years earlier.

“She is a passionate Anglophile and every detail has been beautifully designed using very carefully selected materials,” says Stephanie. “She is also a huge collector of antiques and chinoiserie and loves being bold with color and pattern.” “We were a match made in heaven.”

(Image credit: Tim Van de Velde)

The owners were faced with the conundrum of how to furnish the large salon so that it felt warm and intimate when it was just the two of them at home (their two teenage children are in boarding school and university).

“My client loves the English country style of American interior designer Mario Buatta, so that was our starting point, along with some gilded chinoiserie mirrors she already owned,” says Stephanie, whose experience designing for the hospitality industry was invaluable: “I “We have often designed large spaces to accommodate smaller groups, and that is exactly what we needed here.”

(Image credit: Tim Van de Velde)

A pair of back-to-back sofas create a zoning effect, effectively dividing the room in half. Within these two rooms, Stephanie created other intimate areas, such as an area for playing cards and a reading area next to the fireplace. The star of the show is a hand-painted wallpaper by de Gournay, which is complemented by the owner’s collection of art and antiques, as well as fabrics and trimmings that convey a feeling of warmth and comfort.

“I didn’t use printed fabrics because I felt this room needed something a little more refined: silk velvets for the sofas and more sturdy tapestry fabrics for pieces like the ottomans since they double as footstools,” says Stephanie, offsetting these colorful choices with a neutral leopard print rug. “The customer loves an animal print like I do,” she agrees.

(Image credit: Tim Van de Velde)

Excited about the living room, the owners asked Stephanie to turn her attention to other rooms in the house, including the family room, the dining area off the kitchen, and the large master suite. For the latter, the brief was a room filled with chintz: “I came up with five different options, and in the end the client chose a leafy chintz by Jean Monro as it was very different from the scheme she had before; “I also think a botanical pattern is good for creating a sense of calm,” says Stephanie.

The same fabric was used for the walls – where it was lined with paper – bed curtains, armchairs and blinds, whose lush garland style adds softness to the windows. The rug, which features a moiré pattern that complements the fabric of the headboard, is an archival design by another great decorator, Madeleine Castaing.

(Image credit: Tim Van de Velde)

“We tracked down the company in France that still makes Madeleine Castaing rugs, and we had five different samples made to get exactly the color we wanted,” says Stephanie, admitting that such a high Level of detail requires a certain amount of patience. “We decorated the house during the height of the pandemic, so everything took time.”

For Stephanie – and of course also for her customers – this patience has paid off. “There is a personality in these spaces that reflects the passions and interests of the owners; “You really get a feel for who they are,” she says. “I firmly believe that color and pattern enrich your life – they make it more interesting.”

(Image credit: Tim Van de Velde)