Traces of colours that were typical for the atmosphere of the 19th century were found on the ground floor as well as on the upper floors. The colours have darkened a bit but they are still present, on the walls, on the varnished woodwork, the panelling and most of all on the wallpaper. The primary colours red, green and brown one sees almost everywhere haven't been restored at random: in the 90's Lode Declerq and Luc Maes had done thorough research, which has been fine tuned by new examinations and discoveries during the restoration.

RESEARCH

Here and there, spread out throughout the house, we see little ‘windows' on the walls, in the paint, on the doors, the skirting-boards, the floor … It's here that specialists have painstakingly removed the different layers of paint and wallpaper one by one. This way the history of the decoration of the house could be recreated. The research was done mostly in corners and hard to reach places, where there was the most chance to find bits and pieces that had never been removed. A scalpel and magnifying glass are the most important tools for a job like this! Once the original coat has been found, it's a question of finding the original hue as well. The random sample that was taken underwent changes due to the aging process, or it's either been treated with finishing products or a thin layer of paint polish. Sometimes during the restoration things happen accidentally: it was discovered that the fire place on the first floor had been enlarged. Underneath the added part tiny pieces of wallpaper and a piece of cornice was found. The view of the room was suddenly completely different.

See also: KIK-IRPA

François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters are two artists who chose to express themselves, together or alone, in many different ways, but mainly through the medium of comic books. Their series “Cities of the Fantastic”, which started in 1983, is the cornerstone of a truly original oeuvre. They are obviously inspired by the illustrators and architects that worked at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. At the end of the 80's they started making scenographies in varied locations (Montreal, Angoulême, Brussels, etc.). They also exhibited their talent on the big screen with the amazing mix of fiction and documentary called “Le Dossier B”. Their noteworthy contribution to the art show “Architectures Rêvées” (“Dreamt Architecture”) in 1996 saw them paying tribute to Victor Horta. It's no surprise then that when Schuiten and Peeters find out in the middle of the 90's that Maison Autrique is for sale, they feel obligated to act upon that information. A big adventure begins, which involves numerous partners. Today you are invited to join us. From the restoration a Dream House was born; come and let yourself be enchanted by the mise-en-scene and visit the house at La Chaussée de Haecht 266.

See also: Urbicande
See also: ebbs.net