Axelle Vertommen on colour and Antwerps best preserved secret

Meet Axelle Vertommen, a young furniture and interior designer known for her colourful & functional designs. You might recognize her from our own store since she used to run our boutique in Antwerp before fully focussing onto interior design last September. 

If the name doesn’t ring a bell, she’s also the designer behind my cat Snorrekes favourite scratching post. These colourful posts will make all your cat’s dreams come true and definitely don’t hurt the eye. Originated out of a personal lack of pretty cat furniture, she decided to create her own, made from leftover carpet and MDF. Resulting in bright coloured, unique and cat-approved - our own Snorreke can agree to this - scratching posts.

This combination of functionality and playfulness is always the base for Axelle’s designs, and are often born when she can’t find the right solution. She defines her design process as ‘solving small cases’ just like she couldn't find a pretty scratching posts, she gave up the search for a functional bed and created a unique and adaptable bed frame with the comfort of a sofa.

Where some people shy away from bright colours, she created a unique stamp in Belgium's young design scene with it. Want to add a bit of colour to your interior of closet? “Don’t be afraid, combining colours is easier than you think! Start organically and grow your collection slowly. Don’t buy everything at once and always leave room for softer tones.”

When creating her own style, Axelle isn’t just looking for colour. Just like furniture she likes it when pieces are functional, this being also the reason she barely leaves the house without our CMMC+ MINI. “I like to have my hands free so wearing it crossbody or around my waist makes it so easy.”

Besides the CMMC MINI Axelle also is the proud owner of a black MARIKO and ENYA. “Enya is a lifesaver when I need to take a lot of stuff with me, especially since I bike almost everywhere in Antwerp.”

And it’s also on that bike that Axelle discovered Antwerp’s hidden - yet in plain site - gems: it’s diverse architecture and facades. From Art-Nouveau facades in the centre of Antwerp to Modernist treasures from Léon Stynen or Kaplansky hidden around the city, behind every corner you can find interesting architecture, you just have to look for it. While most of us just bike past them every day, Axelle loves to explore around town and discover intriguing facades. Want to leave the city for a day? The Braemblokken at Het Kiel or the Arena wijk in Deurne, both from Renaat Braem are also worth a visit.