The house was fully renovated between 2013 and 2016, respecting the existing structure in brick and wood that is part of our heritage. The house is older than 1830, i.e. older than Belgium, with some parts even going back to the seventeenth century.  In former times, the area was a poor industrial quarter to the north of the city center. Until the eighteenth century, there were lots of tanneries here, which made use of a (smelly) old arm of the river “Lys” which crossed the area at that time. Later on, the trade in seeds and cereals took over. Our house used to be a factory where cereals were blended to produce and store horse food. (During the recent renovation works, we indeed found wheat and oat coming out of the gaps between the bricks!). The latest former owner was an artist, specialized in steel constructions. He had an atelier on the ground floor which he used for welding activities, and one on the second floor, which he used for woodworking.