MAYKEN CRAENEN

Designer/Illustrator

Antwerp

* What does 'home' mean to you?

Home is where I can take a step back from the world and feel comfortable. I don't need that much to feel at home somewhere. Light is very important; I'm quite attached to my books and materials; and my boyfriend Olmo is a pretty essential part too. A home should be a living thing. Something that grows and evolves with the lives and interests of its inhabitants. I think our home is equal parts Olmo and Mayken. I like to think of it as an illustration of the people we are. That's also why I love having friends over at our place; it's the closest we can have them. On a larger scale, Antwerp feels very much like home too. We've only been here for two years, but I think we won't easily leave the city.

* How does your interior mirror your work?

Most of the pictures on the walls are our own or from exhibitions I helped organize. I can't help making little arrangements with things I find or get from friends. I have several pictures and objects from family or unknown people, which are a great source of inspiration for my work. There's always traces of our work around the house: scraps of wool, cut out images, books, drawings, architecture plans, ... Sometimes it's hard to control it.

* What's your favorite object in your room?

I really like the small table with golden legs that we found at a flea market. It used to have ugly coloured tiles on top, but someone made a wooden surface for us to replace it. It has a different structure on each side, so you can flip it. I also like our glasswork - part of which comes from my grandpa's veterinarian practice, our plants, and the few pieces of design we bought. We don't mind labels, but we're pretty selective about what enters the house.