Projects in Practice: Contekst

A Flirt with the Past with Eyes on the Future

For their own studio in Antwerp, Contekst created a workspace that balances raw materials with playful details and a sense of home. We spoke with co-founder Toon Martens about designing a space that reflects the studio’s character, finding inspiration in the past, and why curiosity and experimentation remain at the heart of their approach.

Images by Wim Martens

Hem: Before we talk about this project, tell us a little about the studio.

Toon Martens: Our approach is probably best captured by one of the lines on our website: “We are Contekst, interior architects with an ever-curious mind. We design spaces that look effortless, relate to people and flirt with the past.”

We believe spaces are like people. They have a past, a personality and a purpose. Ignore those layers, and you’re merely shaping the surface. Embrace them, and you’re designing from the core.

Hem: Every studio has its own design lineage. Who are the architects, designers, or movements that still sit on your shoulder when you're working?

TM: Castiglioni and Magistretti are all-time favourites, alongside Scarpa. Memphis is another important reference, not so much for its literal design language, but for its ideas, unexpected details and out-of-the-box thinking. We’re also drawn to Sam Chermayeff and the way he challenges established conventions to create something richer and more layered. And J.AR Office, whose projects are incredible, from the overall concept down to the most refined details.

What connects these references is a willingness to move beyond conventions. Not for the sake of being different, but to create spaces that feel more playful, human and layered.

Hem: When you're sourcing furniture for a project, what are you actually looking for? What separates a product that simply fills a requirement from one that earns its place?

TM: A certain playfulness, boldness and sense of whimsy. Furniture that invites, surprises and sparks curiosity. How that translates into a design can take many forms, depending on the context.

Hem: We often think of furniture as objects, but the best pieces seem to shape behaviour. Are there products in this project that changed how people might use the space?

TM: The Great Sofa is a perfect example. It looks so inviting that everyone in the office gravitates towards it for long phone calls. In fact, I’m lying on it right now, answering this interview.

“Spaces are like people. They have a past, a personality and a purpose. Ignore those layers, and you’re merely shaping the surface. Embrace them, and you’re designing from the core.”

Hem: Designing a workplace for a client comes with a certain distance, but designing your own office removes that distance. What was different about designing a space for yourselves? What became easier, and what proved unexpectedly difficult?

TM: It’s actually hard to point out any major differences. The easy part was that we knew exactly how we wanted to work: a long desk facing each other, a big round communal table for lunch, and a flexible workspace where other creatives could join us.

We get along really well, both as business partners and in everyday life, so designing our own office was a surprisingly smooth process. We tend to find common ground and arrive at good ideas quickly through conversation and sketching together.

The only hiccup was that we forgot to tell our neighbours about our plans for the patio. So they were understandably a little shocked when we started cutting a hole in the roof of the ground-floor extension! Luckily, we worked everything out and we’re still on friendly terms.

Hem: Now that you’ve had time to inhabit the space, where do you see the strongest connection between the architecture, furniture, and the way you actually work?

TM: This might sound a little obvious, but I think it’s important for an office to feel welcoming, almost like a home. The furniture, and especially the two lounge areas, really complete the space. They offer a place to step away from the desk, slow down and connect. Without them, the office would feel much more rigid and work-focused.

Hem: Was there a piece, material, or detail that became a kind of anchor for the project?

TM: Our custom breeze-block wall is something we put a lot of thought into. We wanted something raw and unpolished that would sit naturally alongside the building’s concrete structure. Like most of our clients, we were working within a certain budget, so using standard concrete building blocks was a great solution. They deliver exactly the effect we were after. We love playing with contrasts between glossy, smooth finishes and more brutalist elements.

Hem: Are there historical interiors that you return to again and again?

TM: We can’t get enough of Robert Mallet-Stevens. Villa Cavrois is a project we find ourselves looking up almost every week. Carlo Scarpa is another endless source of inspiration, as is Andrée Putman, whose visual language we particularly love in her earlier work. And, of course, Eileen Gray.

“We like to move beyond conventions. Not for the sake of being different, but to create spaces that feel more playful, human and layered.”

Hem: What role do contemporary brands have today? Are you looking for timelessness, novelty, character, flexibility, or something else entirely?

TM: I think I’d choose character. To me, great design can always be timeless, but surprise plays a big role too. It’s not just about how something looks, but how it’s made, how it feels, and how it will age and develop a patina over time. We’re particularly in love with the work of our Belgian design master, Maarten Van Severen. His leather armchairs are just perfect to us.

Hem: Finally, what are you curious about right now?

TM: The ongoing evolution of sustainable materials. Over the past few months, we’ve come across some truly amazing innovations, from wall panelling made from fungi to fully bio-based resins derived from plants and bio-based adhesives. It’s exciting to see how these materials are opening up new possibilities for design.