Pieter Peulen built his own house out of concrete and never stopped rethinking it. It sits in the Belgian countryside, all raw poured surfaces warmed with wood and vintage finds. He trained as an interior and furniture designer, then moved into photography. When photos of the house went viral, his following took off, and he now shoots for brands like GUBI and Rimowa. Lately he’s been making his own concrete home objects — the first, a burnboard, is out now, with more coming later this year. Here he talks Belgian modernism, his favorite Lemaire bag, and why the countryside beats the city for building your own little blue zone.

Three places you’ve felt inspired by.

10AM Lofts, Athens. The first time I visited Greece, I spent the summer exploring Athens. It’s an incredibly inspiring city in itself, but staying somewhere inspiring makes the experience even more special. The space feels beautifully curated, spacious and dynamic. It gave me room to slow down, take everything in and see the city from a different perspective.

Next is Axel Vervoordt Gallery. Axel is one of Belgium’s most influential interior designers, collectors and art dealers. Many of the spaces he has created are abroad or not open to the public, but visiting his gallery offers a rare opportunity to step into his world.

Café Service is one of my more recent discoveries in Antwerp, and I’ve already returned several times. You can immediately sense when a restaurant is authentic and born from genuine passion. The atmosphere, food and attention to detail all feel sincere and effortless, which makes it a place I keep wanting to revisit.

What's your hot take?

Being in a city can be inspiring but nothing beats living on the outskirts and creating your own little blue zone. In the end, being in your own bubble will give you the place to experiment with failure and success as result.

What’s an item you can’t live without?

It's the item that holds all of my items I can't live without: my Lemaire Croissant bag.

Who is your forever inspo?

Belgian modernist architects, especially Renaat Braem, Léon Stynen and Juliaan Lampens. I feel Belgian modernism is still very underrated. Their work has such a distinctive visual language that, once you become familiar with it, you start recognizing it everywhere. I’m particularly inspired by their bold use of concrete, strong geometry and the way they balance monumentality with warmth and simplicity.

What’s something you can’t stop thinking about?

My next sweet treat, always and everywhere thinking of this.

Write us a fortune cookie.

Your next mistake has surprising potential.

Follow Pieter on Instagram.