51Noord X Parquetvinyl

51 Noord is not a standard project developer. Founder Bert Roelandts takes a rather atypical approach: he looks for distinctive buildings in interesting Ghent locations and renovates them into compact and unique residential units. Preferably with stylish materials, quirky interior accents and as much solar energy as possible. 

You can recognise a 51 Noord project by… well, by what exactly? To answer this question, we arrange to meet Bert and his brand-new first employee, 'designista' Elly.

Living with less

Bert: ‘51 Noord’s biggest trump card is helping people to live with less. Almost all our projects are tiny houses. We focus on two housing types: student studios from 20m2 to 45m2 and apartments from 50m2 to 90m2 for young people starting their careers. Our designs always include a smart layout. This is crucial when you live compactly. We also believe that a contemporary interior is important: we love funky accents and never do the same thing twice.”

 Always unique

Yes, you read that right. Even though he has completed almost one hundred renovation projects, Bert always strives for a unique result. Bert: ‘Of course I don't always start from scratch. I have a dedicated team and reliable suppliers for certain materials, including Lamett for parquet and click vinyl. Nowadays I install Parquetvinyl in almost all of the smaller units because of its unsurpassed quality and ease of use. Thanks to the beautiful wood structure, the difference with real parquet is barely noticeable. In fact, potential buyers often compliment me on “the beautiful parquet”, even though it’s not parquet!’

Twenty-somethings with two left hands

Bert's own children and their contemporaries are 51 Noord’s target audience. Twenty-something students and starters. In fact, the apartment in which we meet is home to his daughter and her boyfriend, who installed the Tarn collection from Parquetvinyl here themselves. Bert: ‘Neither of them is super handy, but they still did a great job, which just proves that Parquetvinyl is very easy to install! The colour they chose is called Clay, which contrasts nicely with the dark kitchen.’

The smaller, the wilder

51 Noord doesn’t do pre-sales, so they can do their own thing in terms of decor. This often results in quite audacious interior choices. Bert: ‘Obviously that scares some people off, but they’re not our target audience anyway. The people who live in our buildings have a lust for life. And yes, you can throw big parties in a 51 Noord house. For one thing, the Parquetvinyl floor can definitely withstand a few knocks.’

And everything else too. Because the eccentric interior has a solid foundation. Bert is a perfectionist and likes everything to be top quality. All the buildings are excellently insulated, every home has an integrated audio box and even the smallest units include space for a washing machine. And Bert also has high standards when it comes to acoustics. For example, in one penthouse apartment he installed planks from the Nakuru collection, a sound-absorbing floor that reduces noise transmission between two adjacent rooms and absorbs reverberating and walking sounds up to 30% more. Quite useful if you live with two people in a small apartment.

One-man army

Bert was a lawyer in a previous life and has now been at the helm of 51 Noord for ten years. The name refers to the northern latitude of Ghent. For ten years, 51 Noord was a ‘one-man army' with a dedicated renovation team, but the company is at a turning point. The first step has already been taken with the acquisition of interior designer Elly. 

Before we go, we ask Bert what makes living in a tiny house from 51 Noord so attractive. Bert: ‘You don't live in a tiny house, you live in a city. The top location gives you the freedom to go wherever you want. That feeling is priceless.’

Thanks for the confidence, 51Noord!