The Closing Scene

After sixteen years of beauty, taste and curiosity, Graanmarkt 13 is closing a beloved chapter.

Our white house on the historic Graanmarkt 13 in Antwerp is saying goodbye, not as an ending, but as a gentle transition into something new.

Graanmarkt 13 was never just an address. It was a house that lived. Five floors of stories.

In the apartment above, we welcomed guests from all over the world: artists, dreamers, families and friends who woke up with the soft Antwerp light and fell asleep feeling as if they had stepped into another universe.

In the restaurant, we served thousands of plates that were more than dishes. They were seasons captured in flavour, conversations that sparkled, evenings that stretched long after closing time. The iconic chairs held all of it: the quiet moments, the celebrations, the beginnings of friendships.

In the store, people came not only to shop, but to step into a world shaped by beauty. A coat that made someone walk differently, a scent that became a memory, an object that found a new life in another home. Fashion, art, design – but above all, moments shared.

For sixteen years, Graanmarkt 13 was a place where people walked in as visitors and left as part of our story. And now, we are closing this house with the same spirit with which we once opened its doors.

As a farewell, founders Tim and Ilse present ‘Beautiful Chaos’, a farewell auction held together with Bernaerts Auctioneers, gathering the pieces that have defined our world and the soul of Graanmarkt 13.

From the sculptural sofa by Vincenzo De Cotiis where countless guests have sunk into conversation, to the original Vincent Van Duysen table that served as our desk in the office. From the iconic chairs of our restaurant to the paintings by the late Ysbrant van Wijngaarden, created for our cookbook 'Vegetables that Sparkle the Conversation'. From the Ben Sledsens that once hung at home, to the Dennis Tyfus that quietly watched over the counter, and the carpet that grounded the apartment on the third floor. From the marble side tables by Michaël Verheyden to the creations by Bob Verhelst, the well-known black tube wall by Dimore Studio and many more stories to be told.

Pieces from the store. From the home. From our lives. All dear friends of the house. All fragments of a place built with love, now set free, so that those who have been with us over the years may take a piece of it with them.

All things tell stories.
Take them with you.

Visit the house designed by Vincent Van Duysen for the viewing days between 27 and 30 November – all five floors will be open.
Join the auction on 3 December at Bernaerts, Antwerp. See the catalogue.

Beautiful Chaos – Graanmarkt 13 Auction.
Say Bye to Tim & Ilse.

Read the full story in Sabato this weekend or online now.