Andy Kerstens
Andy Kerstens is a Belgian interior architect and designer, and the founder of KERSTENS, a multidisciplinary design studio based in Antwerp. Established in 2015, the studio works across interiors, furniture, and collectible objects, developing projects distinguished by architectural clarity, refined materiality, and a strong sensitivity to atmosphere.
Guided by a pursuit of aesthetic purity and craftsmanship, Kerstens creates spaces and objects that balance restraint with richness, combining natural materials, tactile surfaces, and carefully considered proportions. His work explores the dialogue between architecture, collectible design, art, and material expression, resulting in environments that evoke a sense of serenity, timelessness, and understated luxury.
Working across residential and hospitality projects as well as collectible design, Andy Kerstens has developed a distinctive visual language rooted in coherence, detail, and the emotional qualities of space.
Interview
I was born in Wilrijk, very close to Antwerp (Belgium). I grew up in a charming neighbourhood closer to the countryside, at a one-hour drive from Antwerp.
Hard to say, as a child is was always very interested in creative stuff, and was always in search for interesting ideas and aesthetic content. Weird to say maybe, but each summer we travelled to Southern Europe. And I can remember that we drove around these roundabouts where quite often big art sculptures were exposed.
Except for some student jobs in sales, I do. From the start of my student career, I knew quite well what I wanted to do later in life. So even when I was still studying, I already wanted to explore the work field, and so I worked at some architecture offices to improve my knowledge and to prepare myself for the ‘real’ job after the studies.
I’ve always been intrigued by beautiful things around us, close to humans, from furniture to spaces, to product design, and everything that passes by daily. I think the urge to create beautiful and tranquil surroundings for people has been a strong motivator. The understanding of the importance of design, and what it could lead to as it enhances the human senses.
We always start with a wide visual inspection of images that we feel attracted to, taking into account the project and requirements given by the Client. We try to create a fundamental idea, materialization, color, or it could be anything to build around strong principles to become a consistent design. This will all be shaped together with the progress on 2D drawings and floor plans, but at the same time, we are already investigating the overall influences rather quickly in 3D
Well, rather boring, I guess. For most of the (long) days, I’m staring at my computer screens. Of course, there is a variety of visits, meetings with Clients and companies. But for most of the time, I’m at the office.
I guess the fact that we mostly like to hide all technical parts, which almost requires a separate study and new detailing techniques, to be able to not see them. It sounds rather absurd, but to hide everything sometimes is more challenging than the installation itself. Though at the same time being honest about construction ways, and just purely showing them. It’s each time a well-found balance.
Just imagine that nothing is impossible, as long as your creative desire is there.
Hmm, that’s a hard one. Depends on the project and pieces, I guess. Could go in different directions. Though in most cases our work is read as minimal, to my own personal impression, I do not really agree.
In my study, for sure, some big Belgian names, like Van Duysen, for example. But also John Pawson, Poul Kjærholm, Zumthor, Rick Owens, Chipperfield, …
Many of the above. Also in the list: OOAA, Studio Ko, Hans Verstuyft, Marc Merckx, Nicolas Schuybroek, Nathalie Deboel, Francesco Balzano, Valeriane Lazard, Noro Khachatryan,…
Tranquil.
Tranquil and serene designs with a natural and warm materialisation that tries to impress the human senses and create a certain impression and calm atmosphere.
“Always stay true and hold on to your path.”
The Questions
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust.
Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde,
Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)
Waking up each morning with sunrises touches the white blankets and your skin.
Losing your beloved ones.
The enormous struggle to answer this.
Inefficiency sometimes.
Haha, can’t choose any of the bucket list.
Going crazy with holiday expenses.
Going crazy with holiday expenses.
Piety.
Honesty.
Caring aspect.
‘We shall see’.
Ability to always have a clear and peaceful mind – being chill.
My hair.
My young entrepreneurship and international relations.
A bird.
A sunny destination, close to mountains and a coastline.
My hands, without that I won’t be able to create.
Losing my life partner and my job.
Creating design and new ideas.
I guess my stubborn perseverance.
Loyalty and authenticity.
None, I’m sorry.
Don’t have any – no the biggest lover of fiction.
I look towards the future.
Mid-century and later designers who shaped the contemporary design landscape of today.
Don’t have any in particular, but mostly attracted to French ones.
Fakeness and imitations (be it things or human behaviour).
To not always.
Peaceful and surrounded by loved ones.
Always stay true and hold on to your path.
“The understanding of the importance of design, and what it could lead to as it enhances the human senses.”
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