How I live: Sarah Vanwelden

Belgian multi-hyphenate Sarah Vanwelden found her current apartment in an early-1900s townhouse in Antwerp South. On moving in, she struck a deal with the salon-owners below for first refusal if they were ever to sell. When they eventually did, the ground-floor space became the perfect location for Newchild, the contemporary art gallery Vanwelden co-founded with friends in 2019.

After the gallery renovation was complete, Vanwelden commissioned local interior architects Studio Contekst to update her apartment upstairs. She admired their optimistic energy, and together they designed a coffee table on wheels called the Toba, which draws on the sculptural architecture of Lanzarote legend César Manrique. It integrates storage, making it a hard-working piece for the apartment sitting room.

The Toba table by Vanwelden and Studio Contekst. Photography: Piet Albert-Goethals.

In some ways, Vanwelden imagines her home as an extension of the gallery, where collectors can experience art in a domestic setting. ‘It was conceived with the same level of curatorial curiosity or precision as we would an exhibition in the gallery,’ she says, ‘but on a much more personal level.’ Ahead of Newchild’s winter exhibition, running until 29 January 2026, we took a peek into Vanwelden’s creative world.

What does home mean to you?
It is a safe place, a place to retreat from the outside, but also a place to be creative, to feel inspired, to display a collection, to be a reflection of one’s self, and a place to host. When you travel as much as I do, you want to come home in a place that is a perfect representation of your personality.

What was the philosophy for your apartment design?
Having worked for Axel Vervoordt, I had also realised that his type of interior would not be for me. I like brightness, airiness and playfulness. I like the idea of walking in and immediately having a smile on your face.

What are some of the more special pieces you live with, the pieces that enhance your everyday life?
A fountain painting by Yoo Geun-Taek is in my living room, and is the first thing I see when I arrive home. It was part of our very first exhibition at Newchild Gallery, so holds a special place in my heart and reminds me of how far we’ve come. There’s also a Bernini desk which came from my dad’s practice — a beautiful walnut desk with leather inlay, quite monumental but elegant. My dad passed away a few years ago and this desk always reminds me of him, his work ethic, his kindness and his intelligence.

I also love the pink Trone toilet combined with the Ryan Belli loo-roll holder. I wanted my toilet to be bold, and a bit bonkers.

Tell us about your custom, pink-marble bath.
Studio Contekst came up with this idea of a rotating pink-marble wall that could close off the bathroom from the bedroom, or open it up, depending on your mood. I personally love taking baths, the element of self-care and retreating from the outside world. It is sunken into this sea of marble and with so much space around the bath, it’s almost like a huge marble table to put things on — like a glass of wine, a computer, a book, a cup of tea.

The pink-marble wall separating Vanwelden’s bedroom from the bath. Photography: Piet Albert-Goethals.

If you could live in any building around the world, which would it be?
For one of my jobs I did a lot of research into historical houses and I came across the Monkton House in West Sussex. It belonged to a wealthy gentleman, a patron of the arts, who made Salvador Dali famous. He transformed his entire house into the visionary world of the surrealists.

I also love the Cosmic House by Charles Jencks, in London. A childhood dream was always to live in one of those 17th-century Italian villas adorned with beautiful frescos and surrounded by incredible gardens. I’d love to live in the Villa Rotonda by Palladio for example.