Villa Ter Ide - Machelen-aan-de-leie

Villa "Les Zéphyrs", formerly known as "Villa Ide" is part of the immovable heritage and was built in Anglo-Norman style.

The villa was originally built in 1924 for the Ide family, who were involved in the textile industry.

The villa in surrounding garden, built circa 1925 and striking for its overhanging hipped roof on a high brick block, has a raised ground floor accessible via an external staircase with a platform and small windows with white-red shutters, on the upper floor immediately adjoining the roof.

Constant Permeke , a prominent figure in the Flemish Expressionist art movement, lived here with his family from 1929 to 1948. The house offered him the peace and inspiration he needed for his art.

In the garden of villa 'Ter Ide' there is a beautiful monumental red beech tree . The tree dates from the 1920s. The villa was built in 1925. Most likely, the red beech was planted shortly after the construction of the villa. After all these years, the beech has become as monumental as the villa.

Today (2024) the villa is used as an art studio by painter Martin Wallaert. Large galleries in Belgium are not for him. He paints for himself. In fact, he only sells a painting if the buyer likes him . Actually he is a non-commercial painter. Moreover, he still uses oil paint, the authentic painting method. A painting job takes about a month, because the paint must constantly fossilize.

Willem Vandenameele