17
INSIDER PICKS IN SAINT-GILLES
(and a few just outside)
by graphic designer and The Paper Goods founder, Lisbeth Antoine.
“With The Paper Goods, I’m on a mission to bring back the art of handwritten notes and gently nudge people towards more meaningful connections. In my graphic design practice I try to stay away from trends. I’m interested in longevity. I want brands to age well — like fine wine.”
The Papergoods is a stationery brand dedicated to the art of personal correspondence. With beautifully packaged, personalised, high-quality stationery sets, designed to elevate the writing experience. An elegant reminder of handwritten notes and formal name cards. “It started from both desire and frustration,” Lisbeth notes. “The desire for true connection and a mindful moment. The frustration that we communicate more than ever, yet say less. Everything is fast, disposable, forgettable. Handwritten communication is radical today; it requires time, vulnerability, and presence. It’s not about being old-fashioned, it’s about making intimacy personal again through a modern aesthetic. Instead of sending a quick emoji while you’re struggling behind a screen, it’s about sitting still to actually write your thoughts down.”
→ @the_papergoods
In her graphic work for clients such as Misera in Antwerp and Batch in Brussels, she helps brands build a visual language that feels both timeless and contemporary.
“I often start from archives, old signage, or forgotten typographic references, reinterpreting them with modern clarity. It’s about creating something familiar without literal nostalgia. I call it emotional continuity.”
"When everything becomes digital, the physical becomes more precious;Every generation searches for authenticity. I don’t think the new generation is nostalgic for the past but rather in search of something real. I feel lucky to have experienced a childhood before the internet. That slower rhythm was valuable. Everyone should have time away from the digital world. And nostalgia is not always about memory. Sometimes it’s about imagination. I think collecting objects, magazines or vintage pieces is a form of resistance to speed and noise. I miss the days of stacking magazines and cutting them apart to make collages. Seeing something printed still feels like bliss.”
"Brands today need to function across many formats and platforms, so thinking in systems rather than one fixed logo is essential. A strong identity is a flexible toolkit: a core wordmark, secondary versions, symbols, typography, colour, photography and motion. It needs to work on social media, in animation, on packaging and in physical spaces.The paradox is that this obsession with adaptability has also made design more generic I think.The strongest brands are the ones that remain recognisable even when they change. That requires courage, because it means accepting a certain level of inconsistency. Most brands are still afraid of that. This is why photography and visual storytelling are so important. Everything needs to work together within a larger narrative. I actually enjoy these constraints. They force clarity.”
I’m nostalgic for beauty and slowness. When I walk in cities like Rome or Vienna, I’m in awe of the architecture, the ornamentation, the details, or the hand-painted signage. It sometimes makes me wonder whether we are moving forward or backwards. Technology is important, but it’s not everything. I’m longing for a time when graphic design was more tactile. Paper, ink, texture, printing techniques. It’s less about the past itself and more about the physicality and emotional depth that sometimes feels missing today.”
"Saint Gilles feels like a little village.You know the people.And everything is close-by."
01.
“Lunches at Bautier are amazing. A very cosy quiet place down the Parc, of furniture designer Marine Bautier, with a beautiful selection of books and homeware."
→ @marinabautier
02.
“BELGA Coffee on Avenue Brugmann is my daily stop."
→ Belga Coffee - Brugmannlaan 2
03.
““My main coffee supplier is Mayabro Coffee Roasters, just down my street. They roast and brew the best coffee."
→ Mayabro Coffee Roasters - Villalaan 3
→ @mayabrocoffee
09.
"Then dinner at my absolute favorite; Toki Doki, a small quint restaurant serving the best post-grandmother style food. Chef’s kiss!"
→ Toki Doki - Alsembergsesteenweg 128
10.
"For shopping, I love Le Typographe, obviously, for paper and stationery. Very dangerous for me."
→ le typographe - Amerikaansestraat 67
→ @letypographe_be
13.
"For special occasions I love Brasseries Georges,an art deco seafood classic. "
→ Brasserie Georges - Winston Churchillaan 259
14.
"Bistrot de quartier; Great wines, great food."
16.
"Herboristeres les Simples, I love making homemade remedies and she has the best spices, herbal teas and essential oils."
→ Herboristes les Simples - Taminesstraat 3
17.
"A hidden gem in Brussels (not in Saint-Gilles) is the Tournay Solvay Parc next to the hippodrome, very cute and peaceful to lie and picnic under the apple trees in summer.”