Brussels is frequently written off as a grey and stuffy city. But for interior designer Michel Penneman, who rose to international fame after designing the Hotel Pantone in his hometown, the Belgian capital's appeal lies in the fact that it eludes classification.

'Brussels is interesting because it's a very eclectic city,' he says. While Paris is magnificent and coherent, Brussels is uneven, he admits, but it's a city of small jewels that pop up where you least expect them.