My Houzz: Soothing Neutrals Calm in an Airy Netherlands Home
This perfectly pale interior exudes tranquility and holiday charm with subtle touches of nature
A snowy white interior and a calming monochrome palette come together flawlessly in Guido and Aggy Hoogwerf‘s Netherlands home. The interior’s charming update was rolled out in stages, with the owners doing much of the work themselves. Guido, a brand manager, sought help from friends and family, including his late father, Wim. By removing walls, refinishing the floors and building their own custom furniture pieces, the owners created what Aggy, a teacher, calls “a real family home, built with love.”
“When we look at parts of our home, we know whose hands helped to create it,” she says. “And that makes this home extra special.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Guido and Aggy Hoogwerf and their daughter, Noor, 3
Location: Harderwijk, the Netherlands
Size: 125 square meters (1,346 square feet); 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and an attic
“When we look at parts of our home, we know whose hands helped to create it,” she says. “And that makes this home extra special.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Guido and Aggy Hoogwerf and their daughter, Noor, 3
Location: Harderwijk, the Netherlands
Size: 125 square meters (1,346 square feet); 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and an attic
Nordic influences abound in the accessories. Aggy crafted the pillowcase from a By Nord tea towel. The Christmas decorations were kept blissfully simple: An evergreen tree is sparsely adorned with white lights and copper-colored bunting from Tine K, while twinkling tea lights illuminate glass lanterns.
Lanterns: Tine K Home
Lanterns: Tine K Home
Guido and Aggy fit a small workspace behind the couch. Aiming for a subtle industrial feel, they dangled a construction lamp from the wall and repurposed an old painted ladder as a magazine rack.
Chair: Tolix; table lamp: Jieldé; vintage antlers: Marktplaats; wooden hand: Hay; print: Houtprints; medical box: Hema
Chair: Tolix; table lamp: Jieldé; vintage antlers: Marktplaats; wooden hand: Hay; print: Houtprints; medical box: Hema
Guido built the modular TV unit that runs most of the length of the living room. This is the family’s favorite spot in the house. It’s where they watch TV together and where Aggy reads to her daughter every night.
Aggy likes foraging for beautiful branches and twigs. One is tucked in a vase and decorated with star pendants that she crafted from clay. Behind it sits another of her DIY projects: a painted wood panel with pine trees designed to match the home’s black and white palette.
Washable paper bag: Uashmama; sheepskin: Ikea; blanket: Cross Blanket, Piawallén
Aggy likes foraging for beautiful branches and twigs. One is tucked in a vase and decorated with star pendants that she crafted from clay. Behind it sits another of her DIY projects: a painted wood panel with pine trees designed to match the home’s black and white palette.
Washable paper bag: Uashmama; sheepskin: Ikea; blanket: Cross Blanket, Piawallén
Aggy set the perfect Nordic winter scene by combining rustic wood elements with pure white decorations. Subtle sparkle is achieved with luminarias and an illuminated wooden star. Aggy cut the found branches to equal lengths and attached the ends with string. To give the dark branches a pale look, she diluted white paint with water and applied this whitewash to the wood. Once the star was dry, she wrapped it with lights.
Luminarias: Candlebag
Luminarias: Candlebag
When the family moved into the house, there was a small walk-in pantry tucked under the stairs. They tore down the wall and door to open up the space. It’s now a play and craft nook for Noor. Guido made the table, and Aggy made the advent calendar for Noor using small treat bags.
Floor lamp: Signal, Jieldé
Floor lamp: Signal, Jieldé
On a sunny day, the incoming light accentuates the warm patina of the wooden plank floor. “When we bought the house, the floor was another hue — more honey brown,” says Aggy. “We sandpapered it and used a white-gray wax to give it a more rustic and distressed look.”
The couple installed the glossy white kitchen with help from their friends and family. After moving and lowering the dividing wall to enlarge the sitting room, they remodeled the kitchen with a Smeg stove and Siemens electrical appliances. The countertop is a black composite material.
The couple installed the glossy white kitchen with help from their friends and family. After moving and lowering the dividing wall to enlarge the sitting room, they remodeled the kitchen with a Smeg stove and Siemens electrical appliances. The countertop is a black composite material.
Aggy and Guido wanted the kitchen to be functional, homey and comfortable. The dining table takes center stage; on one side there are mismatched chairs, and on the other side there’s a bench. Says Aggy, “When we have friends or family over for dinner, we spend all night at this table.”
High chair: Tripp Trapp, Stokke
High chair: Tripp Trapp, Stokke
Even though the many cabinets provide enough storage space, Aggy likes to display her favorite tabletop and cooking supplies on an open shelf. “At the Dutch home decor fair, my creativity was sparked by a model kitchen where they used a rod to hang cutting boards and pots and pans,” she says. “I copied the idea with three branches.”
Cutting board: HK Living; bamboo basket: Tine K Home; black and white cups: Ikea
Cutting board: HK Living; bamboo basket: Tine K Home; black and white cups: Ikea
At night, the kitchen is lit up by subtle sparkles of twinkling tea lights in crystal votives and by a string of light balls dangling down the wall.
An open shelf displays Aggy’s collections of ceramics and turban cake molds. Beneath it is more holiday greenery and handmade accents.
Luminarias: Candlebag; deer tray: Ikea; mugs: Tine K Home
Luminarias: Candlebag; deer tray: Ikea; mugs: Tine K Home
A brown teak cabinet was painted black and embellished with a small moss wreath. Leaning against it is a tree branch Aggy used to support a lamp she bought at a local home improvement store.
Crisp white-painted stairs lead past a wooden star to the bedrooms. “I’m in love with the white paint we used throughout the whole house. It’s not too cool,” says Aggy. Guido plastered all the walls himself.
Paint: Histor 6400; wooden star: Tine K Home
Paint: Histor 6400; wooden star: Tine K Home
In daughter Noor’s room, the proud parents carefully edited her toys and furniture to create a fun yet calm space.
Aggy and Guido repurposed two apple crates into an open shelf storage space to hold and display Noor’s books and toys.
The black and white scheme continues in the master bedroom, which is furnished with just a bed and end table. Guido made the headboard; a vintage apple crate serves as a nightstand. “I’m a big fan of using crates,” Aggy says. “They are rustic, robust and add warmth to the black and white palette.”
Duvet: Hema; lamps: Ikea
Duvet: Hema; lamps: Ikea
In a corner of the bedroom, Aggy’s love for stars is evident in a star-covered wall and an Amish barn star handmade from recycled barn roofing. A vintage suitcase she found at a flea market holds her knickknacks.
Amish barn star: Hudson River; star print rug (folded): By Zenz
Amish barn star: Hudson River; star print rug (folded): By Zenz
Guido and his late father, Wim, and Aggy’s brother, Vincent, renovated the entry hall. They put in new window and door frames, raised the ceiling and built in extra custom storage. A newly plastered white wall is spruced up by black and white family photos.
Aggy embellished the wreath on the front door with decorative white balls. She shares her love for interior decorating and styling on her blog.
The house was definitely a team effort. “Our whole family and all our friends helped to transform it into the home it is now,” Aggy says. “Everything was remodeled, painted and handmade with love. We hold so many nice memories just from working together to get it done.”
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More: 17 Ways to Brighten a Holiday Home, Scandinavian Style
Comfort and charm are important to the couple. Natural textures and pale hues set the interior’s tone, creating a calm and cozy feel.
Pillow with trees: Fine Little Day