My Houzz: With TLC, a Former Dutch Nursery Estate Blossoms
A family buys a run-down estate in the Netherlands and brings it back to life
Margot Hartford
January 19, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Interiors photographer in the Bay Area for over 15 years. Publications include Veranda, California Home & Design, Sunset Magazine and Better Homes and Gardens.
Houzz Contributor. Interiors photographer in the Bay Area for over 15 years. Publications... More
The town of Boskoop, in the Netherlands, is famous for its fruits, shrubs and perennials. Over 750 local nurseries still operate along strips of land separated by narrow canals. Historically, the nursery owners built grand homes on their properties while their employees lived in row houses across the street. One of these historic homes was purchased by Olaf Ooijevaar and Iris Bakker in 1992 and was badly in need of repair. “The plaque on the house reads ‘Huize Houtworm,’ which translates to ‘Woodworm Estate,’” Bakker says. “There were holes in the roof and woodworms everywhere.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Olaf Ooijevaar; Iris Bakker; daughters Kristal, 22, and Daphne, 20; and Irish setter Saar
Location: Boskoop, the Netherlands
Size: 2,100 square feet (195 square meters); three bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms
Property size: 2.2 acres (9,000 square meters)
Year built: 1910
A view of the house from the main road, showing the canal in front. A slender bridge connects the road to the driveway.
Who lives here: Olaf Ooijevaar; Iris Bakker; daughters Kristal, 22, and Daphne, 20; and Irish setter Saar
Location: Boskoop, the Netherlands
Size: 2,100 square feet (195 square meters); three bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms
Property size: 2.2 acres (9,000 square meters)
Year built: 1910
A view of the house from the main road, showing the canal in front. A slender bridge connects the road to the driveway.
The bright blue front door is located at the side of the house.
The neighboring piece of land is still owned and operated by commercial growers. A row of homes that were once workers’ cottages line the field.
A barn-like structure stands behind the house and is used for various social gatherings. “I like to have things used,” Bakker says. “We always let people use the shed for parties, meetings and events.”
BEFORE: The original main room of the house is now used as the dining room. Bakker retired the long dark curtains and added color to the walls.
AFTER: The walls are painted in several layers of varying shades of green paint. The color of the walls changes dramatically throughout the day.
Spoetnik 10-arm pendant: Ferrolight, Brink Light
Spoetnik 10-arm pendant: Ferrolight, Brink Light
Dandelions and other flowers from the garden create a colorful dining table centerpiece.
Saar, the family dog, rests after a run in the fields.
Natural light pours into the living room through tall, wide windows.
Sofa: Eurohome; blue chairs: de Bijenkorf
Sofa: Eurohome; blue chairs: de Bijenkorf
Ooijevaar made these ceramic tulips by hand. He uses a pottery kiln in the barn.
Tall pocket doors separate the dining room and the living room.
The glass cabinet in the living room is full of the family’s collections. Ooijevaar owns a 1973 Citroën that is similar in design to the white model car on the top shelf.
A Day of Freedom plate from the end of World War II is part of the couple’s collection of pottery.
Ooijevaar inherited these china cups and plates from his parents.
BEFORE: When the couple purchased the house in 1992, the kitchen was dull and dated.
AFTER: Today, the kitchen is a bright and welcoming space. The fridge is located under the counter and rolls out using the drawer pull.
An antique scale and containers are part of a family collection.
More antique containers line the open pantry cupboard. The majority came from Ooijevaar’s parents.
Lettering over the stove reads “Eigen Taart is Goud Waard,” which means “Your own cake is worth gold.”
A breakfast table and chairs sit along one wall in the kitchen. The black and white floor tiles spill out into the front hallway.
The door and windows are original to the house, and have been beautifully restored. An original light fixture has a place of prominence in the front hall.
The purple wall color in the hallway changes color as the natural light in the room changes, looking dark blue in the evening. Decorative details in the house, including the door frames and banister post, were painted to show off the flower shapes carved into the wood.
Bakker is seen here with Saar in the back of their property, where she built a secluded bench.
While renovating, the homeowners kept a scrapbook of the house, filled with “before” photos, notes and samples of the original wallpaper.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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So much to love here! The scrapbook, the color choices, the highlighted historical pieces are all outstanding. I was intrigued by the china. The cups on the right are similar in pattern to my husband's grandmother's Blue Danube pattern.