My Houzz: Eclectic Coastal Home in Holland
A Dutch designer couple blend old with new in their collected and reconstructed home
Nestled in the heart of South Holland’s popular seaside resort of Scheveningen is the home of young Dutch couple Sanne and Tim and their two-month-old son Tijn. This renovator’s dream home is a short stroll from the beach and a stone’s throw away from the harbor’s bustling bars and restaurants. When they purchased the property, it had been the victim of some rather interesting design choices and was screaming out for help. Tim, a commercial architect, and Sanne, an industrial designer, took on the entire reconstruction of the three-story home in May of this year. The only original parts of the home that remain are the outer walls and floors. The rest was completely remodeled by the design duo, who said it took about two days to come up with the initial design concept together.
When Tim first saw the house, it was anything but love at first sight. “It was very ugly, but I liked the space the house offered and the location for surfing. Also, it’s difficult to find homes in The Hague that have a garden or an outdoor space.” And, of course, the house had huge potential.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Sanne, Tim and their 2-month-old son, Tijn
Location: Scheveningen, South Holland
Size: The property is a 130 sq.-meter, three-story attached house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has a spacious kitchen/living area, dining room, separate laundry and a rooftop terrace.
When Tim first saw the house, it was anything but love at first sight. “It was very ugly, but I liked the space the house offered and the location for surfing. Also, it’s difficult to find homes in The Hague that have a garden or an outdoor space.” And, of course, the house had huge potential.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Sanne, Tim and their 2-month-old son, Tijn
Location: Scheveningen, South Holland
Size: The property is a 130 sq.-meter, three-story attached house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has a spacious kitchen/living area, dining room, separate laundry and a rooftop terrace.
One of the most striking features of the house is the floating staircase. It leads from the living room, located on the third floor, through the skylight in the ceiling and out to the rooftop terrace. It was originally added by the real estate company as a selling point and was created out of segments of the original staircase. The result is a uniquely functional feature that allows light to pour into the living room and enhances its size.
The original plan for the house was to split it into two homes, one that the couple would live in and one that they would rent out. “I thought about it for a couple of months, we bought it, and then we found out that Sanne was pregnant.” The couple then decided against splitting the building to have more space for themselves. They then had only a matter of months to renovate the property before the arrival of their son, who was born in August. “It was not completely planned, but it was fun,” they laugh.
The home’s interior is filled with items that Sanne and Tim have collected over the years. The couple describe the style of their home as samen geraapt, which is the Dutch word for "collected" or eclectic. Their design was inspired by their own possessions and the style of the house. The two wanted to create a space that tied all their belongings together with an equal balance between old and new.
The interior came together during the reconstruction process, and they found themselves changing their original ideas and opening themselves up to new ones. Tim says, “We would just try different things…feel the space. One design move led to another.”
The interior came together during the reconstruction process, and they found themselves changing their original ideas and opening themselves up to new ones. Tim says, “We would just try different things…feel the space. One design move led to another.”
The first item of furniture they bought together was their pre-loved brown leather Chesterfield sofa. Although it is visibly worn, it is their favorite piece of furniture. The most worn part of their sofa, where the previous owner obviously sat for years, is stylishly disguised by a sheepskin rug. “We like furniture that has character, a story,” say Tim and Sanne. The pair’s eye for style and their talent for finding pre-loved pieces with character have resulted in a cozy and eclectic home filled with old and new pieces that blend seamlessly.
Other favorite furniture items are the wooden ladder leaning against the wall amidst the couple’s book collection and the wooden chest beneath the bookshelves. Both items are the oldest furniture pieces that Sanne and Tim individually owned. The ladder, leftover from painters who were working in Tim’s parents’ garden years ago, was first used to help Tim to get into his college bed and has travelled with him ever since. “It’s the only piece that has gone everywhere with me since I was 17. It’s been everywhere, even on the train!”
The wooden chest belonged to Sanne’s parents, who brought the chest back from England on the roof of their Morris Minor. When they attempted to get onto the ferry to return to Holland, they realized that, thanks to the chest, the height of the car was too great. They subsequently had to release some air from the tires in order to fit it onto the boat. It was a gift to her when she moved out many years ago and is very dear to her heart.
A cluster of shelves has been cleverly created using repurposed stairs. The slightly weathered wood is precisely what gives this feature wall character.
The painted red wooden floor boards are a striking feature of the home. “We saw the red floors in a magazine when we were having lunch one day and we loved it immediately,” Sanne says. “At that moment, we decided we would have red floors. In fact, it was the first thing we decided upon, after having bought the couch.” Quite a daring color choice, but Sanne and Tim admit that the more people doubted their color choice, the more they were convinced to do it. While most of us would never dare to put paint to a brand new set of oak floorboards, this design duo was convinced. “Yep, we painted our really expensive, new, wooden floorboards…,” says Tim with a laugh. Given that, the floors do give the place a fun, contemporary look and set their place apart from the rest.
The kitchen was purchased at Ikea, but Sanne and Tim cleverly used large granite garden pavers as the countertops to minimize the expense. The result is not only fabulous but extremely durable, highly inexpensive and very different. The collection of contemporary artwork scattered throughout the house is Tim's work. The red painting in the kitchen was a graduation project.
The sliding doors that separate the kitchen and dining area were salvaged from a restoration project in Amsterdam and add character to the space.
“We use the space very well. We always eat in the dining room and watch TV in the bedroom. Most of our time is spent in the living room together.” The dining room table was created out of trestle legs and a top made of salvaged wooden panels. Paint was accidentally spilled on the table during the construction of the property, but Sanne and Tim feel it adds character. The mismatched collection of dining chairs, including an original Eames Eiffel chair and a rocker, are a whimsical and colorful addition to the light-filled dining space.
Like many of the furnishings, these fun pendant lights were purchased at a local thrift store. The varying colours, styles and heights add to the eclectic charm of the home's interior.
Tijn’s bedroom is also full of character. The wallpaper was designed by Sanne, who with her sister runs her own business, Muzus, a user-centered design agency designing with and for people. The wallpaper concept is called ‘MeerMuur’ (meaning, More Wall). MeerMuur is a personally designed wallpaper “connecting dreams with reality." It is designed to adapt to any desired print and to be completely tailor-made to fit any room and the specific wishes of the client. This particular design was inspired by the favorite animals of Sanne’s niece. Tijn’s cradle is a family heirloom. Each time a baby is born in the family, the cradle is outfitted and used for several months. The cradle is one of Sanne’s most treasured pieces of furniture.
The wallpaper is accented with quirky items, such as the green birdcage, made by the Muzus team, that plays lullabies. The original changing table was halved, sanded down, painted and mounted onto the wall. It's a unique and quirky addition to the room. If only we were all as thrifty as Sanne!
As in the rest of the house, Sanne and Tim's bedroom benefits from the large windows which allow plenty of natural light to stream in.
Pendant light fixture: Ikea
Pendant light fixture: Ikea
The bedside decoration was a graduation gift to Tim. The ancient brick is thousands of years old and is topped with bottles filled with symbols of the natural elements of earth, fire and water. The piece certainly makes an interesting alternative to a bedside lamp.
With sweeping views over the North Sea, the harbor, the lighthouse and Scheveningen’s iconic Kurhaus Hotel, the large rooftop terrace has huge potential. The couple plans to turn the pebbly surface into a grassy terrace to enjoy in the warmer months. Other future plans for the house include adding another layer of paint to the entire interior of the house and finishing off the bathrooms.
The greatest challenge for the couple during the reconstruction process was time. In addition, the contractors went bankrupt during the construction. “Our advice to others who are remodeling a home would be to get a good, reliable contractor, to be flexible enough to change your ideas during the process, and, of course, to be realistic about the timeframe. Just take your time, because it’s such a costly process.”
Next: See more Houzz Tours
The greatest challenge for the couple during the reconstruction process was time. In addition, the contractors went bankrupt during the construction. “Our advice to others who are remodeling a home would be to get a good, reliable contractor, to be flexible enough to change your ideas during the process, and, of course, to be realistic about the timeframe. Just take your time, because it’s such a costly process.”
Next: See more Houzz Tours