Nestled in the center 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 from the harbor’s bustling bars and restaurants. When they bought the property, it’d become the victim of some rather interesting design options and was crying out for assistance. Tim, a commercial architect, also Sanne, a commercial designer, took on the whole renovation of their three-story home in May of the year. The only original areas of the home that stay are the outer walls and floors. The remainder was completely remodeled by the design duo, who said it took approximately two days to think of the initial design concept together.
When Tim first saw the house, it had been anything but love in first sight. “It was very awful, but I enjoyed the distance the house offered and the location for surfing. Additionally, it’s difficult to locate homes in The Hague that have a garden or an outdoor space.” And, needless to say, the house had huge potential.
in 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.
Holly Marder
One of the most striking features of this house is the floating stairs. It leads in the living space, situated on the third floor, through the skylight in the ceiling and outside to the rooftop terrace. It was originally inserted by the real estate business as a selling point and was made out of sections of the original staircase. The result is a uniquely functional feature that allows light to pour into the living space and enriches its size.
Holly Marder
The initial plan for the house was supposed 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 few months, we purchased it, and then we discovered that Sanne was pregnant.” The couple then decided against dividing the building to get more room for themselves. They then had only a matter of months to renovate the property before the arrival of the son, who had been born in August. “It was not entirely intended, but it had been fun,” they laugh.
Holly Marder
The house’s interior is filled with items that Sanne and Tim have collected over the years. The few describe the style of their residence as samen geraapt, which is the word for”collected” or eclectic. Their design was motivated by their own possessions along with the style of the house. The two needed to create an area that tied all their possessions together with an equal balance between new and old.
The interior came together during the renovation process, and they found themselves changing their initial ideas and opening themselves up to new ones. Tim states,”We would just try different things…feel the distance. 1 design movement led to another.”
Holly Marder
The very first item of furniture that they bought together was that their pre-loved brown leather Chesterfield sofa. Even though it is clearly worn, it is their favorite part of furniture. The most used part of the couch, in which the previous owner obviously sat for years, is disguised by means of a sheepskin rug. “We like furniture that has character, a narrative,” say Tim and Sanne. The pair’s eye for style as well as their talent for finding pre-loved bits with character have resulted in a comfy and eclectic home filled with new and old pieces that blend effortlessly.
Holly Marder
Other preferred furniture items are the wooden ladder leaning against the wall amidst the couple’s book collection as well as the wooden chest underneath the bookshelves. Both items are the earliest furniture pieces that Sanne and Tim individually owned. The ladder, leftover from painters that were working in Tim’s parents’ backyard years back, was first utilized to help Tim to get into his college bed, and it has travelled with him ever since. “It is the only piece that has gone everywhere with me since I was 17. It’s been everywhere, even on the train!”
Holly Marder
The wooden chest belonged to Sanne’s parents, who attracted the chest back from England on the roof of the 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 in the tires in order to fit it onto the boat. It was a present to her when she moved out several years back and is very dear to her heart.
Holly Marder
A bunch of shelves was cleverly created using repurposed staircase. The slightly weathered timber is exactly what gives this attribute wall character.
Holly Marder
The painted red wooden floor boards are a striking feature of the home. “We saw the reddish floors in a magazine once we were having lunch one day and we loved it instantly,” Sanne states. “At the moment, we decided we would have reddish floors. In fact, it had been the very first thing we decided upon, after having purchased the sofa.” Quite a bold color choice, however Sanne and Tim admit the more people doubted their color choice, the more they have been convinced to do it. Although the majority of us would never dare to put paint into a brand new pair of pine floorboards, this design duo was convinced. “Yep, we painted our really costly, new, wooden floorboards…,” states Tim with a laugh. Given the floors do give the area a fun, contemporary look and place their place apart from the rest.
Holly Marder
The kitchen was bought at Ikea, however Sanne and Tim cleverly utilized big granite counter tops as the counters to minimize the cost. The result is not only fantastic but exceptionally durable, exceptionally inexpensive and very distinct. The group of contemporary artwork scattered throughout the house is Tim’s work. The reddish painting from the kitchen was a collaboration project.
Holly Marder
The sliding doors that separate the dining and kitchen area were salvaged from a restoration job in Amsterdam and add character to the room.
Holly Marder
“We utilize the space very nicely. We always eat at the dining room and watch TV from the bedroom. Most of our time is invested at the living room together.” The dining room table was made out of trestle legs and a top made of salvaged wooden panels. Paint was spilled on the desk during the construction of the property, however Sanne and Tim believe it adds character. The mismatched selection of dining chairs, including an original Eames Eiffel seat along with a rocker, really are a whimsical and colorful addition to the light-filled dining room.
Holly Marder
Like lots of the furnishings, all these fun pendant lights have been bought at a local thrift shop. The varying colors, styles and heights add to the eclectic charm of the property’s interior.
Holly Marder
Tijn’s bedroom can also be full of character. The background was designed by Sanne, who with her sister runs her own company, Muzus, a user-centered design agency designing with and for people. The background concept is known as’MeerMuur’ (meaning, More Wall). MeerMuur is a personally designed background”linking dreams with reality.” It’s designed to adapt to almost any desired print and to be entirely tailor-made to fit any room and the specific wishes of their customer. This particular design was motivated by the favored animals of Sanne’s niece. Tijn’s cradle is a family heirloom. Every time a baby is born from the family, the cradle is outfitted and employed for many months. The cradle is just one of Sanne’s most treasured parts of furniture.
Holly Marder
The background is highlighted with unique items, like the green birdcage, made by the Muzus group, that plays lullabies. The initial changing table was halved, sanded painted and mounted onto the wall. It is a distinctive and unique addition to the space. If we were all as thrifty as Sanne!
Holly Marder
As in the rest of the house, Sanne and Tim’s bedroom benefits from the big windows which allow plenty of natural light to flow in.
Pendant lighting fixture: Ikea
Holly Marder
The bedside decoration was a graduation present to Tim. The early brick is thousands of years old and can be topped with bottles filled with symbols of the natural elements of earth, fire and water. The piece certainly makes an intriguing alternative to a bedside lamp.
Holly Marder
With sweeping views over the North Sea, the harbor, the lighthouse and also Scheveningen’s iconic Kurhaus Hotel, the huge rooftop terrace has huge potential. The couple plans to turn the pebbly surface into a grassy terrace to enjoy in the warmer months. Other potential plans for your house include adding another layer of paint to the whole interior of the house and finishing off the bathrooms.
The best challenge for the few during the renovation process had been time. Additionally, the contractors went bankrupt during the construction. “Our advice to others that are remodeling a home is to find a great, dependable contractor, to be flexible enough to alter your ideas during the procedure, and, of course, to be sensible about the timeframe. Take your time, as it’s such a costly procedure.”
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