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My Houzz: Country-Chic Dutch Family Home
An organizer lightens up a dark 1970s farmhouse on a Netherlands tomato farm with open space and soothing shades of gray
Hello! I am a contributor for Houzz, writer and interior stylist based in the Netherlands. Always in search of beauty in all forms, I founded my lifestyle blog Avenue to satisfy my thirst for design and lifestyle inspiration. I am the loving mother of a beautiful little girl called Lola, and the adoring fiancé of a handsome Dutchman.
Hello! I am a contributor for Houzz, writer and interior stylist based... More »
Everything about this 1970s house was brown at first. "The floors, the walls, the ceiling. Everything was brown,” Manon van Niel says. When she and her husband, Ruud, bought a tomato farm in Westland, the Netherlands, they weren't sure they wanted to live in the outdated house that came as part of the property. But through a six-month renovation, Manon, a professional organizer, transformed the house into a light-filled, contemporary space her family is now happy to call home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Manon and Ruud van Niel and their 2 daughters, Quinty and Sterre
Location: Westland, the Netherlands
Size: 220 square meters (2,368 square feet); 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, studio space
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Manon and Ruud van Niel and their 2 daughters, Quinty and Sterre
Location: Westland, the Netherlands
Size: 220 square meters (2,368 square feet); 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, studio space
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by Holly Marder
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| Space was the priority during this renovation, so the family bumped out the dining room for extra space and light in the living room. “In the six years we have lived here, my style has changed a lot,” Manon says. Her country-chic style combines design aesthetics from classical to contemporary. To help organize her newly expanded space, Manon layered in large statement pieces against a neutral color palette. Sofas: Kivik, Ikea |
by Holly Marder
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A warm shade of gray, white highlights and pale oak floors provide a warm welcome.
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A set of Moroccan lanterns contrasts with a large country-style cabinet the couple bought when they were newlyweds. Over the years, Manon gave the storage unit a pretty and practical update by painting the pinewood a clean white and adding shelves.
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| The living room furniture is arranged for cozy television viewing around a potbelly stove. An authentic longhorn cow skull from Fort Worth, Texas, hangs above the stove. The item was brought back from one of many trips the Dutch family takes to the United States. |
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| Manon chose a dramatic black as the accent color in the dining room. New, large windows open up the room, and floor-to-ceiling curtains make the ceiling look higher. |
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| “Every two years I paint the walls, because my style keeps changing,” Manon says. It's hard to imagine the house with its original brown carpeting, walls and ceilings. This view from the new dining room addition shows where a wall separating the kitchen from the living room was knocked out. |
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| Shadows from pendant lights that Manon made from inexpensive baskets add texture to the streamlined kitchen. |
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| The couple's 8-year-old daughter, Sterre, loves her feminine bedroom of pale pink, floral prints and lace accents. Dutch company Wood Fever built this custom bed for Sterre, with built-in storage drawers beneath the mattress and wardrobes on both ends. Manon painted the wood paneling white. Bedding: Pip; Calamine, Farrow & Ball |
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The couple's 13-year-old daughter, Quinty, has an equally feminine bedroom that reflects her love of blue. Quinty battled cancer at a very young age, and after she finished her treatments, Manon gave her room a new look as a symbol of a fresh start.
The vintage chandelier was a thrift store purchase, which Manon updated with paint and tiny fabric-covered lampshades.
Bed: Leirvik, Ikea
The vintage chandelier was a thrift store purchase, which Manon updated with paint and tiny fabric-covered lampshades.
Bed: Leirvik, Ikea
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| The family's home office has enough space for the girls to do their homework and for Manon and Ruud to use it as a workspace. |
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| The high-contrast master bedroom features two striking photographs from Cambodia taken by Manon's cousin, a travel guide and photographer. When the couple hosted a going-away party for her, she thanked them by allowing them to choose two of her photographs to have printed onto canvas. Paint color: Oval Room Blue, Farrow & Ball; pendants: Candledrops, Zuiver |
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An accent wall of black patterned wallpaper adds contrast and texture, and helps the wall-mounted TV to blend into the background.
Manon treasures the white antique dresser she inherited from her grandmother. A spacious walk-in wardrobe lies behind the white shutter doors.
Manon treasures the white antique dresser she inherited from her grandmother. A spacious walk-in wardrobe lies behind the white shutter doors.
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To make more room in the master bathroom, the couple opened the original slanted ceiling and added a dividing wall in the middle of the room, with the shower on one side and the toilet on the other.
Simple Ikea cabinets are used as his-and-her sink vanities, although the couple plans to replace them soon.
Simple Ikea cabinets are used as his-and-her sink vanities, although the couple plans to replace them soon.
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| Westland is known as the produce and flower region of South Holland. Large potted trees line the greenhouse, where the family grows tomatoes. A large studio space sits off the courtyard, between the house and the greenhouse. |
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Manon exercises her creative energy in this black and white studio, complete with a kitchenette. Here she creates items for the home, such as cushions, clothes, gifts and accessories for the girls’ rooms.
As a professional organizer with her own business, Organize Your House, Manon also holds workshops here.
As a professional organizer with her own business, Organize Your House, Manon also holds workshops here.
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| On the exterior, immaculate garden beds of lavender and mondo grass pair with tidy paving. In this image, you can see the dining room extension. |
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| The family has a swimming pool in the front yard, a rarity in the Netherlands. |
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Here's Manon, at home in her living room. The house has come a long way since she first stepped onto the property six years ago, but now, she says, "I love it here!”
See more photos of the van Niel home
Houzz Call: Have you recently renovated your home? We'd love to see it.
See more photos of the van Niel home
Houzz Call: Have you recently renovated your home? We'd love to see it.
Ideabook published on July 25, 2012.
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