Stadsvilla te Haarlem

City villa in Haarlem

Do you know that moment when you enter a space that naturally looks harmonious and therefore feels comfortable? Where everything falls into place. And I'm not talking about the use of obviously expensive materials and high-end design pieces. Just by using surprising combinations, good quality basic pieces and correct positioning, you also create comfort... Effortless comfort.

With the renovation of this spacious city villa with garden, located a stone's throw from the Haarlemmer Hout, we wanted to capture exactly that 'Je ne sais quoi' feeling. These clients take their high-quality basic pieces and statement pieces with them from their previous home and want to build a home in the Netherlands, so that their children and now grandchildren, who live in Spain, can come and stay regularly.

A place where everyone enjoys informal get-togethers and can build new memories. The existing atmosphere was indeed stately, but rather introverted and felt closed. Each room was a space without interaction, that did not breathe.

The new layout is focused on the large garden. Sight lines, created by newly added interior doors and surprising breakthroughs, provide direct contact with the outside from every point of view. The house suddenly feels much more spacious and a natural route has been created. The position of the existing kitchen has been moved so that a conservatory could be created with many French doors. Sadness has turned into lightness. The house gets new oxygen.

The basis is formed by an oak floor with a Hungarian point, which beautifully accentuates the enormous size of the ground floor. However, the chosen dark shade still makes it feel intimate. The classic en-suite layout is reflected in bronze-look facades, made of the thinnest possible metal frames, which reach to the ceiling.

This gives natural light free rein. Clever breakthroughs provide a conservatory that runs entirely along the garden, all the way to the kitchen/diner. The furniture is limited to a few informal, but spacious basic pieces and statement pieces.

“Fashions fade, style is eternal,” Yves Saint Laurent said years ago.