As a design supervisor, Marielle van Buuren-Broos appreciates how important it is to operate with good designers. After she and her husband, Douwe, began building their dream home, they hired the experience of Delft, Netherlands, interior designers Tessa Weerdenburg and Nathalie Fransen of Nu interieur | ontwerp. “I have my own thoughts, but for every subject there are specialists, and working collectively provides additional inspiration,” states Marielle. With the support of the designers, the couple succeeded in developing a cozy and practical home to talk to their three young kids.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Douwe and Marielle van Buuren and their 3 kids,Tijn (5), Do (4), and Maxime (7 weeks)
Location: Maasland, the Netherlands
Size: Around 250 square meters (approximately 2,690 square feet); 5 bedrooms, two bathrooms

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Thick black steel doors handmade by Dutch fencing maker Mosterd Sierhekken greet visitors. The doorways help give the home that feeling of character that Marielle loves and therefore are Weerdenburg’s favorite part of the open-plan design.

The few previously lived at a very old, historic home. They had to update to give their growing family more space, but Marielle didn’t want to compromise too much on character when it came to the design.

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Contemporary furniture with clean lines and simple silhouettes, together with a few key classic pieces, like the service cupboard in the kitchen, give a modern nation aesthetic to the interior.

Table: Keijzer & Co

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The kitchen includes solid wood open shelving to display collected accessories. Polished cement flooring and metal bar stools give the space a subtle industrial twist. The couple opted for leather grips in their own cabinets, designed by Weerdenburg and Fransen.

Since the place is so enormous, the kitchen has been a surprisingly difficult space to style. “The client wanted a huge country kitchen were she can cook and enjoy time with her kids,” Weerdenburg states. “It looks like there is a good deal of space, however there are actually just two walls to set the kitchen benches.”

Cabinet manages: Nu interieur | ontwerp; kitchen stool: Ikea
Flooring: Dirk Versteeg from ‘De Drie Keersen’

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The entrance hall leads to the family’s clean-lined and soothing dining room. Together with the kitchen sprawling off to the right and the living area to the left, the area comes with an airy and spacious feel.

Lamp: Tierelantijn

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The couple’s previous home was pretty small, therefore Marielle really wanted to make an open space for the kids to play in and for comfortably interesting guests.

A white minimalist leaning wooden shelf exhibits family photos, and a wooden motorcycle rocker exudes the family’s effortlessly stylish aesthetic.

Children’s dining chairs: Ikea; photo rack: VT Wonen

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Linen upholstered dining chairs soften the clean, modern lines of the oversize table.

Chairs: Loods5

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Marielle did lots of furniture. “She combined our guidance with her own thoughts and did most of the purchasing herself, occasionally prompted by us,” Weerdenburg states. They worked together to combine brand new designer furniture with affordable vintage finds.

The big Diesel Collection linen sofa by Italian design firm Moroso is the household’s favorite piece of furniture, as it is big enough to seat the entire family. The cognac leather sofa is by Natuzzi. “I purchased it over 10 years back, but still love it. The plan and leather material is classic,” Marielle states.

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The couple’s design aesthetic can be inspired by the interiors of Mama Shelter at Paris, Ace Hotel at New York, Bliss Hotel at Breda and restaurants like Mazzo at Amsterdam and Merci-Merci at Paris.

Wool rug: Custom created by Carpetta

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A built-in fireplace in the living space, with a nook for new firewood, provides a feeling of coziness during the cooler months. The family loves to gather here through arctic winters.

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The first floor of the house is a designated children’s flooring that includes three bedrooms, a guest room plus a bathroom. The couple’s younger kid’s bedroom is a soothing oasis of pale pinks and whites.

This vintage charcoal gray bench adds comparison to the neutral setting.

Rug: Millinge, Ikea

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The older daughter loves a cozy little sleeping nook, created using some of the guest room next door. Cupboards along the base of the mattress provide storage.

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The older kid’s room includes a white, white, red and charcoal-gray color scheme. The main furnishings and neutral background mean the colour palette can mature with her. A repurposed wooden cage stores reading novels on a built-in desk.

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There’s no sneaking toothbrushes in the family, because each of the van Buuren kids have a designated bathroom cabinet and vanity. The bright reddish rolling locker cabinets make daily hygiene jobs more fun.

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The son’s space has an Americana look with a colour scheme of navy, red and white. A bamboo ladder is the best perch for a stuffed bunny friend.

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The master bedroom, on the third floor, is bathed in a great deal of natural light. It is a soothing space for the few to unwind in from the children’s rooms on the second floor.

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Douwe is a avid reader of publications and loves taking into the tub with him, therefore a magazine stand in the entrance of the couple’s private bathroom was a smart inclusion.

“The top floor has been the hardest part of the design procedure, since the walls are slanted,” Weerdenburg states. “We wanted to make a space that was livable and spacious, although not so small that Marielle and Douwe would have to duck their heads.” Smart solutions were invented for all areas of the bathroom, including shelving units for toiletries.

Magazine stand: Puhlmann

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High ceilings allow lots of natural light to stream in the bathroom, making a fast dip in the tub a truly relaxing experience. His-and-her basins face each other, plus a massive rain shower is off to the right.

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Designed by architect Jan Robijn of Z Wonen and constructed by Dutch construction firm Tizo, the household’s home unites Marielle’s love of historic architecture with Douwe’s taste for a modern, recently constructed home. “It was a very good alternative for both of us,” states Marielle.

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“Working together with the household was a breeze,” states Weerdenburg. “They were open to our thoughts, even though they already knew exactly what they wanted. We provided solutions to their thoughts, and Marielle actually ran with it.”

With a background of forest and water behind the house, ample space for the kids to run around plus also a home that combines the old with the new, the van Buurens could not be happier with their property.

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