My Houzz: Art Nouveau Elegance in the Netherlands
Traditional style gets period flair with a host of treasured antiques, given breathing room by graceful additions
Once their children were old enough, art-loving couple Carla and Rinus van Lier reserved their Saturdays in the Netherlands for visiting museums and browsing nearby Belgian antiques shops and fairs. They fell in love with the art nouveau period and have since curated their home with century-old pieces.
In need of more space for their growing collection, the couple recently worked with the general contractors at Bouwbedrijf Baten to punch out their living room by 65 square feet and add an antiques-filled 377-square-foot sunroom that better connects the home with their well-manicured classical-style garden.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Carla and Rinus van Lier
Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Size: 200 square meters (2,150 square feet); 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
In need of more space for their growing collection, the couple recently worked with the general contractors at Bouwbedrijf Baten to punch out their living room by 65 square feet and add an antiques-filled 377-square-foot sunroom that better connects the home with their well-manicured classical-style garden.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Carla and Rinus van Lier
Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Size: 200 square meters (2,150 square feet); 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
The sunroom addition incorporated 377 square feet of the backyard. French doors and windows on three sides connect the space with the garden.
The couple filled the room with antiques, including a framed Chinese art piece and a mahogany English cabinet. On the windowsill is a pair of tomb ornaments from Sumba, Indonesia.
The couple filled the room with antiques, including a framed Chinese art piece and a mahogany English cabinet. On the windowsill is a pair of tomb ornaments from Sumba, Indonesia.
On warm days the couple leaves the French doors open for a seamless indoor-outdoor space. The chandelier has different-colored crystal beads attached to a brass decorative base.
Chandelier: tricolor crystal, Berry Swinkels Antiek
Chandelier: tricolor crystal, Berry Swinkels Antiek
Carla and Rinus enjoy using their "garden room" to host family and friends for meals and bridge games. While the space has floor heating, they added a French sandstone fireplace from 't Achterhuis to keep the aesthetic in line with the rest of the house.
Accessories follow this thinking, too. A 20th-century white marble Marianne bust dresses up the antique mantel.
Accessories follow this thinking, too. A 20th-century white marble Marianne bust dresses up the antique mantel.
All aspects of the interiors are meant to express warmth, like the antique Spanish cherrywood coffee table, antique French crystal chandelier and olive-colored walls.
Blue and white delftware tiles originally surrounded the fireplace in the seating area. During the renovation, the couple added deep molding and had the frame painted a glossy white to contrast the olive walls.
Wall paint: Drab No. 41, Farrow & Ball; chandelier, coffee table: Berry Swinkels Antiek; oil painting: "Prinses," by Martin van Wordragen
Blue and white delftware tiles originally surrounded the fireplace in the seating area. During the renovation, the couple added deep molding and had the frame painted a glossy white to contrast the olive walls.
Wall paint: Drab No. 41, Farrow & Ball; chandelier, coffee table: Berry Swinkels Antiek; oil painting: "Prinses," by Martin van Wordragen
Square windows on most sides of the house throw daylight on the many chandeliers. Two tall art deco table lamps with polished metal bases contrast with a 1925 green bronze patinated statue by Alexandre Ouline, called "Ambivalent Lady."
All the woodwork inside and outside is painted a high-gloss white.
Woodwork paint: S2 Allure White 0300N, Sigma Coatings
All the woodwork inside and outside is painted a high-gloss white.
Woodwork paint: S2 Allure White 0300N, Sigma Coatings
An antique mirror enlivens the classic color scheme and creates strategic visual depth.
Wall paint: Light Stone No. 9, Farrow & Ball
Wall paint: Light Stone No. 9, Farrow & Ball
A floor-to-ceiling storage unit serves as a room divider. Local cabinet builder Albert Dekkers designed and built the piece.
Cabinet paint: Stone Gray No. 11, Farrow & Ball
Cabinet paint: Stone Gray No. 11, Farrow & Ball
This area connects the living room with the kitchen and the sunroom beyond that.
The wall-high oak longcase, or grandfather clock, can run for 30 hours without winding. John Pattison, an 18th-century Yorkshire clock maker, crafted the clock by hand; it features a delicately painted dial plate and very fine inlay on the cabinet.
The flooring is a composite marble antique replica tile that has a smooth, soft shine.
Floor tile: Rex Bianco, Tegelcentrum Weert
The wall-high oak longcase, or grandfather clock, can run for 30 hours without winding. John Pattison, an 18th-century Yorkshire clock maker, crafted the clock by hand; it features a delicately painted dial plate and very fine inlay on the cabinet.
The flooring is a composite marble antique replica tile that has a smooth, soft shine.
Floor tile: Rex Bianco, Tegelcentrum Weert
A beautiful art nouveau lamp with delicate glass prisms dangling from a decorated brass frame hangs above the kitchen table.
"I love to sit here for coffee or reading newspapers and magazines," Rinus says.
"I love to sit here for coffee or reading newspapers and magazines," Rinus says.
During a 2001 renovation, the couple replaced some kitchen cabinets with drawers and painted both a soft green matte finish. Red granite countertops were then added.
Cabinet paint: Stony Ground No. 211, Farrow & Ball
Cabinet paint: Stony Ground No. 211, Farrow & Ball
A television is tucked away in a cabinet next to the microwave. Also, now that the couple has their first grandchild, toys and children's furniture are starting to accent the furnishings.
The sunroom addition is beyond the kitchen.
The sunroom addition is beyond the kitchen.
A Marianne bust in the foyer, symbolizing the triumph of the republic of France, is one of the couple's most prized possessions. Sculptors crafted these busts in plaster, marble, bronze, alabaster or a zinc alloy during the turn of the 20th century.
This one is by Carli, one of Gustave Van Vaerenbergh's students, and a large gilded mirror behind it allows viewing of the immaculately polished back side.
This one is by Carli, one of Gustave Van Vaerenbergh's students, and a large gilded mirror behind it allows viewing of the immaculately polished back side.
The living room and sunroom additions are visible in this aerial shot. The symmetrical garden lines up with the rear facade, and a row of fully grown poplars takes up the view on the east.
The total cost of the living room extension, sunroom addition and other cosmetic renovations came to 70,000 euros (about $89,754).
What's next for these homeowners? Painting the exterior brick walls a light hue.
See more photos of this home
The total cost of the living room extension, sunroom addition and other cosmetic renovations came to 70,000 euros (about $89,754).
What's next for these homeowners? Painting the exterior brick walls a light hue.
See more photos of this home
As for the decor, Carla tries to center and mirror objects when possible. "I feel symmetry is invaluable to create harmony in an interior," she says.