Hey everyone, it's Holly Marder back again this month with another beautiful interior to show you! I have a sneaking suspicion you’ll love this modern home in the country so let’s jump straight in!

Webshop owner and interior stylist Nicole de Ridder and her partner Michiel Kok live reside in this renovated farmhouse in the Dutch countryside with their baby boy Tyn. After years of remodeling, the results are a calming and contemporary family home that boasts all the characteristics of an old farm.

Michiel purchased the 140m2 property a decade ago prior to meeting Nicole. The building, which dates back to 1922, was in a sorry state of affairs and he commenced reconstruction right away, a job which took him more than six years. After meeting Nicole, they decided to live together however Nicole felt that much was needed to complete the renovation, including a full restyle of the home’s interior. “The furnishing of the farm was pretty dark and rural, not my taste,” admits Nicole. “To feel at home, we did some redecoration together and decided to finish the job.”

The former living room consisted of two smaller rooms. Nicole and Michiel broke through the wall separating the two rooms, resulting in a large L-shaped living space. They removed a large window and replaced it with French doors which gives them access to their garden. “We thought the adaptation would take two months at most, but in the end, it cost us more than nine months,” Nicole says. “Once you start, new things will pop up. The good thing is: now the whole house is finished right down to the last details.”

Their home is a mixture of styles. “I love to combine vintage with modern items and design,” Nicole explains. “The base colours in our home are white and grey. To create some warmth, I add warm colours such as brown, yellow, orange and red. I think wood is also a great way to give a room some extra warmth.” Nicole loves bringing souvenirs home from her travels, bringing with her unique accessories with a story and sweet memories. Her favourite pieces include the large wooden sculptures from the Philippines and the souvenirs in the shelving unit from Thailand and Laos.

Nicole and Michel do have different styles when it comes to decorating. “That can be difficult sometimes,” Nicole explains. “But finally, when Michiel sees how it turned out, nine out of ten times, he will like it anyway.” Michiel’s proudest accomplishment is the master bathroom, which he designed and created himself. The walls of the bathroom were given a ‘tadelakt’ finish, giving them a rustic aesthetic.

The size of the property commanded a lot of furniture, so the couple shopped together to fill each space. With an eye for beautiful products for the home, this was a process Nicole thoroughly enjoyed.

“Through my work, I find so many treasures. My apartment in Amsterdam was too small to collect things, but the farmhouse allowed me to finally get some of these pieces and give them a nice place in our home.” One of Nicole’s favourite brands is House Doctor, a Danish label she also sells in her webshop “It’s affordable and of good quality,” Nicole explains.

The grey corner sofa in the living room is an item Michiel purchased when he lived on his own. The cushions on the sofa are from La cerise sur le gateau, a brand Nicole endorses in her webshop. Beside the sofa, is a second hand black vintage chair. The couple drove to Brussels to find one at an antique market and design fair, but didn’t succeed and drove back to the Netherlands with an empty van. In the end, they found the black vintage chair on Marktplaats, and online marketplace for used and vintage items in the Netherlands (similar to Craigslist). Small coffee tables, one white one and a black one by Hay, maintain a sense of spaciousness in the room. The hand-knotted carpet, as well as the one in the dining area, was purchased at De Munk Carpets.

The couple’s self designed and made floor-to-ceiling bookshelf was created using MDF boards. Michiel did all the carpentry and Nicole the polishing and painting. “It was not an easy job, but I really wanted this bookshelf,” Nicole says. “One day, we will move back to Amsterdam and the knowledge that we won’t be able to move this bookshelf with us makes me sad already.”

A segment of the bookshelf continues around the wall, connecting both parts of the living room and acting as a display for Nicole’s favourite objects.

The couple purchased their dining table at Raw Materials, an Amsterdam-based furniture shop. Above it, are two white Muuto lamps. The white Panton chairs were a Marktplaats find, while the yellow one was purchased new from Loods5, a large Dutch furniture store where Nicole sells her products.

The couple painted their monochromatic kitchen, brining in blue accents for a bright and cheerful space to begin the day. The kitchen table is by House Doctor and the blue cabinet was purchased at Loods5.

Adjacent to the kitchen is a guest room, where the couple accommodate their friends and family, boasting the same light and airy aesthetic as seen in the rest of the house. Many of the accessories can be purchased in Nicole’s webshop. The dotted cushions are a La cerise sur le gateau creation, while the concrete light beside the bed is from CP Collections.

The couple cleverly created a workplace in the hallway upstairs, a cosy space just under the diagonal roof that would otherwise have remained unused. Nicole uses this space to update her webshop, create new items for her own label Studio Circus making posters and postcards for kids rooms. A newly placed roof window means the space received ample light, while the black modern lights above the staircase add a modern touch to the rustic space.

Upstairs, the master bedroom features the original wooden beams, painted white. Mint green and pastel tones create a fresh and light atmosphere, offsetting the old vintage chestnut desk and chair which belonged to Michiel’s great-grandmother. Wooden blinds in chestnut and a bamboo light overhead add warmth to the space, while the carpet brings the full colour palette altogether and adds a playful element.

Tyn's nursery features crisp whites with blue accents and naturally, a few posters from Studio Circus, a co-creation from his own mum.

With ample space to spare, the couple were able to turn one of the upstairs bedrooms into a dressing room, which displays all of the couple clothing on neatly organized black clothing racks from IKEA. The runner is an item from Nicole’s webshop.

Light and bright, yet with the characteristics of the old farmhouse it once was, Nicole and Michiel created a comfortable family abode blending Nordic sensibilities with subtle ethnic touches. “For me it is important to be happy when I come home, it has to feel right and this house does,” says Nicole. “Besides that, a house needs enough space to draw back whenever you feel the need.”

Well guys, I hope you enjoyed today’s tour! What are some of your favourite things about this home? My favourite things about this home are all the old wooden beams throughout and the huge self-made bookshelf and the cheerful blue cabinet in the kitchen. See you here again soon – Holly M.

(Photography, words and styling: Holly Marder | Avenue Lifestyle | Editorial assistant: Lotte Herink)