Home Tour: Whimsical Pastels + Family
Hello everyone, ready to take another home tour? Today it's a pretty pastel abode located in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. I came across this home on Instagram and quickly reached out to owner Mariët van der Kooij as I just knew you guys would love it. Sweet faded hues with vintage and DIY elements make this home one to pin, for sure!
Having fallen for a similar home the same week Mariët and her husband Tim viewed this one that sold before they had a chance to jump on it, they didn’t waste any time in sealing the deal on what is now a spacious home for their growing family. “It wasn’t exactly love at first sight - a lot had to happen before we could feel at home,” admits Mariët. “One thing we did love about this house was the large, light living space with sliding doors to the garden, and the spacious kitchen at the front. Upstairs, we were taken by the exposed beams. We haven’t looked back since! We spent six weeks renovating and were able to transform the interior into a space that really reflects us and who we are.”
Dated floor tiling and old fashioned wooden panelling was swiftly removed, walls were freshly plastered and painted and a brand new kitchen was put in place where a tired old kitchen once stood. The goal was a light, fresh interior, which the couple achieved in six weeks, filling their finished home with characteristic furniture, each piece with a story. “I love collecting pieces that come with a story.”
A new home also meant a fresh new style for Mariët, who favored a more monochrome palette that relied on basic black and white. “At a certain point, I was bored of that style and found my home to be a little cold, and plus I needed a creative outlet and a monochrome home wasn’t allowing that.” Slowly, she began infusing her new home with color, mainly her favorite color pink, adding also more warm wood tones too to add texture and cosiness. “I like it when colors return throughout the interior - I would never have just one random color that doesn’t return elsewhere,” says Mariët. “This might be less exciting, but I seek balance in my interior. If I am styling with one particular color, I will often use varying shades of that color to keep things from being boring.”
“My own style can be described as a combination of budget and DIY pieces with vintage here and there, a primarily white base layered with light and soft pastels,” she says. Much of Mariët’s inspiration is found on Instagram. “I love seeing how others style their homes. I also follow interior boutiques and magazines and get a lot of inspiration from their feeds too.”
Styling and decorating at home is a hobby that brings Mariët - whose day time occupation is working with young children - immense joy. “I regularly shift things around the house, styling and restyling vignettes with new accessories and different combinations. Every now and then I find something I have stored away and it feels like new again!”
A favorite piece is the couple’s vintage pharmacy cabinet from the 1950s. “It’s a unique piece that you aren’t likely to see anywhere else, and I love that about it.” The decorating enthusiast clearly has a soft spot for vintage cabinets, because another favorite is the old ‘biedermeier’ wardrobe in the couple’s baby room. “It gives so much more character to the space than a modern wardrobe would have done.”
Downstairs, the couple enjoy a spacious living area that relies on a white basis, with characteristic half-painted pale green walls a pretty addition to the room. The dining area boasts a whimsical mix of materials and styles, both old and new.
The chairs around the table are all replica design pieces. “I don’t ever really by the ‘real thing’ but rather go for the less expensive option, which gives me the freedom to swap and change things around without feeling the heavy price tag,” Mariët admits. Both the wire chairs as well as replica Eames chairs were found at VintageLab15.nl. The Panton chair was a Maarktplaats (a Dutch secondhand online marketplace) score, while the table was custom made by Woodville out of a slab of solid oak with a white airbrushed metal base. The collage behind the table is by IXXI and is called ‘Sweet Poetry’.
“I have a thing for chairs - I can never have enough! I often repaint my replica Eames chairs in colors I am loving at the moment, which I did more recently with my army green chair - it was ocher yellow before that. Spray painting is a great solution for those who love change!”
In the living room, a large and functional grey sofa contrasts with pastel colored pillows (House Doctor, By Mölle) and a black and white graphic rug. On a round, army hued magnet board, Mariët displays favorite cards and artworks - a personal and low budget focal point for an otherwise empty wall behind the sofa. A String ‘pocket’ shelf on the adjacent wall displays favorite objects, artifacts and a hanging plant.
Upstairs, the master bedroom is a fresh and tranquil space which features a DIY wooden headboard, crisp white linens, a hint of purple and a playful lamp from Kitsch Kitchen.
With a well frequented Dutch interior blog, Mariët is always on the lookout for new interior ideas and regularly changing things up in her home as a way to stay current, unique and surprising. “I like trying out new trends at home, but always try to give it my own spin,” she says.
Home for Mariët, Tim and their new son Peppe is all about family and enjoying time together. “We enjoy our home immensely as a family, with the recent addition of our new son. It is a spacious home that allows us each to have our own space while being cosy and inviting at the same time.”
So guys, what do you think? Do you love Mariët and Tim’s pretty pastel interior? What were some of your favorite elements? Mine is the hint of army green - it adds some contrast and shakes things up little bit! See you here next month for another fab interior - Holly M.
(Styling, Photography, Text: Holly Marder)