Vibrant living with a neutral base

After living in a suburb of Dubai for years, we wanted to live in the city again, close to the beach, and in a child-friendly neighborhood. Our home ticked all the boxes, with the additional bonus of grandpa and grandma living just 5 minutes away. We are also very close to Amsterdam, there are so many reasons ... but we just love, love, love this place.

I love to have a mix of simple white walls, which for me means light, with just a splash of colour. For example, our living room walls are mostly white to keep it light, with one wall in beige to bring a bit of warmth.

 

We have always painted the floors a light colour to suit my love for wooden furniture. Wood on wood is too much for me, so I like to have a simple and light base, which allows me to play with wallpaper, furniture and accessories. I like a little bit of retro, a little bit of Scandinavian, but mostly I like playful things.

 

Orange and green have always been some of my favorite colours, they remind me of nature. We painted our built-in-cabinets orange, which was a difficult decision and we were unsure if it would turn out looking nice. But when the evening sun comes through the windows, it helps to give our living room a warm and cosy feel.

 

In the kids' rooms, we always go a bit wilder. Especially now that the kids have their own opinions. Kieke, 5, has chosen a red colour for her walls ... so we'll work with that!

 

But one colour you will not find in my place is blue... other than on our denim, of course.

Yes, of course! Kids need a place to play, to paint, to draw and be creative, preferably near mum or dad. So part of our adult space is now kids related. We always try to blend it in, so avoiding ugly plastic crap in our shared space. They can have plastic in their own rooms, preferably stored in cabinets or baskets. We pimped the Ikea kitchen with space for kids stuff, but now that they are slightly older they play more and more in their own rooms. I hope that means we will be living with more adult stuff soon.

The same as for our own furniture, to be honest. A lot of wood, plain basic colours, nothing crazy.

Everything else in their rooms, wallpaper, accessories, bedding and posters is colourful and fun enough.

 

I like to keep the base simple. This way, we feel it can last much longer, without getting bored. When you paint the colour of a wall, the rooms get a completely different feeling, just as it does when you change the furniture and accessories.

A lot of the things in their rooms, they have had for years, such as their favorite posters, baskets and lamps. We have moved homes a lot in the past few years, so I always want the children to have their own familiar stuff with them.

 

Now, they want to choose some of the interior themselves, and I really want them to have their own taste and style, so I let them. But to be honest, it has taken me a while to accept it ... and to let it go! Kieke 5, chose red, Fes, 3, has her pink phase, but I was able to turn it into a pinkish, nude colour.

Piet Hein Eek, always. His simple, yet sophisticated designs are lovely. Even if I don't like mainstream trends, he creates something that I immediately want in my home! My biggest crush at Maison & Objet in January 2020, was funny enough also a Dutch brand, HK Living. I love how they play with colours and shapes. And I like &Tradition's lovely, soft octagon-shaped woollen rugs.

I've loved the Toucan Wallpaper, from the moment I first saw it. It is fresh, colourful, and the black and white give a subtle contrast in the room. After a while, Leaf Blanket also became one of my favorites. The shape adds a cosy touch, and the kids automatically start playing or chilling on it!

 

Now that the kids are bigger, I would love them to have a good desk, and the Mouse School Set would be perfect to grow into. Again, the round shapes and the mouse ears add a spark to mostly square spaces. Did I say I love shapes?