25 Beautiful Homes feature:
Haikje Verberk and Rik Lebouille transformed a dated 1920s property in their native Netherlands into a stylish family home
When designer Haikje Verberk and her partner Rik Lebouille went in search of their first family home, they fell instantly in love with a beautiful historic house. ‘We purchased it within a week of our first viewing,’ recalls Haikje. ‘The previous owner had carefully maintained, but never modernised the interior and the original features were in perfect condition.’
Haikje had set her heart on finding a 1920s property. ‘The houses of the period were very well built and had a particular style and atmosphere,’ she says. To transform their new home into a modern family space, however, meant embarking on a huge renovation project, which included rewiring and plastering.
The refit also had to be executed quickly, as Haikje was pregnant with their daughter, Fiene, now 4, whilst also caring for her young son, Tein, aged 6. The couple hired a contractor who completed the project in four months.
‘I still don’t know how we managed to do so much in that short period, but we did,’ she explains. Their vision was to create a home that combined their love of both vintage and contemporary furnishings. They also wanted to highlight the property’s historic features, like the terrazzo stone floors in the kitchen and hallway. ‘We preserved the beautiful old details - a little stained glass window above the front door and the ceiling cornicing - while adding the comforts of central heating, a luxurious kitchen and bathroom, exactly the way we wanted,’ she says.
Though Haikje led on the interior decisions, she and partner Rik, a policy advisor, share similar taste. ‘He has strong opinions, but luckily, he likes the things I make and choose,’ she explains. Through company, Studio Haikje, the designer produces window and interior stickers, taking the idea of traditional lace and turning it into a modern range, which she displays throughout their home. ‘I wanted to give old lace a new and fresh look.’
In the master bedroom there are grey doily inspired stickers on the chimneybreast; in each of the children’s bedrooms, there are custom-made name stickers, which add a fun and personal touch. ‘Our house is spacious enough that I can do my work in the attic studio. It is the perfect place.’
A cohesive style flows through their home, using a muted palette of greys, blues and touches of pink, set against a white base tone. ‘White is a beautiful canvas for everything,’ she says. ‘All the walls were plastered and spray painted, which gives an extra clean finish. Before decorating a room,’ Haikje suggests, ‘make a mood board and choose a colour scheme. After that stick firmly to the style you have chosen.’
The original sliding doors adjoining the sitting and dining rooms are one of the couple’s favourite features. ‘It means we can create one large open space. The dining room,’ Haikje says, ‘is the heart of our home, we eat here as a family every evening.’
The adjoining rooms both use a slate grey paint on a signature wall: in the sitting room it displays blue and white wall plates found in local flea markets and in the dining room, individual white shelves exhibit precious family objects. ‘I’m a collector, I like the museum look,’ she says.
Oak herringbone parquet flooring, which was added during the renovation, completes the look. ‘It suits the house very well, people think its original.’
The kitchen reflects the couple’s impeccable design style perfectly. ‘I would have chosen a light worktop, but Rik wanted it to be dark, so we agreed on black stone,’ she explains. ‘The only thing I regret is that we didn’t create an open plan kitchen, so I could socialise while cooking. But apart from that our house is perfect,’ says Haikje. ‘It’s just how a home should be.’