Now is the season for entertaining, and you would be hard-pressed to think of a space more suited to welcoming in a posse of guests than this zhuzhed-up ground floor of a much-loved townhouse in South Holland.
Masterminded by designer Roelfien Vos, this modern home‘s embrace of punchy hues and vibrant patterns is no surprise to those who know her work.
Happily, the family who commissioned her is just as adventurous: “They were open to lots of color and bold choices,” she says.
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“The family travels a lot but loves spending time together,” says Roelfien. “The comfortable sofa here and the inviting dining table make for wonderful family moments.” (Image credit: Space Content Studio/Living Inside)
The house was built in the 1930s, and the clients had already been living there for some time when they approached Roelfien Vos for a “touch-up with color and wallpaper”.
Instead, the designer advised that they reconfigure the layout for better functionality and flow. “I saw that the layout needed to be reworked to meet the family’s desire for a real family home — a place to cook and live,” she says.
They took on board her advice, embarking on a major three-year renovation of the entire house, part of which resulted in the ground floor being opened up and transformed into a space that’s made for hosting a gathering — or two.
“The tabletop is made from semi-precious stone slabs,” says Roelfien. “The leftover dust was mixed with gold powder to fill the gaps between stones. Because the table has a cool feel, we paired it with a warm brass base and pink rounded chairs that embrace you. The plaster hue on the ceiling works beautifully with the chairs.” (Image credit: Space Content Studio/Living Inside)
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It was only after reorganizing the floor plans that the family got to enjoy their adventure with color, the real heart of the revamp.
“Because the brief originally focused on wallpaper and color, that became the guiding thread,” says Roelfien. So, for example, “a hand-painted wallpaper in beautiful green tones from de Gournay formed the starting point for the living area’s scheme.”
“We wanted to create a cozy corner overlooking the garden to have a drink or read a good book,” says Roelfien. “The beautiful botanical pattern of the fabric connects this space to the outside, creating a wonderful place to unwind with an indoor/outdoor feel.” (Image credit: Space Content Studio/Living Inside)
Roelfien often tackles a design from the ground up, literally, and the intricate floors here are a testament to that.
“I see the floor as a stage on which the interior is presented — like a beautiful cake on a tray,” she explains. “So we paid great attention to this: for the kitchen floor, we created a pattern combining timber with strips of marble; while in the hallway, we designed a motif made of green marble blocks and sand-colored stone.”
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“The former kitchen was small and didn’t offer enough space to sit and eat,” says Roelfien. “I moved it to the other side of the house to connect it to the dining room, which was yet to be created. It’s now part of this family’s daily life.” (Image credit: Space Content Studio/Living Inside)
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That play on contrasts — another of Roelfien’s style signatures — is also a feature of the living area.
“For the built-in cabinet, I took the owner to the stone supplier SolidNature. The cabinet is the first thing you see when entering the room, so it had to make a statement.”
Roelfien then combined the backlit onyx stone with softer materials, such as a bouclé-covered armchair and the custom carpet. “Research into patterns from the era in which the house was built inspired me to design the floral motif,” she says.
The owners and Roelfien were not afraid to use color to create atmosphere. “Like a golden sun, the deep yellow silk wallpaper on the ceiling casts its warm glow,” says Roelfien. “The moment you step into the space, you feel a sense of richness and warmth. By combining it with a dark blue dado, we created a link to the outdoors.” (Image credit: Space Content Studio/Living Inside)
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Even the ceilings got in on the decorative act, with new plasterwork additions cleverly disguising existing irregularities.
“People often think the cornicing is original; I take that as a compliment,” says Roelfien. “The cornices now create a natural visual rhythm, so you feel immediately welcome as you enter — even if you don’t consciously know why.”
“We used a lot of color, creating a truly unique and vibrant space that blends beautifully with the overall design and also creates a different experience for a WC,” says Roelfien. (Image credit: Space Content Studio/Living Inside)
It is this meticulous attention to detail that gives this house its finesse, as Roelfien says: “Wherever you look, every element is a small, unique design.” Her clever use of spatial planning, contemporary color, and vibrant pattern has resulted in a home that now feels celebratory year-round.