Looking to save construction costs during the redesign of their three-story 19th-century Rotterdam, Netherlands, house, Stella Verbrugge and Joeri van Zwoll rolled their sleeves up and got to work, sharing the load with architect and contractor Dimitri Kruithof. “During the weekends we would do things, but during the week it was his first project. We were a true team,” states Verbrugge.
The homeowners spent weekends knocking plaster off a three-story interior brick wall using an electric hammer. “It was a dreadful amount of work,” Verbrugge states. They also installed oak floorboards, an encounter they expect not to repeat. “Looking back, it might have been better to have the bamboo flooring laid professionally at first,” she states.
But in a bustling city where a large house is difficult to come by — especially one with a garden — they were ready to do anything to snag their dream home. “This house was a must-have for us,” Verbrugge states.
The teamwork paid off, also, resulting in a casual but amazing raw aesthetic that celebrates brick and rustic wood.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Stella Verbrugge and Joeri van Zwoll
Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Size: 220 square meters (2,368 square feet); 4 bedrooms, 1 bath
Budget: 130,000 euros (U.S.$169,052)
That’s interesting: The home and neighboring row of houses, Een Blok Stad, have been given the Rotterdam Architecture Prize in 2012 for their layout for modern urban renewal.
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The most striking area is the pistachio-colored kitchen. Its wood, brick and concrete have an industrial appearance, which was not what the couple were searching for at first. “But we ended up really liking the style,” Verbrugge states.
Wall paint: Zorgvuldig 2010-G50Y, Histor Compleet
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Windows 5 meters (16 feet) high from the dining room flood light to the house and give it a different city feel. Three industrial vintage pendants from Spoor38 hang above a wooden table with iron legs which has been made by hand from boards of wood rescued from a factory.
“We wanted the dining table really near the kitchen,” Verbrugge states. “We love to cook and entertain friends regularly, so the dining room has become easily the most well-used area of the house.”
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They bought the kitchen furnishings from Ikea but had the oak cupboard fronts custom made locally by Koak Design, which specializes in customizing Ikea kitchen cabinet fronts.
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A slick five-burner gas stove is nestled between concrete worktops, while wooden kitchen accessories and cabinets lend rustic appeal. The large cutting board is from the Dutch department store Loods5. The small ones are from a French market in St. Cyprien.
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Polished concrete floors span the ground floor; their sand-colored painted finish reflects light.
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An exposed brick wall runs through all three levels. “We originally wanted to expose the brick in only a couple of areas of the house, but our architect encouraged us to do one whole wall from top to base,” Verbrugge states.
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The ground floor was a dark basement. “There was no kitchen, just bricks and a floor. So we’re the first to utilize that space as a living room,” Verbrugge states. White beams, lightweight curtains and a pale floor brighten this up.
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Film lamp: Spoor38
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The couple spent weekends stripping away the plaster themselves. “We thought, if we do not enjoy it or feel as a change in a couple of years, we could always plaster it over again,” Verbrugge states. Now they prefer to let the exposed brick behave as the key graphic element in the house, complemented by a few pieces of artwork .
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Verbrugge’s mother made these vibrant floor cushions.
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The first and second floors had been different apartments. A staircase now joins the 2 levels. “We wanted to maintain as much as possible of the old design and layout in addition to original features of this construction,” Verbrugge states. “We didn’t mind the narrow hallways which were common in these old houses.”
After moving to the house, the couple spent about a year’s worth of weekends installing the bamboo flooring.
Holly Marder
Holly Marder
“Space is tough to come by from the Netherlands, so it makes a difference to your lifestyle to get it,” Verbrugge states.
The couch was the previous one in that particular cloth at a local store, so they went home using the show model for a steal. “We love that it is new with a retro feel,” Verbrugge states.
TV cupboard, lamps: Wulf Wonen; couch: Isassi
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A easy drink trolley against the exposed brick wall in the living area creates a dramatic vignette. “We love to incorporate a combination of new items with things we adore that hold memories,” Verbrugge states.
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The master bedroom employs a simple palette of black, white and tan.
A number of those doorways in the house are original, while some were bought at Oude Bouw Materialen, a store for used construction materials.
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The guest bedroom includes a wood-plank bed framework and industrial-style lighting. The vintage chairs belonged to Verbrugge in her childhood.
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In the foot of this bed, floor-to-ceiling linen curtains and a dark wood bookcase complement the touch brick wall.
Holly Marder
Holly Marder
The clean-looking white bath is spacious, with a walk-in shower and a tub. The side panel of this tub can be easily removed for repair if needed.
The most challenging aspect of the renovation to the couple was figuring out the notion, without understanding how it would turn out. It was like building with blocks, Verbrugge states. “You place one in addition to another and then everything comes together. The final result is as much the pleasure as the challenge.”
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Verbrugge, revealed here, enjoyed spending their weekends turning a derelict building into their dream home. “We would love to renovate again, but to be realistic, you merely do something like this once on your lifetime,” she states. “Today we wish to enjoy all the things we did.”
See more photos of the home