Collection by Luke Hopping
Daring Dutch Homes
The term "Dutch design" is often associated with minimalist products, but the country's architectural heritage is just as noteworthy. Here are seven of the Netherlands' most daring home designs.
“We wanted to create a natural mood, like you’re in a forest,” he says. “We went for a more abstract reference to nature.” Stark white walls create the feel of wide-open space in the single story, roughly 2,500-square-foot dwelling. The white palette is offset by rough oak finishes.
Villa Welpeloo in Enschede, the Netherlands, doesn't look like a recycled building. Its austere lines and spacious interior have nothing of the junkyard aesthetic about them. Yet despite appearances, it's reused to the bones. To accomplish this, architects Jan Jongert and Jeroen Bergsma reversed the typical order of the design process—first house, then materials—and instead began by scouting the local area for items to recycle.
The newly built house, just feet from the water’s edge, occupies the space where a decaying farmhouse once stood.
Leen and Middendorp’s living space is peppered with an assortment of objects and textures, including sheep’s wool, an antique French farmhouse table, salvaged chairs, a Glo-Ball light by Jasper Morrison for Flos, and an Axel leather sofa by Gijs Papavoine for Montis.
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A George Nelson daybed takes center stage at gallery level. Part of the couple's collection of American mid-century design, it harmonizes with the newer Dutch pieces and with the apartment's 17th-century architecture.