After working in corporate law for more than a decade, Eva Goedegebuur took the plunge to turn her passion for interior design into a new career—starting with her family’s newly built home in Rotterdam. It was a dream project for Eva: Not only did it allow her to design a space for herself, her husband, Michiel, and their three young kids—Sam, Kiki, and Cato—but it also provided a foundation to launch her child-friendly interior design business, Little Neighbours.

“Most interior designers and stylists are focused on adult interiors, but I want to focus on the whole family,” says Eva. “I believe that an interior can be stylish and child-friendly.”

At her home in Rotterdam, a warm timber palette, custom furniture solutions, and a minimalist Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic combine for a sophisticated look. “I focused on the basics at first,” she says. “The flooring, the doors, the window frames, the walls, the kitchen, and the bathrooms. After that, I carefully selected the lightning. As a result, the house already felt like a warm blanket.”

Next, it was time to address elements that would make the home kid-friendly without sacrificing the refined aesthetic. Key to Eva’s success was her partnership with Woodchuck, a local furniture maker that not only crafted the ground-floor cabinetry, but also the central design elements in the kids’ rooms. For her youngest child, Cato, Eva commissioned a floor-to-ceiling wall cabinet with plenty of storage and space for a little playhouse. In her daughter Kiki’s room, Eva took advantage of the 13-foot-tall ceiling to insert a modern Woodchuck-crafted “house box bed” complemented with a swing.

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Eva let the hobbies of her oldest child, Sam, dictate the design elements in his bedroom. Dressed in dark blue and yellow accessories, the room features a large desk for him to play with Legos, and a jungle-like theme that reflects his love of animals.

In creating a home with multiple kids’ spaces, Eva was focused on flexible design, or what she calls “sustainable interior solutions.” For example, a playroom can easily be transformed into a luxury media room in the future. She also carefully selected furniture and decorations she knew would endure.

"Kids’ interiors have no borders, so your imagination can flow freely,” notes Eva, who emphasizes the importance of engaging design. “Children are spending so much time on screens. My goal is to stimulate their creativity.”

Related Reading:

A Kid-Friendly Home Embraces High Style with Comfort

A Belgian Photographer’s Country Home Is a Playground for Kids and Adults Alike

Project Credits:

Interior Design: Eva Goedegebuur, Little Neighbours / @little_neighbours

Architect of Record: Robert van Katwijk / TBO Architecten

Builder/ General Contractor: Speebouw

Landscape Design Company: About Outside

Electrical Engineer: Van den Dool

Cabinetry Design: Woodchuck

Photographer: Anke Leunissen / @theinteriortourists

Photography Styling: Kim de Groot

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