Winkie Visser

High ceilings and large windows will make you fall for this floating home hook, line and sinker.

Name: Farida Location: IJburg — Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 968 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; owned A twenty-minute ride by streetcar will take you from the bustling Amsterdam center to IJburg, a cluster of six artificial islands in the IJ lake. Surrounded by water, it feels like being on an island holiday. Even though it’s still a part of the Amsterdam-Oost (Amsterdam East) borough!

Name: Franca, Thom, and their dogs Herman and Truusje Location: Nuenen, The Netherlands Size: 1,775 square feet (including the third/attic floor, not shown) Years lived in: 23 years, owned The town of Nuenen in the south of the Netherlands may have a familiar ring to art lovers. It’s where Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh lived for a couple of years in the period when he created his famous “The Potato Eaters.

Textures, clever DIYs and lovely macrame fill this modern home in the Netherlands.

Name: Ilse van Elleswijk and Jasper and their puppy Jackie Location: Arnhem, the Netherlands Size: 1,640 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned There’s a lot to see in Ilse’s home — not a shock, considering her profession as a stylist — but what is surprising is how uncluttered the space feels. Ilse’s a big fan of accessories; she feels they add coziness to any room. But she hasn’t gone overboard in her home.

Name: Irene and Rob Burg Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands Size: 1,614 square feet Years lived in: 19 years, owned As a girl, when Irene would visit her grandpa, she would always pass this quaint house built in 1934 and think to herself: “One could be so lucky to live in this home.” Years later she and her husband Rob moved into this very home — and it felt like a dream come true.

Name: Ria and Piet Veld Location: Appingedam, the Netherlands Size: 1,722 square feet Years lived in: 18 years; owned In the most northern province of the Netherlands lies the quaint city of Appingedam. It’s such a charming place, that when Ria and Piet Veld sold their previous house there eighteen years ago, they didn’t want to leave.

Name: Hetty Webbink, her son Noah and daughter Luna, Jip the cat Location: Deurne, the Netherlands Size: 1,431 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned Although she was trained as a nurse, interiors and styling have always been in Hetty’s blood; she’s even had a subscription to vtwonen (the most popular interior magazine in the Netherlands) since she was 19. So it comes as no surprise that Hetty would eventually find her way to a career that involves home decor and styling.

Name: Con and Miep Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands Size: 1,614 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned When Con and Miep got married thirteen years ago, they both sold their apartments and moved together to one of the high-rises in Eindhoven’s city center. Con loves color, and Miep’s furniture before she was married mostly consisted of black and white. Thankfully, they both love modern design, and were pleasantly surprised by how great their furniture merged.

Name: Jaimy van Zwieten, husband Marcel, daughter Dalí, Klaas the cat, Hiphop the rabbit Location: Krimpen aan den IJssel, the Netherlands Size: 1,722 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Near Rotterdam (the Netherlands’ second-largest city), lies the small town of Krimpen aan den IJssel. It’s where Jaimy’s parents moved to when she was only four months old and it’s where she also grew up.

Name: Huberdine Verhoeven, Bertie, and their daughter Evy Location: Drunen, the Netherlands Size: 1,647 square feet Years lived in: 11 years, owned Huberdine was born and raised in Drunen, a small town in the southern Netherlands. Today, she still calls it home, along with her husband Bertie and their daughter Evy. Eleven years ago, they bought the house when it was newly-built and modernly design.

Name: Gaby Suhr Location: ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands Size: 1,163 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned Several years ago Gaby spent a couple of months traveling around the world. Living from just a suitcase, she became conscious of just how little one actually needs on a day-to-day basis. Some time later, a friend told Gaby that he felt she had a distinct ability to see the essence of a situation. To focus on the bare necessities.

Name: Shari Pelkmans, Mike and Olle Location: Heeze, the Netherlands Size: 1,087 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Three years ago Shari and Mike bought a newly-built house in Heeze, a tiny town in the south of the Netherlands (and Mike’s hometown). The location is great: a short walk from the town center, but also lots of pretty nature just around the corner.

Name: Susanne ter Heerdt and Henri van Veen Location: Arnhem, the Netherlands Size: 1,184 square feet Years lived in: 9 years, owned It’s fascinating how one thing can lead to another. In Susanne’s case she took an upholstery course, resulting in a striking dining chair set. But what’s more: the pretty rose fabric inspired her to create a huge cross-stitch wall hanging. This new passion was born one and a half years ago, and since then Susanne has grown in her craft and style.

Name: Stephan Kaspers, Judith Bolk, and their cats Dinkey and Wolly Location: Coevorden, the Netherlands Size: 1,292 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned A less adventurous person might have backed away from this house built in 1920 — charming as it was, it was practically uninhabitable and in dire need of updates. But as a little boy Stephan loved rearranging his bedroom, tweaking details to make the space look lovely.

Name: Anne and Coen Location: Dordrecht, the Netherlands Size: 1,367 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned The old city of Dordrecht is filled with many quaint buildings, like a warehouse built in 1750 that was used to store bed sheets and towels for a nearby hospital (that has long since disappeared). Unlike the hospital, the warehouse is still around but is now home to Anne and Coen.

Name: Karlijn, Daniel and their cat Harrie Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Size: 1,076 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Karlijn is a teacher at a school for children with special needs. It’s a very rewarding job, though at times it can also be pretty challenging. When a day has been especially strenuous, she loves to unwind in the lovely home she shares with Daniel and their cat Harrie. In fact, decorating the house they bought three years ago has become quite a passion.

Name: Sharita Harcharan, her husband Shai, their children Jason, Ryan, Justin and Jasmijn Location: Capelle aan den IJssel, the Netherlands Size: 1,076 square feet Years lived in: 16 years, renting Upon entering the Harcharan home, one instantly feels relaxed and completely at ease. It’s hard not to with all that light, the pale hues and the various tactile elements.

Name: Chantal Berkelmans, husband Pieter, their daughters Annabel and Lois Location: Eersel, the Netherlands Size: 6,458 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned (and self-built) For a long time Chantal believed she wasn’t creative or handy. She always felt envious of people who seemed to make the loveliest items (seemingly without much effort). When Chantal was pregnant with her first child, she remembers a period when she was terribly ill and could only lie in bed all day.

Name: Yvonne Kusters, husband Steven, daughter Faye and their dog Tess Location: The Hague, the Netherlands Size: 3,444 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands and holds the seat of the Dutch government. Originating in the 13th century, it’s rich in history and filled with numerous monumental buildings. Walking past these stately old homes, you would never expect one of them to house a little bit of tropical paradise.

Name: Ariena Ruwaard, her husband Mark, their children Lot, Stijn, and Daan, and Sientje the cat Location: Gorinchem, the Netherlands Size: 1,991 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Ariena’s story is one of hope and encouragement, of finding a new path when the old one has become impassable. A little over 10 years ago she was a primary school teacher. Together with Mark (who is also a teacher) they had three kids.

Name: Klaas Hogeweg Location: ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands Size: 969 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Gray, beige, white, black. Generally, these colors don’t evoke feelings of warmth and coziness. But if you visit Klaas Hogeweg’s home those are the exact words that come to mind, together with stylish and elegant.

Name: Joost Janszen and Martijn Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands Size: 861 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When Joost and Martijn checked out this apartment three years ago, they fell for the bright living area with its lovely canal view. It’s the perfect backdrop for the colorful interior, filled with their own creations and beautiful vintage finds.

Name: Rowena Donker, her husband, their two daughters and two sons Location: Breda, the Netherlands Size: 1,238 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, owned As the adage says: “If you love your job, you never have to work a day in your life.” This might sound trite, but Rowena feels very fortunate to be able to confirm this. She certainly has worked hard to transform her passion into a career.

Name: Winkie Visser and my husband Edgar Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands Size: 1,184 square feet Years lived in: 15 years, owned Edgar’s grandpa had worked at Dutch technology company Philips for 43 years when he finally retired. It felt like a whimsical coincidence for him to be living in one of the so-called “Austrian (Philips) houses” some time later. These houses were bought by Philips back in the 1950s to accommodate their employees in an era of housing shortage.

Name: Roel Marius Brouwer, Remy, and their dog Stewie Location: Laren (North Holland province), the Netherlands Size: 861 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Roel might be a legal adviser by day, but his true passion is interiors. His mom sparked this love at a young age by regularly changing things up in his childhood home; through tiny adjustments their interior looked different each season.

Name: Jellina Detmar, her husband Jan, their children Déjan and Melin Location: Kollum, the Netherlands Size: 2,422 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned It’s hard to believe Jellina and her family moved to this old farmhouse a mere one and a half years ago. The former residents had created a drywall box within the house, concealing many of the home’s beautiful elements like the big wooden beams.