The Netherlands

An environment that makes you feel comfortable is beneficial for your overall health.

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: Wendy van Wilgenburg and two sons Willem (10), and Adam (12) Location: Zaandam, The Netherlands Size: 1700 square feet (the house), 4700 square feet (garden) Years lived in: 6.5 years, owned My name is Wendy van Wilgenburg, and I am a visual anthropologist and documentary filmmaker focusing on craftmanship. I have made films on master craftmanship for over twenty years and decided to found the Craft in Focus Festival to engage a large audience with the beauty of handmade objects.

Name: Desiré van den Berg and her sister Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Size: 775 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Desiré has a talent for decorating her space on a budget. “My whole living room, I’d say—under 1000 euro.” This includes seating, a coffee table, dining table set, and framed art. Not only does the space feel cohesive, but she threw it all together within a week of moving in.

Name: Sri Kettelhake Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; owned Born and raised in the Netherlands, Sri is an Amsterdam native who has lived in major cities like Sydney and London. She worked in advertising for many years up until having her first child. Her husband Nick is in the same industry, and because they both know how many hours their work requires, for now, Sri has decided to stay home to care for their lovely son Samuel.

Let more light in and simplify your style with the shopping resources from this minimal yet cozy, Scandinavian style home in The Netherlands.

Name: Edwin Nikkels Location: Amsterdam – The Netherlands Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: Renting 1 year Edwin played it smart when it came to furnishing his small space; he kept the design minimal, the colors neutral and found a unique way to carve out a bedroom (despite there not being an actual bedroom). He also invested in high-quality pieces of furniture and decor. The result is an airy, “feels bigger than its size” space.

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.

Name: The Dylan Hotel Location: Canal Center; Amsterdam, Netherlands Never intending for its design to fit into a box, the cheeky hotel’s aesthetic gives a playful wink at anyone who stays because each room offers a one-of-a-kind experience. This 5-star hotel tows a wonderful balance of shirking tradition and delivering a funky design model of its own that puts a focus on sharp style and individuality.