This Visual Merchandiser’s Dutch Home Has Every Color You Can Imagine
Adrienne Breaux
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
Kate Harrison
Kate Harrison
Originally from Pembrokeshire, West Wales and currently living in the Netherlands. I love to travel whenever I can and always take my camera with me. When I’m not photographing gorgeous interiors I’m out doing nature or street photography. I also design textiles and have my own bedding collection that I sell worldwide via my web shop alongside my travel prints and wall art illustrations.
published now

This Visual Merchandiser’s Dutch Home Has Every Color You Can Imagine

Adrienne Breaux
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
Kate Harrison
Kate Harrison
Originally from Pembrokeshire, West Wales and currently living in the Netherlands. I love to travel whenever I can and always take my camera with me. When I’m not photographing gorgeous interiors I’m out doing nature or street photography. I also design textiles and have my own bedding collection that I sell worldwide via my web shop alongside my travel prints and wall art illustrations.
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About this tour
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Home Type

Apartment

Location

Lombok District, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Style

Colorful

Scandinavian

Bedrooms

2

Square feet

678

Sq ft

678

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Astrid Schuurman, a visual merchandising concept supervisor, had always wanted to live in the Lombok District in Utrecht, The Netherlands, so when she found this ground-floor apartment in a terraced, “purpose-built apartment block” she says it was love at first sight.

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Credit: Kate Harrison
The round carpet in the living room is a PS 2017 IKEA piece. The coffee table is from Karwei, a Dutch hardware store chain, which she painted blue. The TV cabinet is from a thrift shop and she painted it red. The Marshmallow side table is from &Klevering. The green blinds are from Mr. Jealousy.

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“I wanted to move out of my previous apartment after a tough period. For me this was a new beginning to make it my safe haven,” she begins of the apartment she’s been renting for 16 years now.

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Credit: Kate Harrison
The "What Would Dolly Do" poster is from Gumbootz. The ceramic bow is from Sostrene Grene. The yellow Panton chair is from Vitra. The wooden chair is Hay. The Pink Bow chair is Qeeboo. The recycled plastic chair is IKEA. The hanging lamp is from IKEA and Astrid painted it herself.
 

While only 678 square feet large, it does have two bedrooms, though she describes the second bedroom as being so small she mostly just uses it for a clothes drying room (“a luxury and necessity here in NL where it rains a lot”).

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Credit: Kate Harrison
The white trolley in the kitchen is from IKEA. The two yellow cabinets, the lilac mug rack, and the bowls are from Sostrene Grene. The vase with tulips is from &Klevering. The kettle is Hay. The mugs are mostly from HK Living.

Built in the style of the Amsterdamse School in 1919, the apartment was renovated in 2021.

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Credit: Kate Harrison
The mouth art is by Marly Brust. Astrid says she likes to keep vases and other decoration items in a "cabinet or attic in case you want to change things once in a while. These small changes can make a big difference. I think this is also my inner visual merchandiser that speaks." But she doesn't hold on to everything forever. "I regularly go through my closets to sort things out and then just put a lot on Vinted or I sell it at a flea market. And I also sell home decor items on my Instagram account @pareltjesuitdekast," she writes.

“The house was already my dream house but the renovation made it more comfortable and cozy for me,” she admits, though she did have to move out of the house for 10 weeks while the renovation happened.

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Credit: Kate Harrison
The cupboard is from Kewlox. The coat rack is vintage. The foldable boxes are from Hay. The yellow bench was made by her dad.

So while she’s been renting the apartment for 16 years, the renovation allowed her to “start from scratch” again,” something she says is her favorite thing to do. “I love making mood boards and making plans for my home. Working with colours and trying out different things,” she admits.

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Credit: Kate Harrison
The bedspread is from Jotex. The cupboard is from Kewlox. The green flooring is Forbo. The lilac hanging lamp is Kwantum.  The vanilla yellow blouse is Cos and the flower jacket is Lolly’s Laundry.
 

She described the space before the renovation as being a bit dated and with no heating, and having very “limited access to the back garden (via a door in the small galley kitchen.” After the reno, she not only got to refresh the look of her space, she also got some modern updates. “I am the most happy with the new doors to the garden and the central heating system,” she writes.

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Credit: Kate Harrison
The ase on table with flowers is from HK Living and the yellow swirl vase and blue candle holder on the table are from Sostrene Grene.

And of course, there’s the color and style that she’s added to the small space, as well. She describes her home’s style today as “eclectic and colorful. I love to combine vintage/thrift shop items with modern style. I often give old items a splash of colour.” 

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Credit: Kate Harrison
The hanging light in the guest bedroom/clothes drying room is from IKEA.

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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