A Dutch Apartment Has Beautiful Stained Glass Doors and Painted Walls to Match

Name: Marina Chaccur and cat, Oprah/Feijão (Yes, she has two names.)
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 1,120 square feet
Years lived in: Almost 4 years, owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m Marina, a Brazilian designer living in the Netherlands. It’s a long story, but cutting it short, I moved here because I feel at home in this city. After a few years, I found a place to call mine, but not before it was entirely renovated. I mean, EVERYTHING: changing places of walls/doors, ceilings, floors, cables, pipes, windows… you name it! I was actually excited with the project because then I could shape the place like I wanted it to be. I saw the potential it had.

Having lived in a rented “white box” for a few years where I couldn’t put a single poster on the walls, this place turned out the opposite: There’s not a single white wall! And they are full of things. For a couple decades I worked in the graphic/type design industry, and then this apartment became an inspiration to finally also start working with interiors last year.

This place is a combination of my current “Dutch life” with previous homes here and in Brazil. A lot of my background is reflected in every choice of colour, furniture, and accessories. Typographic posters are all over, as is artwork made by friends. There is a story behind every piece.

What is your favorite room and why? The living room because it feels like it is a summary of the rest of the apartment. It has distinct features from Dutch architecture, but it is updated with a specific colour scheme — also inspired by the stained glass doors. The dark walls don’t feel heavy because of the white ceiling, light floor, big windows with plenty of natural light, and some bright pieces of furniture and accessories. It has furniture and a lamp I brought with me from Brazil, meaningful artwork, objects, and pieces that were added here, from different price points, but all meant to last for a long time.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Last week I bought two small pieces of artwork from a former student but still need to frame before putting them up on the walls.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Colourful, cozy, inviting, and full of character!

Any advice for creating a home you love? Ignore trends. Trends will bleed into the place anyway according to what is available and what you’re paying attention to. Look to the/your past in order to make your present home one that will also last for a while in the future. Previous homes and places you visited help a lot to inform what works and what doesn’t.

That’s one of the reasons I love Apartment Therapy. To see “real” homes and the different personalities. It is not about picture perfect magazine covers/ architectural portfolios, but lived places, full of personality and details from the owners.

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

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