My Houzz: Lighthearted Ease for a Petite Hague Pad
http://www.decor-ideas.org 12/23/2013 15:40 Decor Ideas
Industrial designer Aafke Kauffman loves scouring flea markets and vintage stores for treasures to bring home and upcycle. In her eclectic Netherlands home, an all-white backdrop ensures that her secondhand finds are central, while teal and yellow tones lend a laid-back, beach-house-inspired vibe that feels appropriate to this seaside section of The Hague.
“Because of all the different elements with different styles, I like to keep the spaces clean and white,” Kauffman says. Her preference for white wooden floorboards, walls and bookcases means her space stays uncluttered and each item gets a chance to shine.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Aafke Kauffman and her cat
Location: The Scheveningen district in The Hague, Netherlands
Size: 75 square meters (807 square feet); 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Kauffman bought her home a year ago. It was previously a grocery store marked by a large street-facing window. “The window makes the living room very light and bright, which I immediately loved,” she says.
Kauffman’s eclectic and colorful interior has white floors and walls to let her rescued finds and colorful pieces come alive. The rusted metal chest-turned-coffee-table is from a local thrift store.
Kauffman took the trio of photographs hanging on the wall.
Sofa: Kramfors, Ikea (no longer available); cushions: Ferm Living; floor lamp: Loods 5
“Half of my home is secondhand,” Kauffman says. “I love to search marketplaces and secondhand shops for unique pieces, and I often change or remake items I find.”
She upcycled this antique Philips radio cabinet (which still works), painting it a soft celery green, lowering the height by cutting down its legs, and replacing the original handles with a set of old-fashioned porcelain knobs.
A painted teal wall runs the full length of the living and dining room. “The color is rather dark, but it seems to be a good combination with all the white in the rest of the house,” says Kauffman. “It is also nice in contrast with the yellow of the couch.”
She found the little stool in a garbage bin. She removed the rust, painted the metal frame and added a new wooden seat. “It’s so great when something that seemed worthless can be made to look like a design item with just a little bit of work,” she says.
Wall paint: 0140-06, Sigma; butterfly print: Bild, Ikea (no longer available); bookshelves: Expedit, Ikea
Kauffman breathed new life into her vintage dining table by sanding the top and treating it with glossy white paint. She intentionally left the legs sanded and untreated, to give the piece a raw aesthetic.
Two Ikea Expedit bookshelves make a practical room divider and provide storage. The industrial blue cabinet is from an old factory.
The dining chairs are an eclectic mix that includes two Eames originals, two Friso Kramer–inspired school chairs and a contemporary wire-framed chair.
An oversize oval pendant by the Dutch firm Moooi hangs overhead. “I really like the size of this lamp, because it really fills the space,” says Kauffman. “I am not sure how all the eclectic elements and colors mix so well together, but it seems to work. Perhaps because I keep the rest of the room pretty empty and tidy.”
A single step divides the living and dining rooms. “The elevated floor was a feature when my home used to be a shop,” says Kauffman, shown here. “It has no specific function, but it looks quite nice.”
Kauffman can often be found seated at the dining table, with the doors to her little garden open. “You can hear the seagulls from the seaside,” she says.
A pint-sized kitchen is nestled behind the dining room, in a niche between the bathroom and the bedroom. Kauffman plans to update this space with concrete countertops and hopes to add open shelving for an industrial look.
Nestled behind her petite pad is a tiny patio covered with Ikea decking. The window to the right is the bedroom.
Kauffman kept all the walls white, but designed the bird wallpaper herself to “keep the space from looking boring,” she says. “The sparrows flying above the bed give the room a sense of calm,” she explains. “The birds look so real, they even confuse my cat. He sometimes tries to catch them!.”
Graphic bedding and pops of blue add a playful touch. The Tord Boontje Garland light fixture was a Habitat purchase.
Kauffman says she loves how her home is just a two-minute walk from the beach and its boulevard with seaside terraces. “Scheveningen is a little village within the big city of The Hague. It has its own atmosphere and style,” she says. “People love to decorate their homes really kitsch, with lace curtains and crystal figurines lining the windowsill. I love it, but not in my own home.”
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More: Travel Guide: The Hague for Design Lovers
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