Interior design country house Bloemendaal: from a rural exterior to a composed, warm interior
In 2019, Choc Studio completed the interior design and full furnishing of a country house in Bloemendaal. The house had just been built, but the interior didn’t yet match what Cristina and Jan had in mind: composed and strong, yet genuinely liveable. They wanted a home that was large enough to breathe in, and warm enough to feel like theirs. That was where the project began.
The brief: how do you make a large new-build house feel like it’s truly yours?
Cristina and Jan had spent a year overseeing the build. When it was finished, the interior still wasn’t what they’d imagined. The house had a quietly rural character, with a thatched roof, divided-light windows and whitewashed walls, but they didn’t want it to feel quaint. Strong and considered, with a modern edge. The house sits surrounded by greenery, and that too needed to find its way inside. The question wasn’t simply how to furnish the space, but how to make a large new house feel like it belonged to them.
The approach: custom-made pieces throughout the house, including a wallcovering that gives a five-metre-high bedroom a sense of enclosure
Choc Studio developed a complete interior plan and took on the full realisation. The green surroundings became a design anchor: soft grey-green tones on the walls draw the landscape in without turning the interior into a countryside theme. The palette is restrained; the materials carry the weight.
Bespoke joinery is central to the design. The black oak display cabinet, the dining table, the study desk, a zebrano-veneer cabinet and the gold-finished wardrobes in the dressing room were all designed and made to Choc Studio’s specification. Each piece was conceived for its specific room: the display cabinet gives the living room its orientation, the dining table sets the scale of the dining area. In the master bedroom, where the ceiling rises to over five metres, a custom Glamora wallcovering with a bird motif behind the bed creates a sense of enclosure in a space that would otherwise feel too open.
The sofa is by Rupert & Rupert, the Meridiani chaise longue upholstered in a Zinc fabric. Rugs by Carpetlinq and Limited Edition add texture underfoot. Lighting by Stout and Layer by Adje marks the accents. The dining chairs, upholstered in Kirkby Design fabric, follow the line of the table.
The result: a house that’s large enough to breathe in and warm enough to live in
The house works as a single, coherent whole: large enough to move through freely, warm enough to live in properly. The bespoke elements recede into the rooms rather than competing with them. Jan: “Julia and Robbert turned our house into a home. We could never have done that ourselves.”
This project was published in Stijlvol Wonen (Spring 2021). Photography: Denise Zwijnen – © Sanoma Regional Belgium N.V.
Working on a new build, or living in a house that doesn’t yet feel like yours? Get in touch for an introductory meeting at our studio in Bennebroek.