Interior design listed building Bloemendaal: from bare shell to a home that works
On the grounds of park Brederode in Bloemendaal, a former hospital, a nationally listed monument, was redeveloped into private residences. The new owners received the property as a shell: soaring ceilings, original architectural structures and rich period details, but no interior. In 2020, Choc Studio handled the full project, from spatial design and material selection through to furnishing and styling.
The brief: how do you design the interior of a listed building when the architecture sets the rules?
The clients already knew Choc Studio from their previous home in Haarlem. They knew what they wanted, but also what was at stake. A listed building comes with its own rules: every intervention is reviewed, nothing is straightforward. The spaces were impressive but also very high and empty, with proportions that called for answers beyond standard interior solutions. Everything still had to be worked out, from the spatial plan to the last material choice.
The approach: one central element that determined the entire spatial layout
The spiral staircase isn’t in the original floor plan. We designed it. And that decision shapes everything that follows: the circulation through the building, the focal point on every floor, and the starting point from which every surrounding room was developed. The kitchen, too, was designed by Choc Studio, connected in material and colour to the rest of the plan.
The building spans several floors, each with its own function. The living areas are furnished with pieces from Meridiani and Prades, alongside items from the Pure Choc collection. The bedrooms and study follow the same approach: restrained in colour, substantial in material. Wall coverings from Wall&Deco and Arte work with the ceiling height rather than against it. Lighting from Nemo and Tooy reinforces the architecture. Every choice follows the same logic: what does the space ask for, and what suits the people living there?
The result: a listed building in Bloemendaal that functions as a proper home
The interior carries the history of the building without freezing it. High walls, original structures, the spiral staircase placed at the centre. The furnishings are contemporary. Both hold their ground, and neither gives way to the other. Walk in and you see a listed monument that’s also genuinely lived in.
“We knew that working with them we’d get the most out of this property. Robbert and Julia truly thought of everything.” Nicole and Enrico, Bloemendaal
Photography: Denise Zwijnen for Stijlvol Wonen, ©DPG Media Home Deco N.V.
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