Interior design monumental townhouse Haarlem: from a busy colour scheme to a calm setting for original 1893 details
In 2010, Choc Studio completed the interior design for a monumental townhouse in Haarlem, built in 1893. Rahana and Abdoel bought the property for a fresh start, but the previous occupants had painted the walls in bright colours throughout the house. Choc Studio began by bringing calm to the foundation, then built the interior from there. The house itself needed little work: most of the original features had survived. The real task was creating a setting in which those features could stand out again.
The brief: how do you give a historic townhouse a calm foundation without losing its original details?
The townhouse dates from 1893 and was home to the Bishop of North Holland until the 1940s. The interconnecting rooms, stained glass windows and ornate ceilings were still original, but had faded into the background against the bold colour scheme. Rahana and Abdoel wanted an interior that suited their new life, without losing the history of the house.
The approach: oiling an existing Merbau floor black instead of replacing it
Choc Studio took on the full foundation: woodwork, floors and walls were given a soft, light base, with white for the woodwork. The parquet floor on the ground level was sanded and oiled. For the Merbau floor upstairs, Choc Studio suggested an approach that wasn’t the obvious one: oiling the reddish-brown floor black instead of replacing it. A choice the installer himself was sceptical about at first, but one that let the floor’s character stand out within the calm new base.
The result: an interior where the original 1893 details take centre stage again
Against this calm foundation, the interior took its final shape: a linen and cotton sofa by Verzelloni, a rug by Mohawk made from recycled plastic bottles, and in the dining room a table by Pilat & Pilat in soaped walnut with Metropole chairs upholstered in Romo fabric. The master bedroom has a bed by Pullman with a custom-made headboard, a Meridiani bedside table and a Stout lamp.
Abdoel on the black floor: “We thought it was quite a bold move to turn that red Merbau floor black. The fitter wasn’t sure about it either at first. But once it was done, he was thrilled, and so were we. Without that advice, we’d probably have had a completely new floor laid.”
This project was published in Stijlvol Wonen (Spring 2010). Photography: Tessa Francesca – © Sanoma N.V.
Does your home have plenty of original character, but does the foundation no longer feel right? Get in touch with Choc Studio for a no-obligation introductory conversation.