No.10
This new-build apartment was just an empty shell until designer Roelfien Vos worked her magic and gave it a bold new layout and look – both of which are amazing
PRODUCTION WILLEMIJN DE LEEUW
HOMETRUTHS
THE PROPERTY A three-storey apartment in a new development
ROOMS Sitting room, den, dining area, kitchen, cloakroom, four bedrooms, four bathrooms
LOCATION Amsterdam
Clashing styles, colours and patterns is not something that deters intrepid interior designer Roelfien Vos. ‘There shouldn’t be any rules,’ she says happily. ‘Mixing colours and prints comes naturally to me. I don’t think you can teach that, but the trick is to ensure that overall an interior remains in tune, despite any bold tones and elements.’ Roelfien’s client bought the Amsterdam apartment as a newly built shell and asked her to design an interior that would reflect their cosmopolitan outlook. ‘The layout was up to us to design,’ explains Roelfien. ‘The first thing we did was to remove the solid wall between the kitchen and hallway and replace it with brass-inlaid glass. Looking through, the staircase now appears to float, which creates a tremendous feeling of space.’
The attention to detail has produced a scheme that works on every level. ‘The architectural detailing deceives people into thinking it’s a historic building,’ says Roelfien. ‘For example, I replicated the steel and brass from the staircase in the railing upstairs to create a connection between the floors. I then repeated shapes: the marble inserts in the railing are mirrored in the hallway mouldings. While I play with materials, shapes and colour, I’m always keen to create a cohesive, connected feeling.’ Throughout the property ceilings were lowered as a way to hide all the tech. Subsequently enhanced with decorative mouldings, a shadow gap is then used to cleverly introduce a seam of illumination that creates the impression of greater height, as well as the key feeling of luxe that Roelfien was after.
