“Four years ago I had just given birth to my youngest son, when the sale of our house did not go through. We had to look for another house in a hurry. That is how we ended up in this rented house,” says Monique. “There are things I would do differently if it wasn’t a rental house.”
Monique works under the name The Interiorist as an interior designer for houses, retail, catering and even movie theaters. “I think it’s important to surround myself with things I like. That is the starting point for my designs; an interior should provide energy, but also peace. But that is difficult here in the house with four sons and a man, so that you constantly find things differently than you left them behind.”
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Cocktail Boutique
When you enter, it immediately falls ball rack on. Monique: “We have three sons who play rugby at HRC, so you can’t ignore those balls. That wall system is by architect and furniture designer Poul Cadovius. We have a lot of it because it comes from the Cocktail Boutique that Michel had in Amsterdam.
You can find them all over the house.” In the new Cocktail Boutique in the Molenstraat in the center of The Hague, Michel has opted for a whole new interior, of course designed by Monique. “I have translated their house style into interior design. With a few powerful graphic elements – abstract shapes from the logo that are magnified – I made it very recognizable. This way they can easily burn any space, such as their office, exhibition stand or other shops.”
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Small kitchen
“For six people is this kitchen is bizarrely small. I do like to cook, but with so little space that is a bit less. Actually, I cook everything, sometimes I use my friend Vanya van der Leeden’s cookbook, for which I did the branding. I also love Ottolenghi. Luckily my sons eat almost everything and they leave what they don’t like.”
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Antique
“The decor is quite practical came into being in this house; we put everything in it and I should really clean up a lot. But when I try to declutter, I suddenly find a walking stick or something else, which Michel has brought from the antique shop, Notre, Dame, which I recently took over from his parents.”
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Interior design
“I have been like I worked as an art director in the advertising world until I switched to interior design. Much of what hangs on the wall here dates from that time, such as work by photographers such as Jasper Zwartjes, Natasja Verschoor, Remko Kraaijeveld and Stephanie Pistel. We also have art from a good friend of ours, Rien Maat, and a portrait of Michel on a napkin made by Selwyn Senatori. It combines great with artwork from the kids, old movie posters and antique school posters.”
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Beautiful light
In the bathroom it is light beautifully. There are also many plants. And of course the wall system from Poul Cadovius. There is an extensive bathing ritual, Monique explains: “I am a terrible bath lover. Every morning (except Saturday) we all take a bath. That is wonderful to wake up to. For a long time we went with the five of us. As they get older, it gets less. Phil really doesn’t want any more; it has its own shower upstairs.”
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On the front steps
“Since corona we get along very well with many neighbors. Often we first sit on the sidewalk in front of the house because that’s where the sun is and the children play on the street. We turn with the sun and then end up in our backyard, often with half the neighbourhood, very cozy.”
Garden Photo: Indebuurt
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