EVERGREEN
Dubai, South-Africa and Amsterdam. Interior architect Roelfien Vos managed to incorporate these colourful and special places in a new building in Amsterdam, which became a cosmopolitan sweet spot, packed with extraordinary details and a refined level of customization.
Studio Name: Roelfien Vos Interior Design & Architecture – https://roelfienvos.com/
Design Team: Team Roelfien Vos
Area: the Netherlands
Year: 2022
Location: Amsterdam
Photography Credits: Space Content Studio – https://spacecontent.studio/
Text credits (if you place the text – or parts of it – like below): Roos Schoemaker
Other Credits: Suppliers: Steegaa Interior, Orac Decor, Buildings Vloeren
Text Roos Schoemaker
You wouldn’t guess it, but the home you are looking at is a newly built apartment. Interior architect Roelfien Vos has added so much detail and refinement that the building resembles a historical manor house with an international glamour. The resident lives and works all over the world, has visited placed such a Dubai and South Africa. His roots, however, are in the Jordaan; the most well-known and a typical neighbourhood in Amsterdam. He wanted to add the multicolour and clash of cultures to his new house. A job that fits Vos like a glove; playing with bold colours and patterns is what makes her the happiest. “I get into a state of euphoria when I’m mixing colours and prints,” she says. “It comes naturally to me. I don’t think you can teach that and I’m very grateful for the talent I’ve been given. The trick is to ensure that an interior remains in balance despite bold colours and elements. The surprising projects I’ve designed and my gut to create bold interiors was exactly why this client came to me.
Connection
The house is part of a new construction project. In order to be able to determine as much as possible, the house has been delivered as a shell, allowing the layout to be adapted to the needs of the resident. The wall between the hall and the kitchen has been removed and replaced by a glass wall with patterns of steel and brass, creating a spacious feeling. The original staircase had no details and while installing the wall the idea arose to make a connection with the steel of the glass wall and the staircase. Vos: ‘For me, a design is always a total concept. All walls, floors and ceilings are reviewed and will be custom designed to a high level of detail. By implementing the steel and brass from the staircase into the handrailing upstairs, it creates a connection between floors. Also, shapes are repeated in the marble elements of the railing and the pattern of the mouldings in the hallway. A beautiful mix of materials. Playing with materials, colours and shapes is what I do best and I’m always looking to connected all of this together, which is very visible in this house.’ In the kitchen the same materials are used, together with warm walnut wood. In the adjoining living room, again the same materials have been applied. The reciprocity of the brass lines in the walnut creates a connection with the glass wall, making the whole design contemporary. Some panels can be opened and used for storage space. To hide all technology the ceilings in the house are lowered and subsequently are enriched with mouldings that are made up of sometimes four different profiles and emphasized with indirect lighting. Partly because of this, you get the impression that you are in a monumental building instead of a brand-new building.
Master suite
Striking in the project is the colour green, which seems to come back throughout the house. And not only in this project, says Roelfien. “All my life I have loved the colour green and all its tones. When I was thirteen years old, I had a green room and since I started my studio 22 years ago, this colour has been recurring in my projects over the years. Green brings tranquillity and can be combined with almost anything. In this project, for example, it works very strongly in combination with dark grey, wood and white. But also, with the deep pink wallpaper in the living room; an unusual combination and exactly the kind of experiment I love so much.’ The colour green also brings us into the master suite, the masterpiece of the house. Three areas were merged into a spacious, luxurious suite containing a dressing room and bathroom with the appearance of an international boutique hotel. Dark wooden panels are added to the walls which create a graphic and playful design. The woodwork is the connecting factor; it frames the bath and decorates the dressing doors. All the interior construction work was done by Vos and her team which ensures that all the spaces have a unique and impressive result. Every detail is thought through and fits the design and that is exactly what studio Roelfien Vos stands for. “It’s always amazing to hear from the client that they recognize themselves in the home. I am also very happy with how personal and unique this house has become.’ Now it is time to let go, which is not always so easy. “When you work on a project for so long and are so involved, it feels a bit like your own home. When I handover the key to the resident, it always takes some time to get used to the fact that I become the ‘guest’ in the house.
ABOUT ROELFIEN VOS
Roelfien Vos, award winning interior designer, works internationally for the residential and hospitality sector. Up until 1986 she lived in Germany, where she completed her education. After having acquired experience in a variety of commercial positions, she started her career in 1999 as an interior designer and the co-founder of “De Blauwe Kamer”. In 2010 she continued the eponymous design company as the owner and founder of Roelfien Vos Interior Design & Architecture.
Roelfien finds inspiration in international design fairs, as well as during the numerous trips abroad – which are part of her work. Her style is an eclectic mix of contemporary design, global finds and custom-designed creations with close attention to detail. Roelfien Vos Interior Design & Architecture unifies and creates a perfect balance in the choice of materials, colours, architectural forms and the way to combine them. As every project stands out by a luxurious and exclusive custom design, the characteristic features of these projects are based on the clients’ individual needs and desires. The ability to interpret these leads to a refined and admirable design concept.
With extensive experience delivering exclusive designs for both residential and hospitality projects, Roelfien Vos Interior Design & Architecture has cultivated an unparalleled fusion of experience and services to provide clients the ultimate feeling in exclusive living. Her work has been featured in some of the most prestigious magazines such as “Residence”, “Vogue” and “The Art of Living”. International renowned clients find their way to Roelfien Vos to create lifetime experiences for them.
