WARM TIDINGS Layers of rich texture and inviting colour

| DREAM HOUSE | tidings WARM RUSSET TONES AND FEATURE WALLPAPER HAVE BEEN TEAMED WITH BALINESE AND MOROCCAN TOUCHES IN SUZAN DEENS’ TRADITIONAL DUTCH FARMHOUSE

family room

‘I like a real Christmas tree but always vary the decoration,’ says Suzan. ‘Last year I added pampas grass plumes. We often have several Christmas trees around the place so it feels really cosy.’

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Jamila coffee table, £255; Joss oak coffee table in Black, £235, both Perch & Parrow, are similar. Try brass candle holders, £10.50 each, Graham and Green

HOME NOTES

WHO LIVES HERE? Suzan Deens and her husband Ronald live here with their children, Bart, 22, and Anne, 20, plus their three cats. Suzan is co-owner of interiors store Deens.nl, and Ronald is the owner of a pump manufacturer. THE PROPERTY A four-bedroom extended farmhouse, dating back to the 19th century, in the village of Hoeven in The Netherlands.

LIVING ROOM

The original classic fireplace was given a modern grey façade to make it less rustic. Safari Dance wallpaper, £100 a roll, Cole & Son

hen Suzan and Ronald Deens moved further inland to the village of Hoeven, in the Netherlands, the only thing they missed about their first home in Moerdijk was its location by the river.

‘We had nine wonderful years in our first home and always felt like we were on holiday,’ says Suzan. ‘So when we moved to a bigger semi detached house in Hoeven where Ronald grew up, we tried to recreate that same relaxed

wfeeling by completely rebuilding it, but to no avail. We just had to find a new place.’ With character homes in the village few and far between, their search for another property wasn’t easy. ‘In 2014, after four years of searching, I saw this former farmhouse online,’ says Suzan. ‘We knew the house from the old days. When we were kids in the ’80s, one of our friends lived here.’ It had been renovated and enlarged since, but still retained its charm. ‘For me it was love at first sight, as it’s such a

WOW MOMENT

The farmhouse’s exposed beams have been painted in fresh white for a more modern feel, and to maximise the feeling of height.

family room

‘We have several living spaces, each with its own purpose,’ says Suzan. ‘This room has less light than the others, so it's the place where we all like to gather and watch TV together.’

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Large Black Argyll industrial pendant, £109, Elesi, would work here. HK Living Christmas Tree canvas wall hanging, £25.99, Trouva, is comparable

WOW MOMENT

The opening between spaces acts as a frame for the room beyond and draws the eye through.

Living room

‘The house manages to be both spacious and cosy due to the different zoned areas,’ says Suzan. ‘It’s a lovely place for four to live in, but if the children leave home, then it’s also fine for two.’

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Try Hanging shelves, £35 for two, Barker & Stonehouse. Hay wooden hand, £20, Nordic Nest, is similar. Wooden reindeer decorations, from £12 each, Lisa Angel, would work

Kitchen

‘We’ve kept the solid wood handmade units but plan to remove elements, such as the trims on the extractor hood, as well as painting the cabinets a matt black,’ says Suzan.

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Try Shaker kitchen in Fossil Grey, from £1,496 for a small kitchen, Wren Kitchens. HK Living printed cotton/jute stonewashed rug, £111, Nunido, would work here

We have twogrown-upkidsandour HOME istheir HOME. Ourdooris ALWAYS openforfriends" “

unique place on a large corner plot,' says Suzan. The only downside were the seven metre high conifers in the garden. ‘This made it very dark inside, which was reinforced by the use of sombre colours on the walls and heavy curtains at the windows,’ she says.

Although the exterior was in good condition, the couple had the window frames painted black and installed stone sills, as well as removing the trees. ‘I did a little dance of joy when the first rays of the sun came in, as it made a world of difference,’ says Suzan.

Upstairs the old attic was converted into a modern bedroom for son Bart, while daughter Anne has her own apartment in the former garage, with a bathroom and private entrance.

‘We didn’t make any major changes to the house, just freshening the interior with white paint to counterbalance the black floor tiles in the kitchen diner and re painting the handmade

WOW MOMENT

The oversized brass pendants create drama above the dining table, and reflect the warm light from the candles for extra festive glow.

Dining area

‘I wanted to bring more atmosphere into this space, so opted for a calm patterned wallpaper in dark colours,’ says Suzan. ‘At Christmas, there’s 20 of us and we take turns cooking.’

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Harlequin Epitome wallpaper in Copper/Gold/Sepia, £62 a roll, Wallpaper Direct, is similar. Try Brooklyn brass dome pendant, £144, Industville. Green Panton S chair, from £59.50, Mobelaris

You can't buyyour INTERIORS piecesatonce. COLLECTION that GROWS.It’sanever-ending “ It’sa story“

kitchen in a pale grey,’ says Suzan. ‘After two months we realised the white walls didn’t feel right and started adding warmer colours. I always have to live somewhere for a while and experience what it’s like. Interior design should grow during your life – it’s an organic process.’

Suzan used feature wallpaper as the springboard for her colour themes, while rugs, in simple designs to avoid clashing with the wallpaper, break up the floors and bring in texture. Moving furniture, changing colours and adding wallpaper is an ongoing process for former window dresser Suzan, who now runs online interiors store, Deens, with her sister and a friend. ‘When friends come round, they invariably notice that something has changed again,’ she says. ‘This happens at least with every new season. We have many different spaces here, and I love to switch furniture from one spot to another, to create cosy new corners. I think it’s

Main bedroom

‘We removed the carpet and laid a wooden floor, as well as taking away classic elements, such as heavy curtains and a radiator cover,’ says Suzan.

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Nordic Bali rattan headboard, £399, Accessories for the Home, would work. Try Russet chalky emulsion, £40 for 2.5ltr, Craig & Rose. Embossed drum table, £198, Anthropologie, is a good alternative

WOW MOMENT

A rich warm-orange colour, even if used on just one feature wall, adds instant impact and warms up the space.

Bathroom

‘This space is our the next project,’ says Suzan. ‘I want a concrete-look floor, white wall tiles and colourful wallpaper, mixing contemporary with vintage elements, such as an old cabinet for the basins.’

BUY THE KEY PIECES

Try Brazil laundry basket, £265, La Redoute. GSI classic double wash basin, £595, Sanctuary Bathrooms, is comparable

Addoneortwoeye-catching plaindesignsfora PERSONAL printed CUSHIONS and UNIQUE touch"

my DNA because my mother used to do this all e time! At the moment, the living room is a favourite spot to read or chat with a drink.’

Suzan’s business sells a wide range of furniture, lighting and home accessories from Denmark and the Netherlands, including smaller, lesser known brands and a hand picked vintage collection. ‘All furniture, whether old or new, is welcome,’ she says. ‘If we like it we add it. We also have many items in our house from the past with a story that I cherish, so our home is a reflection of our life.’

Next, the couple plan to update the kitchen and bathroom, but when the children eventually move out they’ll turn Anne’s room into a main bedroom by extending it and opening it up to the garden. ‘This is definitely my dream house,’ says Suzan. ‘We’re completely free here because of the corner plot and at the same time very central to the village. What more could you wish for?’ n

The art of window dressing

DESIGNER MARGO SELBY AND HILLARYS HAVE CREATED AN EXCLUSIVE CAPSULE COLLECTION OF MODERN WINDOW TREATMENTS

Go for curtains in a striking graphic pattern, such as Stella in Navy

Choose from a range of bold patterns and colours, such as Zaha in Forest, to give your room a style boost

(W127XD137CM); CURTAINS OF PAIR A FOR £221 FROM

PRICES

WORDS LISA FAZZANI (W65XD75CM) BLIND FROM £155 FOR A ROMAN Choosing a standout fabric for a Roman blind or pair of curtains is like hanging a fabulous piece of art at the window. A lively print, bold colour or plush texture will add instant wow to any room. So we couldn’t be more excited to hear about Hillarys’ collaboration with British textile artist Margo Selby.

SIGNATUREPRINTS

Renowned for her graphic geometric weaves and distinctive colour palette, Margo’s exclusive capsule collection with Hillarys boasts a range of curtains, Roman blinds and cushions. In an energising colour palette of blues, greens and yellows, Margo’s signature bold graphics, crisp motifs and large scale repeats contrast with sumptuous textures, from plush velvet and devore linen, to rich jacquard and damask.

TAILORMADE

Each piece is made to measure and installed by local expert advisors for the perfect fit. ‘The quality of the finished pieces is excellent,’ says Margo. ‘I have complete faith in Hillarys’ technical expertise and know the end result in customers’ homes will be to an excellent quality. It’s so exciting to have my designs made so accessible.’

Make a statement with Stella in Mustard

WHERE TO BUY

Visit hillarys/margo-selby-at-hillarys. co.uk to book a free appointment

decoratingTRANSFORM | UPDATE | CREATE

“It seems like DESIGN alchemy, but there’s a FORMULA behind the perfect room SCHEME & you can master it”

HEATHER YOUNG, EDITOR