A look inside Jutta's home in Finland
Scandinavian simplicity and colorful accents
Sofie's old farmhouse
This week, we’re taking a look at Sofie's place in Hillegom, the Netherlands. She lives with her husband Ray and two children in an old farmhouse, built in 1881. It was originally built by a bulb grower, who used to have his sheds and bulb fields out back. These were removed and only the farmhouse is still standing. By the time Sofie and her husband had purchased it, a separate office and summer house had already been built on the side of the plot. The outbuildings have been converted into residential homes where Sofie's in-laws live. And that is, as Sofie says herself: "very handy when you have two small children."
About Sofie
LIVES in Hillegom TOGETHER with her husband Ray and two children INSTAGRAM @sofiedekruiff and @thehomestyleclub WEBSITE thehomestyleclub.com ON THE WALL Modern Geometry No 1 by Pascal Deckarm, Abstract portrait nude by Carla van Iersel and Fierce by Jacky
Sofie's dream job
You might know Sofie from her Instagram account @sofiedekruiff, or as the co-founder of The Home Style Club. When we ask what the mission of her new company is, Sofie answers: "Making it possible for everyone to live in a beautiful, lovely home. Along with Nancy, I've come up with a way for people to buy a really comprehensive interior design plan for a low price. It's great that building our company doesn't feel like work at all. We meet lots of lovely people and go to the most beautiful places. You could basically say that it's my dream job!"
Nice surprises
Sofie: "When we bought this house, we fortunately encountered quite a few nice surprises. It turned out there was an old terrazzo floor under the kitchen flooring, and in the hallway, under a layer of PVC and tiles, we found that the original marble floor was still there. It's a huge shame that these were ever covered up!" Another big change that they made relates to the ceilings. The previous residents had lowered the ceilings in all the rooms by about 40cm. Sofie and her husband raised these again and, in a number of rooms, they even added their own mouldings to the walls and ceiling.
Colourful and eclectic
When asked what her interior design style is, Sofie answers: "I think that my style is best described as eclectic. You'll find almost every style in our home, except industrial and rustic. Since we've been living here, I've moved more towards a modern interior design style, in terms of my furniture and accessories, because the house itself is such a beautiful, classic counterbalance. But you'll still see throughout the house that I have a soft spot for antiques and vintage." The couple has also grown more and more aligned in terms of their interior design style. While Ray was originally more into classic and industrial and Sofie liked colourful and Scandinavian, together they've developed their current interior design style. Sofie: "It's so extreme that when Ray took the quiz on The Home Style Club to find his perfect interior design match, he just ended up with me."
"Only buy things if they make your heart jump for joy and don't think too much about the style. If I think something's really pretty AND it matches my colour palette, then I'll buy it."
Hotel chic with a twist
Sofie: "Our most recent project in the house was the guest room. We wanted to create a hotel chic feel for our guests, but with a twist. In the guest room, you'll find "abstract portrait nude" by Carla van Iersel. Sofie wanted to hang something in the guest room that would add a sensual touch. "I've always thought the female form is beautiful and this work really captures all your attention in the space. I have to say that the guest room is now more beautiful than our own bedroom and we often sneak off to sleep there instead!"
Fotography: Lotte van Uittert
