CALM COLORS
WITH A WHITE BACKDROP
In Melanie’s home in Holland, the interior design style is often adjusted to fit the season. Melanie and her husband bought this house from 1880 twelve years ago and although the place needed some serious TLC, the couple saw all the hidden possibilities. They spent five years renovating the house, then the garden and then the barn. Melanie has furnished the home in subdued, natural, soft colors. She enjoys walking through the forest or on the beach, and she always brings something home such as shells, weathered wood or just a twig. The house has a white "base", allowing Melanie to style it according to the season. She loves the combination of white, gray and sand in the winter, and she enjoys adding a hint of green in spring and shades of rose in the summer.
The white backdrop consists of white-painted floors and ceilings with white stucco. The walls have been painted in a subdued gray color and the big, comfortable sofas full of cushions and blankets dominate the living room. All the other pieces of furniture have been painted white and they’re combined with shutters with beautiful patina, amongst other things.
One of Melanie’s favorite items is the dining table which was made by her father out of old beams from a storehouse. It’s so wonderfully big and offers plenty of space for the entire family.
On the top floor, the couple created an extra bedroom and painted everything white and gray. The sun rises by this side of the house and in the mornings, the light is almost magical in this room.
