Inside the eclectically furnished house of Gert Voorjans | Design Notes

Clocks in my house never worked!

[clock ringing]

Oh!

Can you believe this?

[upbeat music]

Over here in this wonderful house,

I mean, I started it with one floor

and on this floor I live almost for 30 years.

And the entire building,

I have, I think, for about for 15 years.

So, time flies!

In fact, the house is only here

for me for my own inspiration.

This is not a showroom.

This is not a store.

This is not a gallery.

I think that I need this kind of energy,

it's like an artist studio.

It's like atelier

where pieces come, pieces go,

but I need that kind of drive and energy.

So, I hate to be, like,

in a very upscale showroom

of the most fabulous furniture.

It's also, what, I really hate labels.

I really think things has to be there,

gives the impression that came in

in a natural way.

I like clear white walls, like chalked walls,

like museum walls, I mean, it's fantastic,

but then color has to come in.

So, beside of all the different materials

I like to use

and I like the soft silk

and I like the rough epingle.

I think we also have to dive into color.

I love colors in, for instance, entrance hall

or in a dining room

where you really make like a box out of it,

and even the ceiling colored as well,

to bring in that intimacy.

I love Turquoise.

This is Chinese.

This is not very important,

but I like that kind of blue,

helps me a lot to give that contrast.

I very much believe

that contrast makes it all very interesting.

Yes, that's a bracelet.

It's made by a friend.

It's contemporary, but I love it.

And this is like then

the wooden sculpture based on a classical Venus.

But I like that kind of idea

that you bring elements

that they are, like, priceless in both sense,

that you have wonderful bronze,

or wonderful painting.

And under it, a cupboard is made out of paper.

Here, it's really like it

because it was before like my office

with my desk.

It's now overwhelmed

with all the books and knickknacks.

So, I love, here, this a really beautiful

from the School of Amsterdam.

Gouashe from the twenties.

But, in contrast with that,

I have the plaster hand.

I have some, for my birthday,

some kitsch Paris Eiffel Tower candlesticks.

So, everything has made value

as what the value you give to it.

This is a beautiful portrait

because I was very,

I very much liked the Rudolf Nureyev,

the ballet dancer.

And this is made by Lord Snowden.

This is part of the fabric collection for Jim Thompson.

And I love the naive painterly effects

of those flower bouquets

combined with the beautiful trimmings.

In the same collection,

that there is like the,

the beautiful garden party.

It's for me, very much,

I like the freshness

of the Amalfi Coast and the Capri.

[upbeat music continues]

So, here we are in the guest bedroom

and I call it, also,

I like to call it, the Moorish room,

because a few elements...

what was the base?

The ceiling comes from the World's Exhibition

in 1958 in Brussels

from the Moroccan Pavilion.

And to combine it with

this really folly furniture

who looks very much Turkish,

North Africa, but are made in England.

Even the less interesting rooms,

architecturally wise,

when we are there,

strong colors that makes them fun

and it gives twist.

And I bring also the element of some humor.

Also, what the fun part here

is that we have the bathtub incorporated.

Now, you see it more,

but 12 years ago, when I did it,

it was really like something kind of, wow!

But, if you stay here just for one or two nights,

it's fun to have all together.

And that you don't have to be

like in a corner shower,

to stand there in a kind of a strange box.

I don't believe in a time capsule.

I don't want to go back like, oh,

I believe only in 19th century

or in Victorian,

because I think

all quality pieces,

they can go together.

I think the personal choice

is very, very important.

And, at whatever it be,

we don't need an approval from everyone who walks in.

[upbeat music]