CUT & COLOUR

By carving up its spaces and filling it with saturated hues, designer Roelfien Vos has given this new build serious character

-  Roos Schoemaker

LIVING ROOM The wood-effect vinyl wallcovering (left) feels very mid-century modern.

HOME FRONT 

THE DESIGNER

The Amsterdam-based interior designer Roelfien Vos of Roelfien Vos Interior Design & Architecture. She designed this Amsterdam apartment for globe-trotting clients to use as their base.

THE PROPERTY

A three-storey apartment in a new development in the Jordaan area. On the lower ground floor is a child's bedroom and bathroom, a storeroom, a 'pyjama' lounge, a guest bedroom and a courtyard patio. On the ground floor is an entrance hall, dining area, kitchen and living space, plus a balcony. On the first floor is the main bedroom suite, with a walk-in wardrobe and bathroom, plus a guest bedroom with a shower room and WC.

FIREPLACE Newly introduced architectural detailing like the walnut panelling with inlaid-brass seams gives the new-build home a sense of age.

Clashing styles, colours and patterns is not something that deters intrepid interior designer Roelfien Vos. "There shouldn't be any rules,' she says. 'Mixing colours and prints comes naturally to me. I don't think you can teach that, but the trick is to ensure that an overall interior remains in tune, despite any bold elements. In fact, my most surprising and "gut-driven" designs were why these clients came to me in the first place.

DINING AREA Geometric motifs punctuate the scheme for standout style and they act as a foil to the swathes of verdant green.

Said clients live all over the world, regularly travelling between Dubai and South Africa, but still very much considers the Amsterdam neighbourhood of Jordaan as their touchstone. 'I think the family will spend Christmas here, as their elder children live in Amsterdam,' reveals Roelfien.