To riff on Robert Frost, when it comes to interior design, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” Or at least a wall that reads like a plain plane. True, some folks love an uninflected expanse of white, broken only, perhaps, by a painting positioned just so. But when building out a brand-new unit for a client in Amsterdam, interior architect Roelfien Vos engaged fully with the envelope of the space.
Situated in the city’s desirable Jordaan district, the property is home to a Dutch family of five whose primary residence is in Dubai. Delivered as a shell, it allowed Vos the freedom to orchestrate the space from the ground up.
While committed to creating very specific identities for the various rooms, Vos was also determined to invest the interiors with a sense of openness, a tactic apparent in the floating staircase and the glass-and-brass wall that wraps around the kitchen.
Where another designer might have gone for a loftlike appearance congruent with the building’s construction, Vos fashioned a more layered but no less contemporary look. Impressive moldings cap the rooms with a traditional touch, but the walls take off in a more freewheeling yet still substantial way.
The living room epitomizes Vos’ full-on approach to addressing the perimeter of a space. One long wall is covered in a deep pink silk from Élitis. Another supports a custom walnut-and-brass, built-in component featuring a fireplace and deep niches for display. Here, as elsewhere, she has chosen green paint to round out the wall treatment. “I’ve loved the color green and all its tones all my life,” admits Vos. “When I was 13 years old, I had a green room, and since I started my studio 22 years ago, this color has formed a thread in my projects.”
In the dining area that sits directly off the kitchen, Vos applied another Élitis product, a mosaic-like paper with a mother-of-pearl appearance. The wall above a built-in desk in the basement lounge is covered in a weave of abaca (natural leaf fiber) and foil. And in a most striking move, the area above the kitchen sink sports a bold print from Filicudi. Throughout the home, black functions as a framing device, giving a satisfying weight to various components – such as the cupboards in the lounge and the primary bathroom – and injects a sense of luxe into these interiors. Observes Vos, “The use of black and wood – a Wenge finish on oak – gives warmth to the rooms and at the same time, a modern touch. The windows and some details in the glass wall, as well as the rail for the stairs, are also black, which allows these to stand out and form a beautiful combination with the customized millwork.”
When it comes to furnishings, curvilinear forms dominate in the living room with its classic Lady armchair by Marco Zanuso, a Thonet-inspired Targa Lounge Chair designed by GamFratesi in 2015 and the Lucena coffee table from Duran Interiors, all of which sit on an Ebru rug with a center medallion spun of colorful, gargantuan blooms. The kitchen dining area is set with a walnut-topped Opus Table from Potocco and cane chairs from Satelliet. In each room, there’s a solid sympathy between the visual weight and profile of the furniture pieces and the adventurous way in which Vos has treated the walls. “I get into a state of euphoria when I’m puzzling with colors and prints,” she confides. “The trick is to ensure that an interior remains in balance despite bold colors and elements.” Equilibrium achieved.
Photography by Space Content.
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