Tickled pink
Linda Engels’ eclectic home vibrates with colour, pattern and vintage Christmas cheer
Linda Engels’ exuberant family home lends itself to the festive season. Her joyful decor forms the perfect backdrop to the big Christmas tree sparkling with its vintage glass baubles.
Linda, a designer and owner of Studio Dada in the Netherlands, her partner René Wijnands, an occupational therapist, plus daughters Roos, 13, and Lieve, 11, and son Faas, 9, decorate the house together, using the treasures they have collected over the years. ‘The children decorate their own rooms and there’s always a proper Christmas tree which we choose together,’ says Linda.
René and Linda found the house in 2000. ‘We were looking for a place with features that characterised the architecture of the 1930s, a period I adore,’ says Linda. ‘My sister-in-law told us this property was for sale and we fell in love with all the old details – the mint green wall tiles, the wooden floors, stained-glass windows, en suite sliding doors, a beautifully designed staircase, and a spacious garden. We loved the beauty of it, and the atmosphere.’
The property was extremely run-down, though, and the challenge it presented to two novice homeowners who were determined to turn it back into one house from a shop and a flat, was huge. The only thing they didn’t need to do was build an extension. ‘René took five months
off work, and set about demolishing everything we didn’t want,’ says Linda. ‘Then we put in a new kitchen, redecorated the bedrooms and replaced the ceilings and floors, sanding the original boards. Next, we painted the walls and made the unkempt garden into a place where we could sit and relax. Finally the house had turned into a home.’
Linda has long been a collector of everything from mirrors to baubles, picture frames to boxes, and she’s entranced by colour and pattern. With her designer’s take on illustration and presentation, the result is an energetic, but carefully collated display.
‘I find my inspiration in the materials available,’ she explains. ‘I specifically like matching vintage pieces with new objects that I’ve found. It’s my signature style. Collecting is in my blood. My grandfather used to collect all sorts of curiosities and display them in stylish ways in his home, which fascinated me as a little girl. The look I wanted to achieve here was a mix of nostalgic, eclectic, tonguein-cheek and cosy. All our pieces have a story and we cherish that.’
Come Christmas Day, the family brings out brightly coloured tableware and sit down to a meal, just the five of them and Snoes the cat. ‘ We stay at home and take it easy,’ says Linda. ‘ We enjoy a lazy breakfast and read our favourite books. Winters are always busy but Christmas is our quiet time in the hustle and bustle of daily life.’