LOFTY AMBITIONS
How do you turn an old furniture workshop into a cosy family home? It may seem impossible – but by making careful design decisions, Jan and Juliette Meems transformed a 300m² open loft-style space into the warm and inviting home of their dreams.
Tackling a substantial renovation may seem like a difficult task, rife with potential pitfalls and opportunities for things to go wrong. But for Juliette and Jan Meems, the secret to a good outcome was simple: just take your time.
The couple thought long and hard about the layout of the home. Family and friends – some who were experts on the matter, others who were not – gave their advice. Having permission to break down the old factory walls before the sale went through was also a very important piece of the design process. It allowed for an early perspective on what the space had to offer, and made the final design evolve more naturally.
Initially the couple envisioned a large garden set in the middle of the building, but this idea was replaced by a simple outdoor patio in between the living and sleeping quarters. Says Jan, “When our initial plan proved to be too invasive, we practised the art of letting go – to make room for new possibilities.” Instead, the garden was moved to the back near the kitchen.
“Now the garden is more private and hidden from the street,” Jan says. “It was also the most logical option for optimised sunlight.”
The garden is now a beautiful green space that the whole family can enjoy spending time in.
PLAYING WITH HEIGHT
When asked how one comes up with a layout for such an immense space, Jan and Juliette give the exact same answer: “Go with what’s logical”.
Juliette goes on to explain further. “The location of the kitchen was determined early on in the process – close to the garden for easy access and outdoor dining. We didn’t want a centrally located living area, instead we chose a corner of the space that is cosy and good for relaxing. We used one of the existing factory doors as our entrance,” she says.
The layout that Jan and Juliette chose is not only logical, it’s also very functional. The hallway created a large block that the rest of the space became subject to. Juliette says, “Because the space is so big and everything is on ground level, you need to play with the ceiling height to create interest, and to close off the separate areas and functions in the home.”
Jan and Juliette continued to add to their chosen layout. “The fireplace offers us a certain flexibility,” says Jan. “Sometimes we place our dining table in front of it, other times the sofa.”
THE PIECES PUT TOGETHER
The biggest concern with Juliette and Jan’s design was how to piece together the atmosphere of the home – they wanted their open, industrial loft to still feel warm and inviting. “We kept searching for a balance between cool and warm,” says Juliette.
The bedrooms, which needed privacy from the living room, were built on the other side of the patio. “The walls were already there, so this made the most sense,” explains Jan. These kinds of decisions were mostly informed by the building’s existing skylights and the supporting walls. “They offered the framework for our layout,” says Jan.
When all the puzzle pieces fitted together and Jan and Juliette felt sure of their choices, their smart and unique design was finalised. Next, they took on the substantial renovation.
The long, blue steel kitchen island makes a real statement in the home. It is Jan and Juliette’s very own design, and it was manufactured locally. “We pondered the kitchen design carefully and – once again – we took our time,” laughs Juliette. “The kitchen space is a big square, so we really had to think about the different functions. All the cooking happens on one side – where the oven, sink and stove are located. On the other side is a breakfast bar and lots of cupboard space so the dishes are within reach of the dining table.”
Jan adds, “The understated white built-in cabinets don’t take attention away from the kitchen island.”
When the family is eating together they enjoy their meals at the table, but Jan and Juliette love sharing a meal together at the bar.
Jan and Juliette chose a muted palette for their interior – the only splashes of colour are in the exposed ceiling and walls. The one exception is in the bedroom, where a wall was painted grey.
True to the history of the building, exposed brick walls alternate with unpainted, raw stuccoed walls. The exposed pipes add a bit of colour and give the space an industrial look.
A central wall in the bathroom is covered in teak wood cladding, made from pieces of wood left over from the old furniture factory. With the same wood and simple Ikea sinks, Jan built a bathroom vanity. Juliette says, “The idea that the bathroom is part of our bedroom was inspired by the open loft atmosphere that we envisioned for this immense building. We absolutely wanted to keep the spaces open, and not box off each area.”
Finding the right furniture pieces for this substantial home has taken time. The oversized sofa in the sitting area is new, as are the dining room chairs by Leolux and the wooden chair from No-fruit. But the old work bench was inherited from the furniture workshop.
“It’s important to keep some of that history around, because furniture was designed here on a daily basis for more than 50 years,” explains Jan.
ROOM TO GROW
When transforming such a large, industrial space into a family home, you can’t help but wonder if it will really be able to scale down to its new function. Still, Jan and Juliette seem to absolutely love it. “The size and proportion of the space is really enjoyable,” says Jan.
And Juliette sums it up perfectly when she says, “The atmosphere in this home is great.”