Perfect vintage

Vintage and brocante finds brought an influx of character to Sylvia van Eindhoven’s home

putting a personal stamp on a home that was very nearly perfect to start with posed a challenge for Sylvia, who had been won over by the house in the country, packed with period features. ‘What I liked most about the house when I saw it for the first time were all the authentic details,’ says Sylvia. ‘I loved all the wood panelling everywhere, and the tiled floor in the kitchen.

I also loved the latticed window frames and the wood panelled ceilings. It all looked really cosy and had just the right welcoming atmosphere.’

There was no need for renovation as the house was fine just as it was – all it took was a lick of paint. The only thing Sylvia and her ex-husband had to do was add new wood panelling in the living room. A few years after moving in, however, they decided to build a bedroom on the flat roof above the kitchen. They were planning to start a family, and needed extra space. It took several months to build the new room and Sylvia painted the woodpanelled walls herself once the carpenters had finished. Next she turned her thoughts to the garden. ‘Three years ago we had a garden room and veranda built at the bottom of the garden. They’ve proved perfect additions and we use them such a lot all year round,’ adds Sylvia. ‘In colder weather I hang curtains across the front and put a heater in it, and there’s a small kitchen unit with electricity so I can make myself a cup of coffee.’

In her house and her garden room, Sylvia says her interior style has always been colourful with lots of flowers and pink shades. ‘But for the past two or three years I’ve been edging towards the more soothing grey and beige tones,’ she says. She still likes to have flowers everywhere but the look is now more vintage country style. ‘I love hunting for antiques and I have a tendency to fill up every room with newly found treasures I find at markets or on the internet,’ she adds. ‘I prefer secondhand items, mostly because they aren’t perfect and usually look like they have a history. They complete the cosy atmosphere in our house. It doesn’t need to look perfect. I was raised on a farm so I grew up with the kind of rustic things I have around me now. It makes my house feel like a real home to me.’

That homely look is the result of Sylvia slowly and steadily refining everything to her own style and taste. A few years ago, she had new cupboard doors made for the kitchen cabinets that were there when they bought the house. She wanted more of a country look, so painted the new cabinet doors in a muted blue-grey tone with chalk paint from the brand Pure, before updating the wall tiles with special tile paint. The concrete countertop also adds to the more rustic look. ‘Together with all the brocante and vintage accessories, it completes the country style I wanted,’ says Sylvia. ‘I do buy new things as well sometimes, but in my experience the vintage items always last longer and prove to be more solid in the end.’

Sylvia’s favourite room in the house is the living room but she and the children and their friends all make good use of the new veranda, especially in the summer. ‘My favourite piece of furniture is the green chest of drawers, next to the staircase in the living room,’ says Sylvia. ‘I saw these two bedside cabinets at Jan’s shop in Gemonde and I asked him if he could remove the legs of one of them and join them together. I am very pleased with the result.’ In fact, Sylvia says she couldn’t be happier with the way the whole house looks. ‘There are always small jobs that need to be done, like painting the veranda ceiling, which has been on top of my to-do list for some time now, but we are very content here, and the bedroom we built, the garden room and the veranda have all played their part in that.’

Left: Sylvia with cat

Sipke on the wicker sofa she bought at Praxis.

The crocheted cloth came from Marktplaats

Above: On the veranda outside the dining room is a small white table, bought from a vintage shop in Gemonde. The wooden airing rack came

Above left: The cast-iron bed in Sylvia’s room came from Wehkamp. Sylvia upcycled an old bedside cabinet, painting it in her favourite pale pink tone. The small grey cupboard and hanging cupboard came from White Rose Brocante in Boekel, as did the bedspread. The wooden shelf above the bed, the stool below it, and the pendant light all came from Marktplaats. For a similar rug, try H&M

| Photographs Joyce Vloet/cocofeatures Sylvia loves spending time in her open-sided garden room and the family use it in all weathers. The white storage bench, chairs and pendant lamp were sourced through online auctions, the blue bench came from a nearby furniture restorer’s shop, and the tablecloth is from Ikea

from Marktplaats, and the iron umbrella stand and the chandelier were bought at White Rose Brocante in Boekel. Sylvia loves enamel and has a big collection of vases and pots, mostly vintage finds, which she uses to display flowers. The lace curtains are from Ikea

Soft pinks and pale greens give the living room a warm, restful look. The sofa, stool and chandelier were bought secondhand from Marktplaats, and the coffee table came from White Rose Brocante in Boekel. The cupboard in the corner is from Ikea

Left: Sylvia had new kitchen cabinet doors custom made and painted them with blue-grey Pure paint. She also painted the wall tiles with special tile paint. The hanging lamp came from Clayre & Eef Below: The iron bannister dates from the 1970s and came from Het Achterhuis in Udenhout. A friend adjusted it to fit the stairs here. The green chest was custom made from two nightstands by furniture restorer Jan in Gemonde Below left: Sylvia gave an Ikea stool a distressed finish to suit the kitchen’s vintage style Right: The quarry tiles in the kitchen-diner were already here when Sylvia bought the house. The two industrial-style pendant lamps came from Marktplaats, the bentwood chair is from Kwantum, and the blue chair on the left and the Hungarian stool at the head end of the table were from a secondhand store. Sylvia has had the table for many years. The vinyl table cloth is from Leen Bakker and the lace curtain panels are from Ikea

Above: Jelle’s bedroom was built onto the flat roof above the kitchen. The daybed is from Ikea, the bedlinen and cushions are from Leen Bakker, and the bedside table is another of Sylvia’s vintage finds. Left: At the far end of Jelle’s bedroom is an antique cupboard that once belonged to Sylvia’s grandmother. Sylvia painted it white. For similar fisherman’s-style lamps, try Garden Trading