A Rotterdam Apartment Is Filled With One Artistic Couple’s Many Vintage Finds

ByAbd Rabbah


“We have many souvenirs from travels to Morocco, West Africa, and Rwanda that we treasure,” Stéphane says. Jeroen found the large drawing hanging above the living room’s fireplace in a Dutch thrift store, as an art student, and they had it framed in Canadian maple. The glass-cubes-turned-coffee-tables are from a museum nearby and match the one in their bedroom. “Our bedroom is the most classic room in the house, with lots of antique furniture,” Jeroen says. “We do pepper in some modern elements, too, [in order] to lighten things up.” In the kitchen, where they painted the cupboards a bright blue, there are even more trinkets hinting at warm memories or fortuitous deals.

“We basically hate the kitchen counter, it’s shiny black stone. so we have covered most of it with vintage marble slabs that we found in a thrift store in Belgium,” Stéphane says.

A Quick Mill Italian coffee machine sits near a small light from The DIRT.

“Like Stéphane mentioned, I’m a maximalist, so I have to be careful not to clog the space with my treasures,” Jeroen says. “I love rediscovering treasures that have been put away. It gives me the same thrill as the first time I found that particular item.”

Though they’ve curated each room and decided which pieces to proudly display, Jeroen continues to arrange it all to his liking. “I love change, and I’m constantly moving things around in small ways that aren’t too invasive,” he says. “I find a lot of pleasure in the details, and tablescaping is one of my favorite things. I love having people over for elaborate dinners and breakfasts. Even in the cupboards I make what I call ‘small scapes.’”

“We love going to thrift markets and auctions. We fall in love with items and have so far just bought the ones we like that are within our budget,” Jeroen says.

“We feel very lucky with our home. It’s actually not that big but we have a huge pocket door that you can close,” Stéphane says. “It breaks up the apartment, which basically is a very large studio space, into two.”

Their apartment is filled with all the good in their shared life, and whether that’s due to luck or timing, Stéphane and Jeroen are just happy to be experiencing it.

“Our bedroom is ridiculously big, which is why we made an extra sitting room in it. It is a really cozy room and is great for overflow during a party,” Jeroen says.

“I like to think that I’m safeguarding some of these items for the future,” Jeroen says. “I mean, life is temporary, and in the end we aren’t really owners of anything. When my time comes, I will have collected interesting items that will hopefully give lots of joy to other people who will then get to ‘own’ them for a while, too.

The couple turned to the Jardin Majorelle, Yves Saint Laurent’s Marrakech garden, as inspiration for their balcony, which overlooks a public garden that’s very secluded. “Winters in the Netherlands can be rather gloomy, so we love a little winter escape,” Jeroen says. “The deep blue of the pots never gets dull.” 



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