The Dutch home reno that shows us how it's done

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Verbouw woonhuis Kwakkenberg Nijmegen, Van de Looi en Jacobs Architecten Van de Looi en Jacobs Architecten Modern houses
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We pride ourselves on finding the most unusual and dramatic home renos to show you, which is why we are giving ourselves a big old pat on the back for this one! The original house here dates back to the 1960s and has a modernist charm to the facade, but with an impractical internal layout, the space was left feeling dark and totally segregated from the gorgeous surroundings. Cue a talented architect swooping in to totally change the design, but without impacting on the lovely exterior!

The number of rooms needed to be increased, but there was a strict mandate in place to not alter the outside look, while still improving the relationship between interior and exterior spaces. Quite the challenge, but what has been accomplished is amazing. With new glazing welcoming in a huge amount of extra light, particularly in the extra bedrooms, in addition to a fantastic new skylight in the heart of the home In the heart of the home, there is such a feeling of airiness and space here now, so let's take a look! 

A facade to not mess with!

Don't you just love this quintessentially 1960s home? Everything about this house design just screams of modernism and efficient construction, which is why we can understand why the facade itself was absolutely not to be messed with or adulterated in any way.

A dark interior.

So this is how the house felt before the reno and you can really see why there was a need to draw a lot more light inside! Small windows were just really ineffective in bring natural illumination into play and more than that, there really isn't any connection to the outside. What a waste!

A total transformation.

Now THIS is an interior that really fits such a quirky facade! Taking the brave decision to add in a HUGE amount of glazing, in the form of sliding windows, was inspired, as it has totally blurred the line between inside and outdoor spaces, while also dragging every possible ray of light into the living area. the contemporary decor works so well here and offers a wonderfully sleek and bright aesthetic.

Light and bright!

Now you can see how much attention was given to transforming the dark corridors! Being the center of the house, this hallway could have been hard-pressed to get enough light, but that's why there are so many extra skylights and windows! Decorating almost exclusively with plain white has really helped to bolster the newly discovered light as well! A modern triumph!

Before and after plans.

Well… now you can see what a massive redesign was actually carried out! It wasn't simply a case of splitting one big room into two, as it looks as though nearly every room and wall was adapted! You can't deny that the results mean the efforts were worthwhile though, as we would 100% be willing to move to The Netherlands for this charming house!

For more from The Netherlands, take a look at this Ideabook: 2 Dutch houses that will make you want to relocate to The Netherlands.

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