"I Wanted To Avoid Any Sense Of Newness" — You'd Never Guess That This Storied, Architecturally-Rich Home Is Actually A New Build
AIThis post was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI).

TL;DR

Buying for a business?Offer from Amazon

Get business pricing on your home office setup

  • Business-only prices and quantity discounts
  • Tax-exempt purchasing
  • Multiple users, one account, clear invoices
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

Interior designer Roelfien Vos designed a newly built home near the northern coast of the Netherlands with historical details and custom features intended to make it feel as if it had evolved over time. The project includes a concealed kitchen, rooms with distinct moods and a swimming pool floor that can rise to create a terrace.

Interior designer Roelfien Vos has designed a newly built home near the northern coast of the Netherlands to evoke a house shaped over time, using early 20th-century references, custom detailing and rooms with distinct identities. In a report by Livingetc, Vos said the aim was to avoid the sense of newness typically associated with a recent build, while giving the owners a home designed for family life and entertaining.

Vos told Livingetc that the clients gave her broad creative freedom, asking her to work as an artist without boundaries. She used that brief to shape a house in which each room has its own atmosphere, while details such as ceiling treatments, moldings, wallpaper and carefully planned transitions connect the spaces. Vos said the rooms were designed “down to the centimeter,” with the intention that the finished interiors would feel natural rather than overly calculated.

The design draws on early 20th-century architecture, particularly Art Deco. Custom square-motif paneling appears in the office, while glossy fireplace tiles, patterned surfaces and vintage chairs add further historical and tactile references. In the living area, Vos created two seating zones to make a large space feel cozier. Elsewhere, a bar conceals the kitchen, and a custom gantry between the bar and kitchen provides access to glassware.

The home also includes features designed around how the owners host. According to Vos, the swimming pool floor can be raised at the push of a button to form a large terrace; matching tiles help connect it with the area above. A media and games room uses a deep blackcurrant color scheme and was conceived around the German idea of a “Stammtisch,” or gathering table for friends. Vos also said the owners begin decorating for Christmas in November and may keep festive touches into January.

At a glance
reportWhen: Recently featured by Livingetc; the rep…
The developmentA Livingetc report profiles Roelfien Vos’s new-build home in the Netherlands, designed with early 20th-century and Art Deco references to avoid a just-built appearance.

Designing for History and Hosting

The project shows how a new-build interior can be given a strong sense of age and character through design rather than through the preservation of an older structure. Vos’s approach combines historical references with bespoke elements, including custom paneling and a kitchen concealed behind a bar. The result, as described in the Livingetc report, is less a uniform contemporary interior than a sequence of spaces with different uses and moods.

For readers interested in residential design, the home also illustrates how aesthetic choices and practical planning can work together. The two seating areas address the scale of the living room; the concealed kitchen responds to the owners’ preference for a less visible work space; and the liftable pool floor allows the area to serve as a terrace when raised. These are features reported by Vos and Livingetc, not evidence of how often or in what way the family uses them.

Products Worth Considering

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 Smart Bulb Starter Kit, 2-Pack

Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 Smart Bulb Starter Kit, 2-Pack

As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.

Art Deco in a New Build

The house is a new construction, not a historic property that has been restored. Vos said she used early 20th-century architectural detailing, especially Art Deco elements, as a reference point so the interior would appear to have developed over time. The report describes paneling, moldings, wallpaper and material contrasts as part of that strategy.

Livingetc presents the project as a highly customized home created from a blank canvas. Its images and descriptions show varied spaces, from a richly colored media room to a quieter bedroom with suede-covered walls. The account focuses on the designer’s decisions and the owners’ brief; it does not provide information about the home’s address, construction date, budget or architectural firm.

““I wanted to avoid any sense of newness.””

— Roelfien Vos, interior designer, speaking to Livingetc

Project Details Not Disclosed

The Livingetc report does not identify the home’s exact location, completion date, overall cost or the construction team. It also does not independently document the pool mechanism or provide technical details about how it operates. The reported description of the home’s design and features is based chiefly on Vos’s account, and the article does not include comments from the owners.

It is also unclear how the home performs in everyday use or how frequently the owners use its adaptable entertaining spaces. The report presents the designer’s intentions and selected features, rather than an assessment of the building’s energy performance, accessibility or maintenance needs.

No Further Project Dates Given

Livingetc’s feature is a design profile, and it does not announce a forthcoming opening, renovation phase or public event. No next milestone for the home is identified in the source material. Readers can expect further details only if Vos, the owners or the publication share additional information about the property.

Key Questions

Where is Roelfien Vos’s new-build home?

The home is described as being near the northern coast of the Netherlands. The report does not give an exact address or town.

What makes the house look older than it is?

Vos said she drew on early 20th-century architecture, particularly Art Deco, and used historical detailing such as custom paneling, moldings and patterned surfaces to soften the appearance of a new build.

What happens to the pool floor?

According to Vos, the pool floor can be raised at the push of a button to create a large terrace. The report does not provide engineering specifications or other technical details.

Was the kitchen designed to be visible?

No. Vos told Livingetc that the owners wanted the kitchen hidden, so she designed a bar to conceal it. A custom gantry between the bar and kitchen provides access to glassware.

Who commissioned the interior?

The report refers to the clients as the home’s owners but does not name them. Vos said they gave her broad creative freedom for the project.

Source: livingetc.com

You May Also Like

Consumer Confidence Down In September

The Conference Board’s confidence index fell 6.7 points in September as views of current business and labor conditions weakened.

Making A Python Interpreter In 1024 Bytes

A developer has demonstrated a Python interpreter built within just 1024 bytes, drawing widespread attention and sparking curiosity in coding communities.

GE Lighting Expands Smart Shades Range With Matter Over Thread Support

GE Lighting’s made-to-order smart shades add custom sizing, new fabrics and reverse-roll installation. Prices start at $299.99.

Apple Is Reportedly Ready To Release Its Smarter Home Hub In 2 Weeks

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple plans to announce an AI-powered home hub on Oct. 13, alongside updates to HomePod mini and Apple TV.