Home tour | An Art Nouveau townhouse in The Hague

Today we’re heading to the Netherlands for a peek inside a stunning Art Nouveau townhouse with sophisticated, considered interiors by Holly Marder of Avenue Design Studio and A . Gallery.

I’ve long admired Holly’s work, and in fact it appears in both my books (her own home in The Soft Minimalist Home; a client project in Bring The Outside In). Her style fuses materiality, tactility and functionality while honouring architectural integrity and context, resulting in pared-back yet richly layered spaces that stand the test of time. It’s an approach that’s evident in every corner of this beautiful three-storey property, which sits in a picturesque neighbourhood of The Hague and has undergone a top-to-bottom transformation. 

When the current owner – a well-travelled Scot and skilled amateur artist – bought the house, it had been divided into three separate student dwellings and stripped of most of its original features. Holly and her team were tasked with turning it back into a single residence, while restoring its period character and creating an elegant, cohesive home that reflects their client’s global taste. 

Guided by the floral Art Nouveau tiles still adorning the house’s exterior and by the traces of long-removed panelling that lingered on some internal walls, Holly began by carefully researching and reinstating architectural mouldings, decals and ceiling roses. The floors, meanwhile, were laid with classic wooden planchette blocks, arranged in a double-herringbone pattern that’s true to the house’s age and heritage. 
 
These historic details were combined with an eclectic mix of contemporary furniture and vintage finds spanning various periods and styles. Reclaimed materials were also woven throughout, infusing the house with appealing patina and a sense of authenticity. One such example are two sets of majestic double doors rescued from a hotel and used to connect the primary living spaces, showcasing the impressive ceiling height while creating a sense of openness and flow.  

The living room is accessed through one such set of doors and shaped Holly’s vision for the property as a whole. She describes it as ‘a dialogue between past and present’ and spent days scouring antique shops for items that would fit seamlessly into the space. Resulting pieces include a vintage chocolate marble coffee table, Amsterdam School side tables, and a statement 1930s lattice-work chair from 20th-century design gallery AtKris Studio that occupies prime position in the bay window. These are paired with a clean-lined sofa, plus organically shaped ceramics from Willem van Hooff and Lava Collective and abstract paintings by Amsterdam-based artist Berend Boorsma, all supplied via Holly’s gallery. In one corner, an old sideboard has been repurposed as a bespoke storage cabinet and bar.

Across the hallway, the kitchen has olive-coloured cabinets that create a cosy, grounding mood. Their dark hue is balanced out by warm off-white walls and brickwork, finished with eco-friendly nen-do clay paint that adds subtle texture. A rustic farmhouse table and time-worn chairs stand in the centre of the space, with a brass counterweight pendant light by Florian Schulz forming a focal point above. A smaller wrought-iron bistro table flanked by striking high-back chairs and a cushioned bench sits by the window, providing the perfect spot to enjoy coffee or breakfast in the morning sun.

Upstairs, the main bedroom has been colour-drenched in a deep mossy brown to form a restful, enveloping retreat. Its star feature is a spectacular 18th-century cast-iron bathtub that was sourced from a French château and restored with fresh enamel. Floor-to-ceiling linen curtains and a cocooning headboard upholstered in plush fabric add to the sense of quiet luxury, as do sculptural elements such as a handmade ceramic side table by Willem van Hooff and a bedside lamp folded from a single sheet of steel by Dutch designer Paul Coenen. 

The dark palette and refined feel continue in the adjoining shower room, which features swathes of moody-hued marble, bronze fixtures and fittings, and a reclaimed stone sink atop a farmhouse table turned vanity unit. 

At the very top of the house is an art studio and home office, formerly comprised of three separate rooms. Holly stripped it back to its bones, exposing the ceiling beams but keeping the rest of the space intentionally simple and free from distraction. On one side is a kitchenette fashioned from an antique workbench, with a soft linen curtain hiding the pipework beneath; on the other is a desk area that offsets vintage furniture with contemporary lighting. A salvaged spiral staircase twists up though the middle to a roof terrace above. 

It’s always a joy to see projects that breathe new life into historic buildings in such a sensitive way, and Holly and her team have crafted a beautifully tactile, inviting and characterful home. It’s a wonderful balance between relaxed and refined, old and new, light and dark, and it’s certainly inspiring me as I go about the renovation of my own period house.

See more of Avenue Design Studio’s work here and read my interview with Holly here.

All photography by Avenue Design Studio; styling by Kate Davison and production by Analogue Home