"what a joy to be able to live here everyday"
Rik & Michella Toetenel, Delft 2023
Funda
A evening strolling on funda did not provide Michella and Rik with a new home, but it did provide the inspiration for a fantastic renovation. The two saw the ideal attictransformation on funda and contacted the seller's agent.
Surprised that the couple was “only looking for the architect”, they put Michella and Rik in touch with J2Creators.
They approached the architectural firm with the issue that the house seemed to shrink with two growing children.
Ten years ago Rik and Michella came to live in the very charming and cozy neighborhood in Delft. A lot has changed in ten years. The attic - mainly used for storage - was the place to find more space in the house. This would be the ideal master bedroom for the couple. Architect Jos van Heerde: “Instead of converting the attic into a bedroom, storage space and a separate bathroom as usual, we integrated this into one design. The result is optimal use of space and a nice open design.”
Buildable
Ease of building was high on the wish list right from the start, especially to keep the budget under control. Jos: “The plan has been worked out in standard modules. For example, the cupboard wall behind the doors is completely constructed from standard Ikea cupboards. “ The objective in the plan was to be minimal and efficient where possible and then to introduce exclusivity at specific points. This is to achieve an optimum between customization and budget. Various contractors were asked for quotations in the early stage of the project. Unfortunately, despite the minimal and fairly simple plan, these indications turned out to be above budget.
DIY
Rik and Michella then decided to carry out the work themselves on the basis of our extensive drawing work and only engaged the relevant disciplines for specialist matters. Michella: "The good drawings showed that despite our limited experience and architectural knowledge, we were able to carry out this project ourselves."
In this thight contractors market, it is now a great opportunity for private individuals to take on the contractor's role themselves and only call in specialists for the parts that they cannot do themselves. This does require a longer renovation time and some management skills, but on the other hand there are much lower construction costs. This means that a much higher quality and level of finish can be achieved within the same budget.
Ups and downs
Of course it starts with demolition, which our clients and their helping friends have experienced as very enjoyable. The help of a family member with construction expertise was greatly appreciated in removing and supporting the chimney. Rik: "In the evening hours we started with the worst work: burning and scraping the paint off the rafters."
Watching Youtube clips about this subject ensured that they rented a sandblasting machine. With this, the hellish job suddenly became a breeze.
The construction could then start and a qualified engineer installed the electricity and plumbing. Based on the drawings, it was easy to determine where all plumbing and electricity had to be installed.
The herringbone floor and the stairs was carried out by Uipkes Wooden Floors. The Platsa cabinets from Ikea form the ideal basis for all built-in cabinets.
These cabinets are finished on top with a solidsurface worktop made by houtmerk.nl. Via mastello, Rik and Michella found a matching sink. They also found a modern freestanding bath in solid surface. Michella:”It was still a real challenge to get this up there.”
In the design document, the architects had made a mood board with references to explain the design. The photo used as a reference of the bed led to the start of another search. Fortunately, this soon resulted in the identical bed from gussta.nl.
The styling - by Rik and Michella themselves - is completely in line with the concept of the design. From the beautiful lamps and fixtures from Buster and Punch to the special Essence bath mixer tap from Grohe in the chic brushed hard graphite. It all contributes to the intended balance between sleek white with natural accents.
Finally, steellife.nl had to measure the steel profiles and glass wall. They receive a big compliment from Rik and Michella for their professionalism and customer friendliness.
Rik and Michella experienced this period as very fun and instructive. So positive that they will ask J2Creators for the design of a new home and want to approach this exactly the same.
steellife
Grohe
gussta.nl
mastello.nl
Uipkes vloeren
Buster and Punch
Joyce Edel