“The city garden made us very enthusiastic. We have two facades that you can open to a double-wide terrace, so we live outside all summer. The best thing about the loft is that you are in contact with each other everywhere indoors and outdoors. Especially with our two-year-old son Mees. As he climbs down, I hear him open the fridge door and grab the milk. That is one of the huge advantages of such an open house: you know exactly where everyone is.”

To create the feeling of a New York loft, Mariska and Alex created, with the help of MKA architect Johan Pragt, a steel staircase in the centre of the room, and made several exposed brick walls. They enlivened the space with warmth through the use of bamboo, liberal splashes of ochre, and cardboard lamps.

As Mariska and Alex were in the habit of having lots of guests over at their previous home, they wanted a large open kitchen and an expansive dining table and bar. 

“The bar is also good even when we’re alone. We enjoy breakfast there, we use it as a meeting place to discuss things together, and our son climbs on top when we are cooking,” says Mariska. 

The loft mixes wide-open social zones with “nests” to retreat into. The free-standing bath in the ensuite bathroom, one of Mariska’s dreams, has made their bedroom into a cozy, hotel-like retreat. Another bedroom is a suspended volume, like a bird’s nest. That created an alcove underneath that has become “a nest under the nest,” according to Mariska. “We light candles there. It’s perfect for watching a football match together.”