How would you describe your interior design style?
Niels: "I always find this a tricky question. I don't really have a specific style that I pursue. What I do really like is having a white base. That gives a lot of freedom to experiment with colour in the rest of the interior. But which style I would call it... I have no idea actually. I think it's contemporary. In any case, I try not to follow trends. You see very often - especially on Instagram - that all sorts of things pass by. Someone has that one vase and someone else has that cushion. I try to ignore that and stay close to myself."
Where do you get your inspiration from?
"I get my inspiration partly from Instagram, but I get the most inspiration when I go to an interior design shop or, for example, the Artifort showroom. I do that regularly. From travelling, on the other hand, I don't really get my inspiration. Some people do, but I don't really. After all, I don't really like 'frills'. "
What do you pay attention to when purchasing a piece of furniture?
"It is very important to me that it is a sustainable purchase. I don't buy furniture that can only be used for about five years. High-quality is an important driver for me. In addition, the design must also be timeless. Therein lies a danger. A piece of furniture can be of high quality, but will I still like it in five years' time? If not, it is still not durable really. In my opinion, in the quest to buy new furniture, you then quickly end up with design classics. "
What was your first Artifort design and was it love at first sight?
"The F656 armchair by designer Kho Liang Ie. I gave it to myself for my 25th birthday. Ten years ago now. At the time, I wanted to give myself a beautiful piece of designer furniture, but I wasn't sure which one. I started searching on the internet and ended up at a vintage dealer. My eye had already kind of fallen on this armchair when I scrolled online, but when I saw it in real life, I was immediately sold. At the time, the vintage F656 was still in completely original condition, both the metal frame and the upholstery. So beautiful. With daily use in the house, the upholstery was no longer beautiful after a while due to wear and tear. For this reason, I had the armchair reupholstered in the same colour. I love the fact that an armchair from 1971 is still a beautiful, functional and relevant eye-catcher in my living room after all these years. And meanwhile, we've added a new Artifort design classic to our interior: the Orange Slice armchair by designer Pierre Paulin in a bright pink upholstery."
What are you most proud of in your home?
"That's good question - I've never thought about that before I must say. Of course, with the renovation work, we chose everything in our own taste and did almost all the work ourselves. That is what makes the house our own and I am very proud of it. When we have people visit, their first reaction is often 'wow what a nice house'. I always really enjoy hearing that back. Simone then often says 'yes, that's Niels' thing', but that's not entirely true. The striking colour palette we now have in the house is mainly down to Simone. I tend to choose safe, basic colours more quickly. Initially, the base was mainly white with some wood here and there. Now I am very happy with all the bright colours!"
Where do you know Artifort from?
"I was not really brought up with design, so I 'developed' this love myself over the years. When I bought my Kho Liang Ie armchair for my 25th birthday, the seller said it was a model by designer Kho Liang Ie, and not explicitly manufactured by Artifort. I actually started searching the internet after that and found out that it was an Artifort design. I then started to delve more deeply into the brand and one thing led to another."
What does 'home' mean to you?
"For me, home means a place where you can really come home and just settle down in a chair or a sofa. Without having to do anything. Rest. In addition, the house also has to be tidy. After all, I am quite sensitive to stimuli. I really enjoy lying on the couch and looking around and think - wow, what a beautiful house. A house is never really finished. It is a place where you keep adding pieces of your life and ideas. In memories and beautiful items."