Nothing, except the luxurious front door, prepares the visitor approaching this villa in Alkmaar for the exquisite wealth behind it. A landmark building with a classic and somewhat innocent design, the challenge was to devise a way to respect the integrity of a historic building while meeting the client’s desire for a completely new and very modern interior.

The solution began in the hallway, where history and modernity were subtly merged through classic English walls with white wainscoting and cornices to offset leather-covered stairs and a hexagonal brushed oak tile floor. The tiles (individually handmade in Czechoslovakia and laid piece by piece by the craftsmen themselves) stretch across the first floor, creating a seamless transition from one space to another.