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I stumbled onto Marianne's blog (or maybe it was her shop first!) while hopping around internetland courtesy the Netherlands a month or two ago. I love blog hopping through different countries even though I don't speak their language (again, Google Translation comes to the rescue for the most part!) When it comes to design, I adore European and Japanese design probably the most, so it would make sense that I'm drawn to these blogs and shops!
After browsing Marianne's blog, I stumbled onto her daughters' shared bedroom and KNEW I wanted to feature it on my blog if she would be willing! Lucky for us she was and even answered some questions so that we can all get to know her better.
Who shares this bedroom, Marianne? The room is indeed a shared room for my two daughters Alieke (7 years old) and Emmelie (5 years old).
Are you originally from the Netherlands? If so, what part are you from? I am originally from Denmark. I moved to The Netherlands in 1995 (16 years ago) because I fell in love with a Dutchman ♥♥♥ (ahh!!!). We lived 12 years together in Amsterdam, then we moved a little bit to the north (40 minutes from Amsterdam) to a little place called Heiloo, close to Alkmaar.
Has the area you live influenced your design work and also how you decorate your home? I think that Amsterdam has a big influence on my design and how I decorate my home. Amsterdam is a big city where you can find the newest of the newest design, but also hidden treasures from the past. Amsterdam is filled with ornaments and old things and the combination of old with new is what I like a lot, and that is also what you will find in my home. But I also think that my Scandinavian background means a lot in my way of decorating and to my designs as well. It’s somehow in my blood I guess.
I absolutely love your use of wallpaper as an accent throughout room - that is one of my favorite design tricks in my own home. Are the papers vintage or new, or a mix of both? What are your favorite sources for wallpaper? Any tips for hanging wallpaper? All the wallpaper that I have used here at home is vintage and I find it all kind of places. I have bought a few from a site in Belgium and another good wallpaper/vintage site is Swiet. I don’t really have any special tips for hanging - I use special wallpaper glue, follow the instructions on the package and the most important thing with placing it is to think twice before you place it. Measure it well and cut it with a very sharp knife or scissor so you get a sharp edge.
It looks like you have a mix of new and vintage decor throughout the room. What are your favorite places to shop for vintage? Do you shop locally, and if so, where? Do you have any favorite online vintage stores? As you noticed, I love the mixture of new and vintage, but for the girls' room I haven’t really been shopping for decor. I have been so lucky that my mother has saved a lot of toys from my own childhood and that is (I think) what makes the room so special. I have also been so lucky to get a few things from neighbors which knew that I liked old stuff. And the yellow dresser you see in the pictures was from the people that lived in this house before us. They couldn’t get it down the stairs so they left it here. I love old furniture and just gave it a bright splash of paint - again, no need for shopping!
When I shop for vintage I do it locally and not really often. I love old stuff, but I am also very critical about what I buy. If I find something special, I want to be able to give it a place to shine and to be noticed. I do not want a house filled with stuff, so I have to be critical. I am not a collector and that makes a big difference in how I shop.
I love what you said about not filling your home with stuff, but rather choosing items wisely so they shine. I personally have a hard time with that! I think I'm a collector by nature, but I definitely want to curate a home that is tasteful and not just a placeholder for stuff.
The throw pillows on the beds are adorable. Did you make them? Are they vintage fabrics? The pillows on the white beds are copies from vintage fabric. The fabrics are from ReproDepot (which is currently closed) together with pillows I've designed. The pillows on the madras on the floor are mostly vintage in combination with new and my own design. I made them all myself and a few of them Alieke, my oldest daughter, and I made together. (She loves to learn how to sew as well) For vintage fabrics I like to shop at Stoffen & Sloffen.
I see several items from your shop sprinkled around the room. Were your children inspiration for your line of products? In some ways I think that they were my inspiration for my line of products. It all started when I was pregnant with my first. I made a few things for the coming of our first baby, and friends told me to do something more with my ideas. Slowly I started working on different ideas. But it was 4 years later that I finally got the feeling of having designed something special. Something which was my own style and not from someone else. Then I took the next step in creating my own online shop.
My biggest inspiration comes from my past I think. My old toys translated into a new generation. My girls help me with their opinions and try things out when I make them, but now they are getting a bit too old for my products, but that also motivates me to try to make new things, which can be used for older children as well as for the young ones.
I love the angles of the walls/ceiling - they prove to be a great design tool in their own way. Where is this room located in your home? The room is located in the attic. That’s why the ceilings are like that. We didn’t have a choice there and had to work with what we had. It gives a kind of cozy feeling to the room and is of course perfect for children because they are not that tall yet. You can also easily make different nooks in one room and the girls love to have different kinds of areas to play in.
What is your professional background? Are you a stay-at-home-mom or do you work full-time? Or work from home? My professional background is an industrial sewer (education in Denmark) and a fashion designer (education in Amsterdam).
In Amsterdam I worked for a few years as a designer for children’s wear, but I didn’t like the atmosphere between people in the business, so I took a break and started working with children instead and ended up with an education in childcare.
Now I am a stay-at-home-mom in combination with having my own Webshop from home. So I guess it’s half/half. I am always here when my girls need me and when they are at school, I can work on my designs. (Very often I also work when they go to bed at night). I love the combination of being a full-time mum and working at home for my own Webshop. I like the way that I can plan my own day the way I want and the flexibility of working different hours if necessary.
Thank-you Marianne for letting us into your home! Here are some of my favorite products from her adorable shop, Dig & Mig.
Be sure to follow her blog as well for shop updates and more Dutch cuteness!
You can find another Home Tour here of an adorable couple in England. You DO NOT want to miss their amazing Mid-Century lovin' home.
And you can see various posts of my home here. I still need to do a proper full Home Tour! Especially since there's a large possibility that we'll be moving out of this home within the year. :::sad face::: It's been a great home.
