Divide & conquer

Karen and Luc van Tongeren created a modern family home without sacrificing their house’s period features

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The kids were getting bigger and the small living room in our old 1930s house was very small,’ says Karen van Tongeren. ‘We needed more space, and this townhouse in central Haarlem fitted the bill. We had three months before we moved in, so rather than make any big structural changes, we decided to focus on redecorating – replacing the floors and painting every square inch.