REVERENCE - NOORD-KENNEMERLAND HOUSE

A CHURCH IN THE COASTAL KENNEMERLAND REGION OF HOLLAND HAS BEEN REIMAGINED, REDESIGNED AND REBORN AS A BREATHTAKINGLY CREATIVE FAMILY HOME THAT WAS BOTH AN HOMAGE TO THE PAST AND FUNCTIONALLY FUTURE-FORWARD.

- MARC HELDENS

Five concrete window frames - original to this converted church - provide depth in the open-plan interior, adding a contemporary, somewhat Brutalist element. The arched windows were closed up in the 1960s.

SET AMONG NOORD-KENNEMERLAND's dunes, wide beaches, quiet forests and colourful fields, this church has seen renovations several times in its hundred-year history. Unfortunately, the various adaptations and rebuilds masked much of the original architecture of this national monument - so its new owners looked for a team to reimagine the space. They wanted an original family home that both respected the building's history and looked ahead to its new future.

The entrance to the residence opens into a passage, separated from the rest of the home by a leather curtain designed by Studio Erik Gutter; moving further in, the sculpture on the floor of the office is by Dutch artist Sarah van Sonsbeeck; a collection wall of vintage finds includes ceramic plates and a black-and-white photograph by Julie Cockburn; an adjustable Swing pendant light by Nicola Nerboni for Fambuena creates an unexpected play of light.

Netherlands-based interior designers Studio Erik Gutter pulled together a specialised team of architects under the guidance of creative director Erik Gutter, whose first order of business was to do some historical research. "We wanted to map out all the architectural interventions and renovations before we started designing," he says.