I’VE GONE back and forth between English countryside style and minimalist neutrals lately, and after a quick fling with the former again, I’m firmly back to the latter, having discovered this ultra-chic home, known as Herenhuis in ‘t Gooi (Mansion in the Gooi) on Instagram. If you’re not familiar with neighbourhoods in the Netherlands, the Gooi is an area around Hilversum, in the centre of the country. It is a slightly hilly area characterised by green landscapes, historical charm, villas, and is also known as home to the rich and famous.
The Herenhuis in ‘t Gooi is owned by Derkan and John, a couple with roots in Twente (a region in the eastern Netherlands), who also spent years living in Amsterdam. The two bought the house in the Gooi during lockdown, the end of 2020, and started their Instagram page, @gooisemannen, to keep friends and family up to date on developments.
Derkan and John are also the founders of Stoned Amsterdam, which they started in 2014, with a stock of white marble tiles that they sawed, sanded, and polished into a series of serving and kitchen shelves. The two rented a small space for a pop up shop on Jan Evertsenstraat, in the west of Amsterdam, where the first shelves were sold. The items soon got picked up by trendy concept stores and the department store De Bijenkorf. Stoned has been running for the past 8 years, with the company’s marble interior accessories now being sold worldwide, from Amsterdam to New York, Berlin to Tokyo.
The couple refer to their home as a “luxury man cave”, but we’re certain that with its calm sophistication, elegant wall panels, warm herringbone floors, well-chosen pieces of designer furniture all artfully arranged, that it appeals to everyone.
