How do you transform a classical 1920's house in Haarlem into a contemporary urban house?
With respect for the rich historic detail of the existing house, Studiospacious and AHAA created a distinct intervention. By removing the wall that separated the kitchen and dining room, the space was reconfigured to form a new heart of the house.
The inspiration for the palette of materials and colours used for the new elements was drawn from industrial buildings contemporary with the original house. The steel structure that creates the new opening between the rooms is left visible and is finished in a dark green colour. Together with the rough exposed masonry, it forms the basis of the new industrial character of the house.
By placing the kitchen island at the threshold between the kitchen and dining room, the two spaces are bound together as one. The interlocking transition between the new tile floor and the existing parquet floor creates a powerful new whole, a symbiosis between old and new. The strength of this material transition is accentuated by keeping the kitchen free from it. The centrally located kitchen island is supported by steel legs, one of which conceals the gas supply for the hob. The 4.6 meter long kitchen is suspended from the masonry wall and appears to be floating above the floor. The custom-made hood is finished in the same green colour as the steel structure.
A new bathroom is created on the first floor. The relatively small space is efficiently divided and materialised in a restrained way. A mirrored cabinet is ingeniously hidden within the wall.
