FEST visits:
Mandy Woelkens
The first morning that Mandy Woelkens (34) and Thorn de Vries (27) woke up in their colourful palace in Amsterdam North, they discovered they were going to be parents. Immediately a memory to remember. By now, Baby Z is also part of their colourful household, where there is always a place at the table if you’d like to join them for a meal.
This/that:
Impulsive or thoughtful shopper
Online or offline shopping
Past, present or future
Brand new or vintage - depends: cupboard? vintage. But I still prefer the sofa without someone else's seat dent
City or country
Minimalist or maximalist
Cats or dogs
Neat freak or slob
Social butterfly or homebody - homebody in winter, but as soon as temperatures rise I prefer to be out and about.
With a plate on my lap or at the table
Bath or shower
Eclectic or modern
DIY or outsource (!!)
Looks or comfort
Faded denim and shiny gold
'I have two things I am emotionally very attached to: my father's denim jacket from his twenties and the gold jewellery my mother had made for me. In Suriname, we celebrate everything with gold, so on birthdays or other special moments you get something. That way there's an instant memory.'
Popping by
We live in Amsterdam Noord, near the NDSM wharf, where you have a couple of very nice second-hand furniture shops with beautiful vintage design. If I want something and I’m not in a rush, I just pop in there every week to see if they happen to have anything.'
Something for everyone
'I'm not into everything being sleek, so we have all different dining chairs. Thorn likes the Eve the best, I'm a fan of the Homerun. When we chose the chairs, I asked my followers for advice. Then someone said: keep in mind that chairs with armrests are not fine for heavier people. I want everyone to be able to sit comfortably at our table so we also have some without armrests.'
Request
'What really puzzles me is that there are no nice shoe cabinets to be found anywhere. As in, one that is also practical and fits more than three pairs of shoes. Idea for FEST perhaps? Haha!'
Sacred moment
'We always have breakfast with the three of us, although I usually slide in a bit later. Thorn goes to drama school and is therefore away from home a lot. That's really their moment to be alone with the little one. In the evening before bed we have our moment: then we go through what made the day most enjoyable. I feel very connected then and it's a positive way to end the day.'
No secrets
'Whether there are sex toys in there or a whole heap of junk: in our place, anyone can open any drawer, we’re not that secretive about these things and I am not ashamed of junk either.'
Come on in
'In the fridge you’ll find a standard container of oat milk--yes, were that kind of people. But anyway, the kitchen is always well stocked: full vegetable drawer, fresh fruit. If you suddenly find yourself on our doorstep tonight, you can join us for dinner anyway.'
End the day with a dance
'I love little rituals. Before we start the day, I always take our baby out of bed to come and cuddle with us in bed. And before he goes back to bed in the evening, the three of us dance and sing in the living room.'
Thanks for the mistake
'Luckily no one notices, but the Gucci wallpaper in the hallway is accidentally hanging upside down. If you look closely, you can see that the butterflies are upside down. Even though I had outsourced it precisely to avoid such a mistake, haha. Bit of a shame, but yes.'
Now, now, now
'Sometimes I go a bit wild and suddenly want everything different. Different colour kitchen, new carpet. And preferably yesterday. Blink your eyes and I'm in the Gamma store looking for colour swatches or I'm walking through the house with my tape measure measuring everything.'
Warm bath
'If I were to be anything in this house, it would be the bath. Filled with warm water; calm and nurturing. When friends come over, I find it very important that everyone has enough to eat. I prefer to prepare everything the day before.'
Expensive fragrance
'I'm a sucker for overpriced scented candles. Somehow it hurts to see that money literally burning away, but well... they are so nice.'
May I come in?
'If I could have a look anywhere it would be Jacquemus' house. If his decor is as cool as the clothes he designs, I think I would want to stay there forever.'
Colour everywhere
'That your house looks bigger if the walls are white is a lie. I just don't believe in it. As far as I'm concerned, no wall stays white. Neither do the ceilings, for that matter. I recently thought of wallpapering part of the kitchen ceiling. People think that's weird. But the more someone says something can't be done, the more I think: you should pay attention.'
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