From a Renovation Object to a Design Dream

The house in Breda, south of Rotterdam, was in an absolutely poor condition when Sander de Bruin and his girlfriend Milja bought it in 2020. However, the young couple was not deterred by this – quite the opposite. Sander and Milja saw great potential in the house, which is located on a canal that flows around the historic old town of Breda.

The fact that two young people are dedicating themselves to the renovation of an old house that is more than just in need of renovation is also due to their personal backgrounds. Milja is a project manager at a construction company, and Sander is an architect at BiermanHenket, a Dutch company specializing in the renovation of old buildings. With professional experience and an eye for special projects, the two realized their dream of owning a home through painstaking detail work, meticulous planning, and a hands-on mentality.

From the roof, which needed to be renewed, to the underfloor heating from Variotherm, Sander and Milja left nothing to chance and opted for a careful renovation and the best quality in the products used.

For Sander and Milja, it was clear that they wanted to make the 120-year-old house by the water, which had undergone several uses and adaptations over the years, their special home. However, a lot of planning expertise was necessary for this. After all, the building is only 4 meters wide and 17 meters deep, comprises two floors, and has a total living area of 141 m2.

To ensure that enough daylight can reach the lower floors, they had long roof windows installed. Function and form were cleverly combined into a unity. Overall, Sander and Milja's house is a designer gem.

A large kitchen and dining area on the lower floor, as well as a living room with a beautiful view of the water, make the house a prime example of how to give historic buildings a fresh and modern aesthetic.