We look back at the designs of architects Laurien Keller and Maxim Winkelaar, the renovation and of course we look at the beautiful end result.
A big blow
Some time ago, the family received the heartbreaking news that Joep suffers from Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. This has a huge impact on the family, but they don’t give up. They choose not to take Joep to a shelter, but to take care of him at home. So far that is still going, but since Joep is getting bigger and heavier, extra guidance will soon be needed.
Because it is important for the family that Joep can live at home as long as possible, their house will have to undergo a major renovation. The current layout of their house is not set up for this. Because so many aspects have to be taken into account, the couple has called in De Perfecte Verbouwing. Architects Laurien and Maxim seize this mission with both hands and made two great designs. You can read later in this article which Sylvia and Fred will choose – and will then carry out themselves.
Ours
For Fred and Sylvia everything revolves around the intensive care of Joep, after all he can have an epileptic attack at any time of the day. They can’t leave him alone for a moment and are therefore ready 24/7, but luckily they get help in the care for a few hours a week to catch their breath themselves. Yet their house is not yet set up for the current situation and the intensive future that awaits them.
Sleeping on the ground floor
As a precaution against nocturnal epileptic seizures – with a risk of fatal outcome – it is important for the family that Joep, Fred and Sylvia sleep on the ground floor, in the same room. If the attack gets out of hand, they want to be able to intervene immediately and leave the house. As a result, the entire top floor remains unused, with the exception of the bedroom of their four-year-old daughter Bella. So a huge waste of space. In the renovation plan, they would like to see a private space for Joep where he can sleep with supervision, but where he can also play nicely. In addition, Sylvia and Fred want to have the opportunity to withdraw in peace, but where they can stay in touch with Joep when they want.
Finally, Sylvia and Fred would also like to see their house modernized a bit. They recently renovated the kitchen, but the rest of the house actually still looks exactly the same as when Fred’s parents still lived there. So there is a breath of fresh air in the interior!
Virtual designs
In short: there must be a house where everyone is together, but where Fred and Sylvia can also find peace now and then. And how the architects envision that, Fred and Sylvia can first see with their own eyes through VR glasses. This allows them to stand in their renovated home and look around, even before the renovation starts!
Laurie’s design
Laurien kicked off with the first draft. One that moved Sylvia to tears. It completely exceeds their expectations.
In the living room, space has been made for a beautiful playroom for Joep, which is connected to the rest of the house, but which can also be closed with a sliding door. In addition, a linoleum floor with the looks of a cast floor has been chosen on the ground floor. Due to the soft material of the floor, there is less danger for Joep if he falls during an attack.
Although the kitchen has recently been completely renovated by the residents, it was sometimes still a very dark corner. That is why Laurien decided to replace the loose windows with large sliding doors in her design. This way much more light comes in and there is a better connection with the garden.
Bella has also been thought of. Next to the kitchen, Laurien designed a niche where Bella can play, do crafts and draw.
Not only in the kitchen, but also in the other parts of the house, more natural light has been added. For example, Laurien has created a loft with large skylights above it, so that Fred will soon have a wonderfully light workplace. Ideal according to Sylvia, because this way he does not have to work in the living room, but because of the open loft he remains in contact with the rest of the living room and the family.
Joep’s bedroom is one of the main reasons for the renovation, so Laurien has put extra thought into this. Joep gets a beautiful bed, with room for a sleeping place for the caring guidance. In addition, the room has access to a private bathroom.
Finally, Sylvia and Fred’s bedroom and Bella’s room will also receive a beautiful upgrade, so that everyone has a nice place to relax.
Max’s design
Maxim also overwhelmed Sylvia and Fred with a beautiful design. He kicks off in the hall, as he has applied a great solution there: a platform lift. This allows the whole family to sleep upstairs, but still come down quickly and easily in an emergency.
And since in this design all bedrooms are upstairs, the downstairs bedroom becomes free. Maxim has created a nice extra seating area here, which is mainly intended for when Sylvia and/or Fred want to retreat for a while when Joep’s guidance is in the house.
Maxim has created a room divider with a built-in TV in the large living room. In this way it remains one whole and everything remains connected, but the different spaces are still somewhat separated from each other.
A play bench has been created for the kids that can be climbed on and looked outside – Joep loves spotting trucks – and it offers built-in storage space for all the toys.
Maxim has also given the recently renovated kitchen an extra upgrade by installing a beautiful cooking island. In addition, an extra utility room has been created, with a closed door, two large windows and space for an extra closed sitting area.
Finally, of course, the bedrooms for the family have also been thought of. Sylvia and Fred get a luxurious bedroom with a walk-in closet, Joep gets an extra large bedroom with room for a second bed and of course extra room to play. In addition, the room has two doors, one to the landing and one to the elevator.
What design will it be?
Time to cut knots. Although both designs were popular, only one design can be realized. After much deliberation and advice from the contractor, they finally opted for Laurien’s design.
“For us, Laurien’s design really is the total picture we were looking for. Let’s just hope that when it’s finished it’s just as beautiful as Laurien drew,” says Sylvia.
Finally getting started!
Two weeks later, the time has come, the couple is starting full house with the preparations, the demolition and the renovation itself. In the meantime, the family is staying in a mobile home that fortunately can just stand on their own yard. That way they stay close to the construction site and their company.
Unfortunately, there were some bumps on the road. Partly due to the corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the prices of contractors, building materials and energy costs, among other things, went upside down. As a result, they had to partly change their plans and make some concessions here and there. For example, they leave the outside of the house for what it is and the vide has unfortunately also been killed. Yet they continue to build with a big smile on their faces and they still see everything positively, despite the fact that it is sometimes tough.
The end result: “Really our dream house!”
But the result can really be there. Laurien therefore looks at the end result with amazement. Her design has come to life beautifully. “It worked! You always have to look at that, don’t you”, says Laurien. “Normally I stay involved and can make adjustments if necessary, but you just popped on your own.”
And almost everything fits with Laurien’s design. From the playroom that can be closed off from the living room through sliding doors…
…to the beautiful sliding doors that provide an enormous amount of light in the kitchen and dining area.
And then of course Joep’s bedroom. Where he first slept in his parents’ room, he now has his own bedroom where a supervisor can sleep. In addition, there is a connection to his playroom and a private bathroom. He actually has his own apartment, so that he can continue to live at home in the future.
To Bella’s great joy, she no longer sleeps on her own upstairs, because both she and her parents have now received beautiful bedrooms upstairs. Both with walk-in closet!
The Sylvia and Fred are also very happy with the end result and it feels completely like home. “It feels so luxurious,” says Sylvia. “Really like our dream house.”
The budget: the forecast vs. the reality
Fred and Sylvia had a budget of €150,000 available to realize the renovation. Only that didn’t quite work out. Partly due to the costs that went through the roof, the total renovation ultimately cost € 165,000. A considerable sum of money, but according to Laurien – who sometimes sees price increases of forty to fifty percent – they have managed to keep it reasonably within limits.
Looking back?
Missed an episode or watch it again? Watch episode 5 of season 2 at Videoland.
Want to see the photos from the previous episodes of this season? View the beautiful final results of episodes 1, 2, 3 and 4 here.
