Barbara DeMachula

Like the Boilers, Barbara DeMachula, an illustrator, and Jan van deer Horn, a photographer, live in the popular neighborhood of Jordaan, in west Amsterdam (figure A). When they bought their home in 1980, it was still being used as storage space for a kitchen appliance company, but DeMachula and van deer Horn saw potential. They spent a year re-wiring the warehouse, as well as redoing the plumbing, sprucing up, and painting.

At first, they thought of the warehouse as new office space, but as the property began to "clean up," they realized it would make a wonderful home as well. Today, the single-story studio is creatively decorated with many of the furnishings and art pieces that the couple produces or paints. The 2,500-square-foot space includes room for a home office, just as they had originally planned. The wooden beams in the former warehouse are faux-finished to resemble marble (figure B).

The couple's tent-like bed is centered between two structural supports (figure C). DeMachula loves the romantic mood the cheesecloth shrouds provide. A Mediterranean-style shower was installed near the bed to provide a cozy private living area.

On the opposite side of the bed, DeMachula's home office is shielded in a creative way. First, she painted a stencil design on ordinary packing material. Then she hung sheets of the plastic wrap to act as a divider between her office and the rest of the studio (figure D).

By using materials and space in a different way, the couple has created a practical yet vibrant home. As they change, their studio changes, and while plans are ever-evolving, the couple says there will never be plans to leave.