HENNY AND BERTRAND’S HOUSE
Henny and Bertrand’s house, which they bought a few years ago, is a marvelous house, partly because Bertrand constructed many of the furnishings himself.
It has a small living room and kitchen and toilet on the ground floor with a small walled back yard with a gate to an alley and assigned parking places at the end of the alley on a larger street.
Every house in their compound has a small private walled yard with a garden shed.
On the second floor is the small but adequate parent’s bedroom with a great deal of wall storage and Chiara’s bedroom with a large bed and a work room for Henny and a shared bathroom with glassed in shower and double sink.
On the third floor under the very steep roof but made larger by large window dormer extensions is Bertrand’s work room (both Bertrand and Henrike work remotely from home as graphic designers) and a storage room.
Everything is compact and minimalist and useful. And everything is within easy access by bicycle: grocery stores, park walking areas, bakeries and restaurants. It seems such a civilized and unwasteful way to live with no haphazard construction or wide grassy lawns taking up space around every house.
We went for an evening walk around the narrow resditential streets of Haarlem. In the dark of evening no curtains were drawn and household after household could be seen in their softly lit living rooms, often by the glow of burning candles. There is little privacy in the American sense and little concern with who might be passing by. Houses in the evening are cozy and full of life.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 