Photography by Anna de Leeuw, courtesy of Jan de Jong Interieur.
Curtains aren’t an easy call in the kitchen. Thanks to Starkenburg, the business has one of the best-looking kitchens around, and those humble curtains make it especially memorable.
The kitchen is located in a section of the Jan de Jong three-story complex that for decades was used as living quarters by various family members.
The new open-plan setup revolves around a kitchen with a tight palette of white, charcoal, and pale gray offset by the pale oak of Starkenburg’s SlowWood designs and the soft curtains.
Stained wood cabinetry with cutout drawer pulls is crowned by a concrete counter that was poured on site. As for the curtains, they’re 100 percent linen and conceal shelves lined with pots and pans.
The adjustable sconces are French classics by Lampe Gras.
The curtains have a simple gathered top and can be easily removed for washing.
Black-stained pine paneling matches the kitchen millwork. A Vitra chair stands next to a Smeg range.
Starkenburg grew up in the business and says she’s been sketching plans since childhood.
Of her aesthetic, Starkenburg explains, “As a northerner, I have an affinity for simple, sober Scandinavian design.”
A vintage bakery display case sits on SlowWood’s Grut 5 Skraag Table of solid ash with an oiled finish.
Above L: The room opens to a sun-filled living area. The chair in the foreground is Hans Wegner’s Sawbuck Chair from Carl Hansen in walnut and oak.
The back of the room is anchored by a vintage Pelgrim gas stove on a modernist hearth.
Color is introduced via flowers and leafy plants in terracotta pots.