Interior Designer: Tis Inge

Netherlands based interior designer Tis Inge has designed a bedroom for her son to take him from childhood to teenager.

Inge’s interest in interiors was initially ignited by crafting rooms from Lego as a child, before developing into moving actual furniture and rearranging the rooms in her parent’s house as she became older. Inge has now been working as an interior stylist for residential projects for the last 8 years. But it wasn’t always this way; Inge previously worked in a bailiff’s office, but when the job dissatisfaction became too much to ignore, she studied interior design as a creative outlet in her spare time. “Initially I thought it would just be a hobby. My friends regularly asked me for help, but I didn’t really think any more of it. Whilst I was studying though, ideas flowed very naturally and I realised I had a good sense of space, initially I felt fairly insecure and just wanted to pass with a good grade, but the examiners suggested that I take it up professionally,” says Inge. And a year later she did.

In 2016 Inge set up as an independent designer and began styling people’s homes. Almost all her jobs come to her through word of mouth, so much so, that she has never even needed a website, she freelances for other designers too, enjoying the camaraderie and creative stimulation that comes with working with another team after spending many solitary hours behind a computer.

A personal challenge for Inge was to design a bedroom for her son Sil, a room that would take him from childhood through his teenage years. “It is important to me that design lasts a long time. Both in terms of cost and sustainability. I wanted him to be able to play and game in his room as a child, but also study as an adolescent,” says Inge. She commissioned a bespoke wardrobe/cupboard with seamless lines and plenty of storage. “In the beginning it was for toys and children's books, then schoolbooks, and a computer. There is a storage bench that can be wheeled in and out. When his friends are over we used to put cushions on it, and they could play games. But now he is older, we have moved the bench aside so he can study with a chair at the desk.” She also opted for a bed that could be extended as Sil grew taller.

When Sil was a toddler, Inge initially designed a very colourful room for him, but as he got older, he found it overstimulating and wanted something more sophisticated that was light, airy, tranquil and filled with plants. Inge chose beautiful natural materials such as plywood, as well as using Seascape wallpaper in Winter. “When I saw it, I immediately fell in love, and it was so much more beautiful on the wall than I had imagined. My son loves nature and really likes to draw, so I was looking for wallpaper that looked like a drawing on the wall. We live very close to the sea, my husband’s family lived on an island and with Sil’s name also being the title of a Dutch book about a beachcomber, everything came together in Seascape wallpaper. It really is a unique wallpaper, and always leaves an impression on people when they enter his room,” she says.

But designing for your own family is different to designing for clients. The initial meeting is one of the most important parts of the process for Inge, to make sure that she gets to know her clients extensively and that they click professionally. “Initially I like to ignore my own taste and preferences when first speaking to clients. It no longer matters whether I like something. Actually, I prefer it when the client has very different taste to mine. My task is to maintain their style, but add peace, balance, and cosiness. It is important for a family home to be cosy. But I always maintain an overview, making sure that it all works together.”

“Since Instagram, a lot of interiors are copied from each other, which means that many houses look the same. Pinterest's algorithm also encourages this. So, when I am looking to add pattern to a space, I like to find a wallpaper that you have not seen very often, from a small business owner, or someone who is just starting out, or a wallpaper from abroad. It takes a lot of time, but when I come across a wallpaper that I fall in love with, I immediately forget about the time spent searching for it,” says Inge.

To see more of Tis Inge’s work follow her on Instagram @tis_inge_interieuradvies

Interior Designer: Tis Inge