This 1950's row house

in the Dutch town of Giessenburg is home to

Marion van Vliet and her husband, Marcel.

Moving into a newer

house that isn't the least bit nostalgic

is no easy decision when you simply love

everything that's old and has plenty of soul.

Read on to get plenty of good advice

from Marion on how to create the style in

a newer house.

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Marion's considerations:There are modern building elements everywhere in the house –

everything from the large window sections and dull fl oor panels

to newer parquet fl oors and doors in the typical 1950's style.

Marion really needed to think creatively to camoufl age these

characteristic and somewhat drab elements. And she certainly

succeeded perfectly. It took a lot of large, old paneled windows,

shutters and doors. It's all about shifting focus.

Large, old windows with smaller sections are great for

placing or hanging inside large window sections. You could also use

a smaller paneled window inside a smaller, plain window.

This immediately creates a more charming look.

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Old, French two-piece shutters can be used similarly

on the windowsill to camoufl age large windows.

They're also great for creating atmosphere in the room, and they

take focus off of dull door frames, doors and fl oors. Just place them

against the wall as decoration or use them behind the couch or as a

backdrop for a small table. They frame the piece of furniture in front

of them beautifully and create instant atmosphere.

Gossamer, fl oor-length curtains are a good way to

break up the large window sections. Marion has also chosen to use

fl oor-length curtains in several places around the house instead of the

drab, smooth doors. A curtain rod has been fi tted right above the door

frame. It accentuates the romantic atmosphere of the decor.

In some parts of the house the couple has chosen

to change out the doors for new doors with small-paned windows.

Simple stucco panels or wooden beading

is a nice way to accentuate the style and break up the

somewhat boring elements. Here in the living room the couple has

put up a lovely but simple stucco panel along the ceiling and wooden

beading along the middle of the wall. As the fi nishing touch they also

added a beautiful rosette around the outlet for the chandelier.

Decorating a newer home like Marion's often puts slightly

greater demands on the various displays in order to really create a

nice atmosphere. Smaller pieces of old furniture can be useful for this

purpose. These could be anything from small cabinets,

meat safes, shelves and coat racks. Your displays often need

to reach from fl oor to ceiling.

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