Huis Sonneveld is a museum home and one of the best preserved examples of the functionalist "Nieuwe Bouwen" style. Located in the city of Rotterdam, this villa was designed in the early 1930s by the firm Brinkman en Van der Vlugt, renowned for their work on the Van Nelle Factory. Huis Sonneveld shows how a prominent Rotterdam family embraced Modernism, shaping their daily living environment through this architectural choice.
In 1929, Albertus Sonneveld, one of the three directors of the Van Nelle Factory, commissioned the construction of this detached house for himself and his family. By 1933, they had moved into their new home, leaving behind all their old household possessions. The Sonneveld family chose to modernize their entire lifestyle in line with avant-garde tastes.
Brinkman and Van der Vlugt not only designed the exterior, but also the complete interior. For the furnishings, they selected mainly furniture by the designer/manufacturer Gispen and fabrics by Metz & Co, including a range of colours designed by Bart van der Leck (1876-1958).
Studio for the daughters on the ground floor
Bedroom youngest daughter
Bedroom eldest daughter
Main bedroom
Dressing table
Dressing room for mr and mrs sonneveld
Shared bathroom
Seating area in the kitchen
Serving hatch
Dining room
Dining room
Study with seating area
Guest room
The ground floor of the house was reserved for functional spaces like the laundry room. The servant quarters were also located downstairs as well as the studio space that could be used by the daughters and their friends. The first floor contained the living room, study, dining room and kitchen. The bedrooms and bathrooms were on the second floor, as well as two large balconies. There was also a roof garden.
More about the art and decor in the house can be found here: Huis Sonneveld.
Huis Sonneveld, 1933. Photo: Jan Kamman. Collection Nieuwe Instituut.
