OUR RIDERS
Mother's day with Liza Chloë
12 May, 2024
Photographer turned interior stylist Liza Chloë van Duyn lives in Amsterdam, where she celebrates Mother’s Day with her partner Dennis and son Mees. She is happiest when surrounded by beautiful things: her newly renovated home, vintage design pieces, the family’s two British shorthairs, and of course her Veloretti Electric Ivy Two.
You just renovated and decorated a house in the centre of Amsterdam. How would you describe your style?
‘You could call it ‘mid-century inspired’, with classic elements, natural colours and lots of graphic and sculptural shapes. I especially like our kitchen that I designed myself with the work of designers Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé in mind. It’s made out of wood and stainless steel, and the bar is organically shaped, which contrasts nicely with the straight lines of the counter. A lot of kitchens look alike nowadays, but I wanted to find my own style, which is first and foremost timeless and fitting with our seventeenth-century house. The cabinets are asymmetrical and the whole doesn’t feel like a matching set, but rather like a puzzle. If we ever have to replace an element, we can easily fit in another type of cabinet, without it looking misplaced or strange.’
What is your advice for anyone starting a renovation?
‘Hope for the best, expect the worst! In our case, the kitchen and bathroom were already done, when our contractor discovered that the construction of the house was pretty much falling apart. All of a sudden, we found ourselves in a full blown renovation, instead of a minor rebuild. We needed permits for every next step and everything took way longer than expected. My advice: don’t sell your old house, until you’re absolutely sure when the renovation will be done.’
Where does your love for art and design come from?
‘My parents are art collectors, so I was brought up in a house full of art and antiques. Our holidays always revolved around art fairs and exhibitions. And my mom, who is an art historian, would lecture us on everything we came across in museums and galleries. As a child I hated all this, of course. But now I see how privileged I actually was. My decision to study fashion came as a bit of a surprise to my family. But I benefit from it every day, since because of it, I know a lot about textile and colour use. Two years ago, I decided to focus solely on interior styling, and I haven’t regretted that decision for a second.’
You’re a self-taught interior designer. Do you ever get ‘imposter syndrome’, and if you do, how do you deal with that?
‘Sure, I think everybody sometimes feels like they’re just messing around, and soon everyone will find out. But the thing is, everyone just messes around in life! And the beauty of our time is that you can be everything you want to be. I’m not afraid to ask questions and admit when I don’t know something. Also, I truly believe in starting out small and staying humble.’
What do you love about Amsterdam?
‘After becoming a mom, I didn’t want to give up on the things that make me happy as an individual. Museums, galleries, shops – culturally, Amsterdam has so much to offer. Dennis and I take advantage of that every single day. It sometimes feels selfish to raise a small child in the city, but I clearly see how happy Mees is here. I only have to mention going to the cafe and his eyes light up.’
What does the perfect Mother’s Day look like to you?
‘We get up nice and early, and Dennis makes eggs or pancakes for breakfast. After breakfast, we ride our Veloretti’s to the Noordermarkt, where we shop for groceries: vegetables, eggs, meat and flowers. Then we get coffees to go, and bike to the playground on the Lindengracht. Mees rides his Veloretti Mini balance bike there, which he loves. Afterwards, we go home, where Dennis starts cooking while I sneak out for a trip on my electric bike to bookshop Athenaeum, for the best magazines in the city. In the evening we open a bottle of wine, and hopefully watch an inspiring documentary.’
How and when do you use your Veloretti Electric Ivy Two?
‘I really enjoy taking longer rides, away from the city centre. For instance, to my best friend, who lives in Amsterdam-Noord. Hopefully I won’t be late for once, since my super fast bike makes up for time lost daydreaming and forgetting the clock. Secretly, I also really like that I chose not to add a child seat to my Electric Ivy Two. That way, it’s really my own personal bike, and riding it feels like me time.’
How does your son Mees use his new Veloretti Maxi?
‘After the Veloretti Mini balance bike, the Maxi is his first big boy bike. My parents live in a rural area, and I’m hoping to teach him how to ride it there. Hopefully we can take small bike rides together soon, and maybe in a while he can even ride his own bike to school.’
How do you combine a house full of art and design with having a young family?
‘We taught Mees that some things are art, and art cannot be touched. That being said, I really feel like a house shouldn’t resemble a museum. Mees has already drawn on the walls and scratched the wooden floors. And we have a really old couch, that was scratched into oblivion by our two cats. I don’t really care. It’s like having an expensive leather bag: the first time you accidentally scratch it, you feel sad. But after that, you just go on living, you know.’
What is your most precious vintage find?
‘A wall lamp that I found in a small antique market in Paris. It resembles a hanging sculpture, and I have no clue who made it and when.’
What’s your ultimate interior styling advice?
‘Kill your darlings, because many spaces actually benefit from having less furniture in them. And don’t be afraid to choose colour, and mix textures and contrasting elements.’
Tips and tricks on how not to let romance die when having kids?
‘Haha, I actually think my relationship is more romantic since having our son! Mees is this extra element that links us together, hopefully forever.’
Best way to spend a hot summer’s day with family?
‘We love visiting the garden of the Rijksmuseum. We ride our bikes there, play in the fountain and join the outside drawing workshops. It’s a wonderful little hidden gem in the middle of the city centre.’