Chapel of Love: A Converted Seminary Chapel in North Holland by Studio Ina-Matt

In Heemstede, just south of Haarlem in North Holland, a former seminary originally built by Jan Stuyt in 1923 was converted into luxury apartments by Stijlgroep in 2007—all minus the chapel which was cold, humid, and dark with high ceilings. “Not many people saw the potential to transform the chapel into a nice and intimate living space,” says Matthijs van Cruijsen who, along with Ina Meijer, founded Ina-Matt, a design and architecture practice based in Pingjum. With a background transforming large, old farms in North Holland, Ina-Matt was perfect for the task. The clients, a couple with grown children working in furniture and fashion, was looking for a home to open up to friends and family. “With old monasteries in mind, we wanted to build a modest yet monumental sculptural interior with an unambiguous approach using honest and tactile materials.” Join us for a tour.

Photography by Inga Powilleit, courtesy of Ina-Matt.

Above: A view of the chapel connected to the main Hageveld seminary in Heemstede.

The 2,260 square foot home is made up of three bedrooms and two baths. The biggest structural changes were the rooftop skylights that follow the rim of the construction and the addition of square windows beneath the existing stained glass windows to bring in more natural light.

Above: The exterior brickwork from 1923 is made of up typical Dutch red bricks situated on a stone plinth. Above: “In a way we treated the main living area under the curved rooftop as an outdoor space to combine a spacious feeling while creating intimate hideaways,” Matthijs van Cruijsen explains. The large open space is heated with radiant heating and an industrial tube radiator from DRL. Above: Two rows of square skylights cross the arched ceiling beneath the original stained-glass windows. The floors are outdoor terracotta tiles designed in a custom pattern and were treated to make the floor comfortable for bare feet. Above: The dining table is the In Between Table by &Tradition, and the dining chairs are made up of the Mogensen J39 Chair, Thonet Era Chair with Caned Seat, and the Dirk Vander Kooij Chubby Chair. The stools beyond are the 1960s Eames Stools, and the bench is the FDB Møbler J83. Above: The living room is fitted with a vintage Moroccan rug, a Wegner CH22 Lounge Chair, and the Norr11 Gear Side Table. Above: The woodburning stove is from Dik Geurts. The pendant lights are the Jasper Morrison Smithfield Suspension Lights for FLOS. Above: Architectural wood doors with windows lead into a hallway and downstairs bedroom. Above: A once lightless area was transformed into an efficient bedroom, thanks to a built-in bed, skylight, and rectangular window. Above: The entrance to the kitchen is flanked by AJ Eklipta Wall Lamps. (And for similar options, see 10 Easy Pieces: Pillowy Glass Wall Sconces.) Above: The custom kitchen features triplank wood cabinets painted in Little Greene’s Clay (39); they’re topped with a Silestone countertop in Sand Suede. The pendant light is the Vertigo Bird Funnel Light in black, and the sconces are the Jielde SI331 Signal Two-Arm Wall Sconces in glossy black. Above: The backsplash is designed with Cottoceramix Atelier Blanc de Lin glossy tiles. The lamps are the JWDA Table Lamp for Audo Copenhagen. Above: A freestanding china cabinet in the kitchen; beyond is a built-in cabinet in the dining area. The round wood table is the round In Between SK4 Table by &Tradition. Above: Under the stairs is a space for washing machines: “the scullery,” as the architects call it. Above: The old walls of the chapel were painted in mineral paint with an open structure to allow for breathability and humid conditions. Above: In a bedroom, a curved wood wall is made of curved ash veneer on a timber frame. A Jielde SI331 Signal Two-Arm Wall Sconce in white illuminates the Auping Essential Bed and an &Tradition Lato LN8 Table. Above: The curved wall functions as a partial shower enclosure in the ensuite bath. Above: The main bedroom is designed with a Tolomeo Wall Sconce and Eames Stool. Above: The room is comprised of a series of floors, stepping up into the bedroom and again into the bath. Above: A pair of AJ Eklipta Wall Lamps illuminates the bathroom along with a FLOS Glo-Ball Suspension 2. The sink is the Viadurini Gabriel Freestanding Wash Basin with a Grohe faucet. The bathtub is the Riho Carolina Built-In Bathtub fitted with the Grohe Single-Lever Bath Mixer. Above: Drawings of the Heemstede house. Above: The ground floor layout. Above: The first floor layout.

For more Dutch interiors, see our posts:

• “This Is the House I’d Leave Amsterdam For”: A Family’s Airy, Springy 1893 Quarters in Haarlem
• A Collector’s Vintage-Filled Home in a Former Tavern in Amsterdam
• Texture and Light: A Designer/Photographer’s Own Family House in the Netherlands, Revamped

N.B.: This story originally ran on April 26, 2024 and has been updated with new information.