Hometown penthouse
The modest Dutch city of Tilburg is an unlikely setting for an exceptional penthouse experience.
When a new, impressive, stand-out construction offered a sparse ‘glass box on top’ as a penthouse, a local couple snapped it up. They tasked the young Guy de Vos to make the 230 m2 space, a home. Their brief was that guests be wowed as they entered, that the home’s rooftop terrace and “light” interior be inspired by Japanese gardens. Guy set about designing everything in the apartment, “from the layout to the last pillow.”
Guy always knew he wanted to design. He started his own firm at just 23 and his evolving style is bold and architectural, his process involves removing everything from the blueprints except the external walls and creating from a blank canvas. He defines “aesthetic” as not just: “how something looks, but more how you feel when you look at something”, which may have attracted him to a key material that appears throughout the penthouse: bamboo veneer. Despite, or perhaps because of, its plentiful supply and quick growth, this environmentally conscientious material is rarely considered for high-end residences. Guy pioneered its large scale use as it provided the “light interior” the clients craved, brought the Japanese garden elements into the home and offered warmth and comfort to the ‘glass box’.
A bamboo block at the heart of the penthouse anchors every room that extends from it. It cleverly ensures inhabitants face the incredible views while also encouraging the precious sunlight in. For the kitchen, Guy switches gears and opts for some dramatic, darker, material.
“Materiality, is always important.”
Guy de Vos
A black monolith, wonderfully imposing, transects the kitchen, providing a stage for the chef. Its vastness houses the sink, Gaggenau cooktop and downdraft ventilation, which in turn allows guests unimpeded views of the matching wine climate cabinets, ovens, combi-steam, espresso machine, warming drawer and, of course, the chef using them.
When asked why he suggested Gaggenau to his clients, Guy states that beyond the prerequisite level of quality he considers essential; “Gaggenau offers finer details, it fits the design and style.”
