Cambridge, MA

Hans J. purchased this charming Vintage Flemish Candelabra from EuroLux Antiques and let us know that it was for his Dutch Room in Cambridge, MA.

We were very intrigued and asked Hans to send us photos, which he was happy to do!  He further explained that he grew up with European antiques because his family owned a small antiques shop when he was a child.  His father was born in Austria, but grew up in Germany, while his mother was born in Delft, Holland.

Hans explained that this room is meant to evoke the feeling of a Dutch interior around 1690 during the Golden Age of Northern Baroque Art.  Of course, as the Dutch were international traders, there are items in the room of English and German origin too.  None of the items in the room actually dates to the 17th century, but mostly are from 1900 to 1930.  The table carpet on the octagonal Dutch table was purchased by Hans' parents in the Netherlands in the early 1970s.

I'm so impressed with Hans' Dutch interior because it looks like it could have been the setting for one of Johannes Vermeer's paintings, such as the Music Lesson above.  Vermeer, arguably one of the greatest Northern Baroque painters, was known for painting women in Dutch interiors and was a true master at depicting natural light falling through a window.  In Hans' room above, notice how the natural light spills across the table from the window over the harpsichord, which Hans' parents built from a kit in the 1960s.  Hans built the stand and added the landscape painting on the interior of the instrument.

Perhaps you might be more familiar with Vermeer's most famous painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring, (first photo above) since it was the basis of a book by Tracy Chevalier, which was then made into a movie starring Scarlett Johansson (second photo above) in 2003. The movie just happens to be one of Hans' all-time favorite films!

This photo of Hans' Dutch Room features several pieces of Blue Delft ceramics surrounded by framed prints. Can't you just imagine that Vermeer's Girl with the Waterpitcher just stepped out of the room?

The Vintage Flemish Candelabra that Hans found at EuroLux Antiques has a new home on a refectory table underneath a tapestry and has now become part of a nearly identical pair in Hans' Dutch Room.

Hans even created a fireplace that is typical of those found in Holland, Belgium, or France in the mid to late 1500s, in order to give a deeper sense of history to the room.  The fireplace is made from plywood and painted to look like stone.  The Delft tiles are plastic stick-on tiles, although they look like ceramic tiles.  He can actually have a fire in it by the use of canned jelled alcohol behind ceramic logs, and can even heat water for tea by the use of a hanging kettle.

In my opinion, the most incredible part about Hans' Dutch Room is that he rents his home, and has not been able to make any structural changes.  I am completely in awe of Hans' ingenuity and dedication to creating a beautiful and stunning 17th century Dutch interior!  Nicely done, Hans - two thumbs way up!

As always, we'd love to see photos of items purchased at EuroLux Antiques in their new home!

Thanks for stopping by the EuroLux Antiques blog!