Holland’s father of interior design dies aged 78

FURNITURE designer Jan des Bouvrie, who experts say changed the Dutch attitude towards interior design, died at his home in Naarden (Holland) on Sunday, aged 78 having suffered from prostate cancer for a number of years.

Following in the footsteps of his parents who had a furniture shop, he studied design in Amsterdam and then set up as an independent furniture maker hitting the news in 1969 for his designed the Kubusbank (cube sofa) which became so well-known and iconic that it joined the Stedelijk Museum’s collection in 2004.

It was his mission to persuade the Dutch to drop their often dreary and brown interiors and replace them with white to make them bright and airy.

He often commented that white was his favourite colour and that as he had grown up in a dark room above his parent’s shop and that he always craved light which even saw him wearing predominantly white clothes.

Although he suggested that his creations were for both the rich and the poor, he became a wealthy man and many rich clients enjoyed visiting his showrooms and restaurant Het Arsenaal, so named because it was a 17th century military building.

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John Smith

Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica. Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene. Currently he is acting as Editorial Consultant for the paper helping to shape its future development. Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

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