Tand oasis of peace and beauty amid the chaos of a demolished seaside resort in fresh scaffolding. The high-end home and lifestyle shop Crafthouse was ready and open by early July 2022 to welcome people who wanted to experience in advance the luxury that Nieuw Kijkduin itself hopes to exude soon. 

Hülya de Bruine embroiders embellishments for her own bag line.

While outside workmen are piloting big cranes and piling residential floor upon residential floor left and right, in her cosy Crafthouse, Chanel-trained Hülya de Bruine (1971) wields needle and thread with extreme precision to embroider precious embellishments on her new own line of bags. Her mini-atelier is located simply ín her boutique.

Opera bags

"This is where I work when I have a moment and feel like it. People like to see it too, you immediately have a chat. Also suits our concept: how is something made by hand? As an opera lover, I wanted to make a beautiful series of opera bags, chic, elegant evening bags. That your fan can fit in it, your phone. The embroidery is mine and I work with a top-notch cutter who makes the - ten - bags. We pick the fabrics together.

'I was keen to make a nice series of opera bags'

The prototype is made of silk satin, the embroidery on it is antique lace from Bruges, Swarovski beads and Japanese ribbon. I choose only the best materials. I got that from the French, they really don't compromise on quality or perfection. My brand name is Très Paris, it says so, and the logo was drawn by Margot van Huijkelom. The bag series is called La Première."

Sustainable

Quiet music and lovely scents do not distract you from the perfect decor and the wide variety of furniture, travel cases, art(objects), textiles and accessories from around the world. "Everything is sustainable," explains the entrepreneur. "Future-proof. It's really of today. Our customers value that too. This is the new luxury: natural materials, supporting old crafts and the communities that need it. Take Angela Damman, the brand of this hammock, cushions and poufs. She is an American designer who has revived the ancient craft of making textiles with native plant fibres in Mexico. With modern designs."

Crafthouse

Brands such as Iksel Wallpaper and Authentic Models (including champagne bars) are also in Crafthouse's permanent collection. De Bruine: "And Tweek-Eek makes no-residue tough jewellery with a bit of an industrial look yet super-feminine and elegant. They are two young girls from Eindhoven, twin daughters of designer Piet Hein Eek. And those Gatwick armchairs here, like that chaise longue, were made by Dutch company Baan. They sit fantastically."

Tweek-Eek, the twin daughters of designer Piet Hein Eek, make cool yet super-feminine jewellery without residual waste.

Apart from the terracotta-coloured back wall full of niches with art objects, there is also an art wall for changing collections. And what always comes in front of the window? "I make a story out of that, that's my structure. It's fun to mix antiques and vintage with new items."

Business consultant

De Bruine: "I am actually a business administrator and worked for 20 years as a business consultant in the field of procurement and supplier management. That's an excellent basis for this. I always prepare well. I also find it important to establish a long-term and pleasant cooperation with people. I won't do it for less."

'An interior should embrace you like a warm blanket'

"This new step didn't come completely out of the blue. I have always had a creative side too. And I had already been training at Chanel's embroidery atelier in Paris for a few years. Because that's what I do, the haute-couture embroidery. And I also have a great sense of aesthetics, of beauty. In my private life, I was often asked when moving house: are you coming to help with styling? That's how it started and it had long been playing in my head to do something with my creative side, a kind of boutique/shop.

'Natural materials and old crafts are the new luxury'

When we went to look at the new building plans in Kijkduin, my husband said: 'Isn't this your moment, isn't this the location?' We had already travelled a lot, so I already knew a lot of great brands and knew where to get them from. So I established all those relationships, made new contacts, and then things moved fast. It is now running as expected, but I also have existing customers through interior design projects and the webshop."

Crafthouse seems rather tucked away, but appearances are deceptive. De Bruine: "This spot is perfect, because there will be a green square here, this is the middle of the shopping street, with three beach entrances upwards. The boutique has a nice height, lots of window, lots of light." People are therefore surprised to hear that dfe retail area is less than 60 square metres.

De Bruine and her team (lots of family) are very creative for a reason. "That alcove wall gives extra height, on the ceiling we made a very manoeuvrable pulley system, so you can hang all these nice things. And because of that mirror wall, everyone thinks it extends to the back even further. I wanted that intimacy, want to offer a very personal service. An interior should embrace you like a warm blanket."

Will it be just one Crafthouse? "I will definitely not start a chain," Hülya de Bruine already knows. "If this boutique becomes a success, I do want to do more projects. From finishing styling to entire interiors." And when Hotel Atlantic in Kijkduin is finally renovated and would ask her to decorate their rooms? "Oh, nice. I dare to do that too, absolutely. Then spar and collaborate with someone experienced in hotels, though. And make a good plan." Once again, the preparation will not be lacking.

www.crafthousestore.com