Looking inside at MAFS couple Rowan and Astleigh: we called the koi carp Fanta and Spruit

Zoetermeerders Rowan and Astleigh are very happy with each other. The dream couple got married in the first episode of Married At First Sight season and have been inseparable ever since. We visited them in their recently renovated house in the Oude Dorp.

On September 14, 2021, the couple gave each other the yes, even though they had never seen each other before. “We liked each other straight away,” says Rowan on the couch in the living room. “During our honeymoon, we got to know each other better.” The couple has been living together in Zoetermeer since January 1. This while the television program was not yet over. “Undercover, we took to the streets.”

Secretly skating and walking

With a mask and sunglasses on, Rowan went shopping at Hoogvliet in the Dorpsstraat. They received permission from the editors to go outside during corona time. “No one was allowed to see us. But we went crazy inside and wanted to get out. With a cap and sunglasses on and my hair in a bun we could skate and walk together.”

Astleigh also looks back on a fun but also bizarre time. “Sometimes I just wanted to get a sandwich. Then I took off my wedding ring so no one could see if I was still with Rowan or not. I got restless from all those looks from people. But the cards with sweet messages from residents in our mailbox made me happy.”

Chimney fire

Rowan and Astleigh were startled by a chimney fire in the night after their short time together. The fire started after an evening in front of the fireplace. They are lucky that the fire did not spread. “We were sleeping upstairs. For the same money, something worse could have happened,” Astleigh said. The living room was full of soot and fire residues, so a renovation was necessary.

See what Astleigh and Rowan’s home looks like now on the following pages:

Be welcome

Astleigh was already living in his thirty-year home in the Oude Dorp when Rowan moved in with him in early 2022. You enter the front garden through a green gate with plants. “We had a nameplate made from a wedding photo for next to the front door,” says Rowan.

Built-in wardrobe

The hearth and chimney were removed after the fire. Rowan and Astleigh no longer had faith in a new hearth. That’s why the couple opted for an electric fireplace in a custom cabinet, running the length of the living room. “Here we can spend pleasant evenings hanging out in front of the TV with a drink,” says Astleigh.

mega backyard

The backyard is a lovely place with lots of space and greenery. Astleigh has placed a cottage in the back of the garden and a canopy halfway through. In addition to a nice lounge sofa, he also placed a gym in it. “When the weather is nice, we sit here together in front of the barbecue, roasting marshmallows.”

man cave

The garden house has been converted into a man cave. “I enjoy cozy evenings here with friends,” says Astleigh. “I pour the drinks behind the bar. But I also hold organized beer tastings here. We also celebrated New Year’s Eve with friends.”

Koi carp

Rowan took her rabbit from her home in Almere. Astleigh already had two cats. Together they bought two koi carp for the pond in the backyard. “We called them Fanta and Sprout,” says Rowan.

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