Nol (80) sells his English dream villa: ‘Hobby got out of hand’

Nol van der Heijden (80) built his dream house completely in the English style. But, the villa in Son with, among other things, a cafe, dance floor with a starry sky and swim spa is becoming too big for him and his wife. He sells his great pride with mixed feelings. “My heart and soul is in this house.”

Written by

Evie Hendriks

Those who would not know that the house in the residential area Sonse Bergen was built in 2007, would think that it is a historic villa. The sand-colored stones and an arch in front of the front door dating from 1850 make the villa look like an English country house, which is exactly the style that Nol likes.

The characteristic arch from 1850 (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The characteristic arch from 1850 (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

“We moved in in 2009 and had the construction done entirely in English and antique style. The stones, the roof and the ornaments all come from England. My heart and soul is in this house,” he says passionately. “I love this style. When I was young I often went to England for motorcycle and car parts and that’s where I first saw these houses.”

Many parts of the villa come from England (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
Many parts of the villa come from England (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

Nol has returned many authentic elements to his own interior out of love for the living style. The furniture is antique, there are royal chandeliers and some windows are stained glass.

The furnishings are antique (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The furnishings are antique (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

Upon entering, the living style is already clearly visible (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
Upon entering, the living style is already clearly visible (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

The toilets and bathrooms are finished with marble, the kitchen has an English stove and the windows and floors are made of wood. “I have completely immersed myself in the living style. I think I know more about it than the average English”, laughs the enthusiast.

The marble bathroom (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The marble bathroom (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

The English stove in the kitchen (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The English stove in the kitchen (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

The floor and fireplace in a bedroom (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The floor and fireplace in a bedroom (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

The villa also shows that Nol is a big car and motorcycle fan. The garage has space for six cars and there is a car lift that can move a car to a garage below. “There used to be some old-timers in there as well.”

The car lift in the garage (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The car lift in the garage (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

Nol is a great car enthusiast (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
Nol is a great car enthusiast (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

In another special room in the house is a characteristic brown café with a dance floor with a starry sky. “We had good parties there,” adds Nol.

The cafe (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The cafe (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

The dance floor with a starry sky (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The dance floor with a starry sky (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

In addition, there is a wine tasting room and a swim spa with a mural above it in the Victorian style. This style is also reflected in the arches and statues in the garden. “The furnishing of our house has become a hobby that got out of hand.”

The swim spa (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The swim spa (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

The wine tasting room (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
The wine tasting room (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

There are many statues in the garden (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).
There are many statues in the garden (photo: Honders/Alting makelaars).

Nol’s villa stands for 2,550,000 euros on Funda† He sells the house after years of living pleasure and the much work that goes into it with a mixed feeling. “It has really become too big for the two of us and due to some health problems that is not ideal either.”

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