‘It’s quite unusual that I have to be the one to tell a client to take it down a notch when it comes to colour’, says Nicole with a bright smile. A wide range of expressive colours is what the interior designer would dub her “love language” – whether bright or muted, none of the places she designs come in merely grey and beige. There’s at least some hint of colour in there.

Actress Carice van Houten wanted to go all out on the colour scheme but got lost in all the options. That’s where Atelier ND came in: starting out with the pink polka dot wallpaper by Kelly Wearstler right at the entrance, then jewel shades of lilac, magenta and eggplant. Nicole: ‘The trick is to keep the overall feel well-balanced, and repetition throughout works well that way’. Though before any sort of painting could commence, the entire structure of the country house had to be redone. They went with an open-plan layout and much bigger windows for more light to generously pour in. This canvas gave way to painterly colour combinations, and a mix of pre-loved iconic pieces by for instance Tobia Scarpa and contemporary Dutch design by the likes of Sabine Marcelis.

The result is nothing short of enchanting, and a real reflection of Carice’s personality. ‘That’s what I always hear from friends visiting’, quips the artist: ‘And despite all the colours it’s a real safe haven where we – the actress, her partner Guy Pearce and son Monte – can fully relax and recharge.’