Windows 5 meters (16 feet) high in the dining room flood light into the house and give it a distinct city feel. Three industrial vintage pendants from Spoor38 hang over a wooden table with iron legs that was made by hand from planks of wood rescued from a factory.

“We wanted the dining table very close to the kitchen," Verbrugge says. "We love to cook and entertain friends regularly, so the dining area is the most well-used area of the house."

A sleek five-burner gas stove is nestled between concrete worktops, while wooden kitchen accessories and cabinets lend rustic appeal. The large cutting board is from the Dutch department store Loods5. The small ones are from a French market in St. Cyprien.

The couple spent three weekends stripping away the plaster themselves. “We thought, if we don’t like it or feel like a change in a few years, we can always plaster it over again," Verbrugge says. Now they prefer to let the exposed brick act as the main graphic element in the house, complemented by a few pieces of art .

The first and second floors had been separate apartments. A staircase now joins the two levels. "We wanted to keep as much as possible of the old design and layout as well as original features of the building,” Verbrugge says. "We didn't mind the narrow hallways that were common in these old houses."

After moving into the house, the couple spent about a year's worth of weekends installing the oak floors.

“Space is hard to come by in the Netherlands, so it makes a difference to your lifestyle to have more of it,” Verbrugge says.

The sofa was the last one in that particular fabric at a local store, so they went home with the show model for a steal. "We love that it's new with a retro feel," Verbrugge says.

TV cabinet, lamps: Wulf Wonen sofa: Isassi

A simple beverage trolley against the exposed brick wall in the living room makes a striking vignette. "We love to incorporate a mixture of new items with things we love that hold memories," Verbrugge says.

The master bedroom employs a simple palette of black, white and tan.

Some of the doors in the house are original, while some were purchased at Oude Bouw Materialen, a shop for used building materials.

The guest bedroom features a wood-plank bed frame and industrial-style lighting. The vintage chairs belonged to Verbrugge in her childhood.

At the foot of the bed, floor-to-ceiling linen curtains and a dark wood bookcase complement the signature brick wall.

The clean-looking white bathroom is spacious, with both a walk-in shower and a bathtub. The side panel of the bath can be easily removed for repair if necessary.

The most challenging aspect of the renovation for the couple was figuring out the concept, without knowing how it would turn out. It was like building with blocks, Verbrugge says. "You put one on top of the other and then it all comes together. The end result is as much the fun as the challenge.”