Monumental villas with contemporary interiors are true gems, often featured in TV programs. This villa on Thorbeckelaan, built in 1926 as a rectory, is such a rare dream home. Designed in the Um 1800 style by architect Huijgens, the property offers a unique blend of nostalgia and modern comfort. Surrounded by greenery, the villa provides ample privacy while being close to the center of Enschede. The house exudes exclusivity and retains many authentic elements, such as the staircase and wood carvings. The spacious, high-ceilinged rooms with parquet floors are full of character. Recent renovations have added modern, sleek elements, such as an extension with wooden panels, all done in consultation with Monumentenzorg. Over its more than 100-year history, this villa has witnessed much. The ‘grande dame’ has survived two world wars, narrowly escaping the last. Bombings completely destroyed the nearby elementary school. To continue providing education to the children, a temporary classroom was set up in the rectory. During air raids, they would rush to a safe shelter in the basement. At that time, Reverend Nanne Zwiep lived in the rectory with his family. In church, he preached against the persecution of Jews, which cost him dearly. Reverend Zwiep was arrested and transported to Dachau, where he died in 1942. In his memory, a Stolperstein was placed in the floor in front of the villa’s front door. The rectory also served as a hiding place for refugees, revealed by a removable plank in a closet on the second floor. Behind the wall, the residents found a child’s shoe and old newspapers. Out of respect for the past, the space has been preserved. The history also brought beautiful moments: former residents, often children of pastors, would leave notes or ring the doorbell to visit their old home once more. During those visits, heartwarming stories were shared. The positive atmosphere of the rectory, always palpable, ensures that visitors feel right at home. The villa, shielded with a distinguished fence, is built on a mound. The terrace with the impressive double front door is reached via a stone staircase. Above it is a graceful balcony. In the entrance hall, featuring a small radiator and a new meter cupboard, begins the beautiful terrazzo floor. Through a glass swing door, you enter the large, bright hallway with the same terrazzo floor. Immediately, you are struck by the seamless blend of ‘then and now.’ Particularly impressive are the extensive door frames with artisanal wood carvings from the past. A large, round designer lamp on the ceiling—repeated elsewhere in the villa—represents the present. When lit, the pattern of the lamp is reflected on the walls, creating a magical effect. On the right, you find the first room with three tall windows. The former study now serves as a ‘chill room,’ but it is also perfectly suitable as a bedroom. In addition to the two monumental built-in closets, there is a third closet that houses the water softener. If you go straight right down the hallway, you enter a small hallway with two doors. The left door leads to a spacious, underground cellar with two windows. There are plenty of closets on both sides. The floor has recently been replaced with tiles in an ‘old style.’ Behind the second door is a restroom, equipped with a window, toilet, sink, and radiator. Returning to the hallway, you walk diagonally straight into the living room en suite. Furniture is almost redundant here; the living space itself exudes atmosphere. The area is divided into a front room and a dining room. The beautiful, glass suite sliding doors with built-in storage on either side allow the rooms to be separated. To maintain the symmetry of the monumental building in the windows as well, an extra window has been added to the outer wall of the front room. In that same wall, a flue is present in the middle, under which stands a wood stove as an elegant addition to the cozy ambiance. Warmth is also provided by radiators under the windowsills. The dining room also features radiators and a wood stove. The mantel above the stove is lined with Oud-Hollandse tiles, forming an original accessory in the otherwise serene room. Wooden sliding doors, framed with storage behind wooden doors, provide access to the backyard. From the dining room, you walk into the kitchen. The large, high windows offer a view of the terrace and garden. Here too, there is a sober, pleasantly calming interior base. The small, gray, antique-looking floor tiles are original handmade Castelo tiles with underfloor heating; how delightful! They share the same gray tone as the imposing cabinet wall with a large refrigerator, fresh-keeping drawers, steam oven, warming drawer, and kitchen cabinets that reach the ceiling. A stainless steel niche in the middle of the wall is the spot for the six-burner gas stove with an oven. The stove is flanked by spacious, deep basket drawers, with a concealed pull-out pantry on the right side. There is no lack of storage space in this practical kitchen. If cooking is your hobby, this is the culinary Valhalla. There is enough room to try out recipes for the tastiest dishes together. Prefer to watch? You can do so from one of the six stools at the generous kitchen island that forms the heart of the kitchen. A rail on the ceiling supports spotlights and pendant lights. The kitchen island has a stainless steel worktop and sink with a tap, Quooker, and built-in soap dispenser. You can place the dirty dishes directly in the dishwasher below. Very practical, and you can immediately join the bar for an aperitif. The kitchen also has a mantelpiece, which is currently out of service but can be reactivated. A charming detail in the kitchen is the pass-through in the wall to the dining room. According to legend, servants used it daily and frequently in the past. Nowadays, the pass-through mainly fuels your imagination… What all has passed through here? It could be a separate chapter in the history book of this villa. Adjacent to the kitchen, an extension was created in 2015. The passage is entirely made of glass and opens into the second dining room. In keeping with the monumental character of the house, the space is largely furnished in the same style as the rest of the ground floor. The same tiled floor as in the kitchen, white plastered walls, and high windows. The main difference lies in the style. The interior frames are made of the same wood as the exterior wooden panels. The space is lit by ceiling spotlights and pendant lights and features storage space against a ‘Delft blue’ wallpapered wall, a nod to history. After the dining room, through the small hallway, the inside and outside are separated by a sliding door to the terrace on the left. In the hallway, there are also sliding doors that disappear into the wall when opened, providing access to the wardrobe with hanging and laying options and a glass door to the outside. Depending on the season, wool mittens or sun hats can easily be stored in the extensive closet wall that spans the entire wall width. Beyond the wardrobe is the back door to the driveway and the street side of the garage. The shed cum garage is built in a matching style. The spacious garage with double doors at the front and back offers space for a car and storage for all kinds of tools and other items. If you’re creative, you can quickly turn it into a workshop. The majestic staircase with graceful, curving handrails featuring original wood carvings is a monument in itself. Ascend the runner and you reach a small landing with a large window and another small staircase. This is the ascent to the first floor, which is lit by the second round designer lamp. Various bedrooms feature spherical lamps on the ceilings. These are also identical to each other but smaller and different in appearance than the lamps in the hall and landing. For the furnishing of the first floor, uniformity in the bedrooms is key to serenity. All bedrooms are equipped with connections for TV and cable, multiple low-mounted radiators, monumental built-in closets, and several large sliding windows. Together with the high ceilings, the generous daylight gives a sense of freedom and space. The floors throughout the floor have been replaced. The light-colored wooden plank floors are made of the same type of oak as the herringbone parquet downstairs. The dimmable wall spots and white, double-layered roller blinds are also found everywhere. The white plastered walls in some rooms are decorated in various ways with a colored pattern. Arriving on the upper floor, you find five doors. Clockwise, the first bedroom is located on the street side. A double bed and a desk fit here perfectly. You still have enough space left. Behind the second door is the bathroom with a window, spatially above the entrance downstairs. The bathroom, done in a combination of white and brown tiles, is equipped with a hanging toilet, a shower behind glass walls, a vanity unit with storage drawers, a double sink made of black natural stone, and built-in taps. The wide mirror above it is framed with the same brown tiles as the wall in the shower area. The third bedroom is accessible via both the third and the fourth doors. On clear days, you can almost leave the light off in this bedroom. A large window and French doors flood the room with daylight and sunshine. From the small balcony, you look out over the backyard. In this room, the symmetry returns in the form of closets on either side of the French doors. Staying here feels like being in a luxury hotel. This spacious bedroom (above the dining room en suite on the ground floor) has three tall windows. One of them is part of a chic bay window finished with wooden wall panels. True to tradition, there are built-in closets on both sides of the bay window. Truly splendid is the ceiling here, adorned with authentic ceiling moldings and ornaments. Continuing the route, you reach the next sublime room, bedroom 5. Daylight enters through three windows. A contemporary wardrobe complements the hanging and laying space in the monumental built-in closets. No unnecessary accessories, just peace. And that is exactly enough to fully relax here. From the landing, two staircases, of course with a small landing in between, guide you to the second floor and the third round designer lamp. The villa’s impressive contents are once again evident here. Look down from behind the balustrade. What you see are not ordinary stairs. The monumental staircase resembles a unique piece of architectural art. Three doors form the selection menu on the second floor. The left door provides access to a small hallway with four more doors. The stylish villa boasts a second bathroom, housed behind the first door in the hallway. This bathroom has a robust character, thanks to the old wooden beams incorporated into the interior. The sloping wall with a skylight also sets the atmosphere here. In the corner of the bathroom, an oval bathtub draws attention. Relaxing in the bath is literally done in higher spheres here. A vanity unit with drawers, a black double sink in one, two built-in taps, and a wide mirror illuminated by a wall spot are placed in front of a wall. Behind it, there is a walk-in shower with built-in spotlights. All walls and floors are tiled with the same square, gray tiles. The next door in the small hallway leads to the sixth bedroom, currently used as a laundry and ironing room. Behind the remaining two swing doors on the right side is a space for a washing machine and dryer. The appliances stand on a noise-reducing concrete platform. Crossing the landing directly, you reach bedroom 7. This is a smaller room, also with a small bay window with a window, a sloping wall, and space for a single bed. While each room tells its own story, this room holds a particularly remarkable history. It is in the strikingly shallow built-in closet, where a plank seals off the space where refugees hid during World War II. Through the middle of the three doors on the landing, you do not enter a bedroom but instead climb a steep staircase to the attic. Should you, despite the abundant closet space, still be looking for a place to store, for instance, Christmas decorations, this is your spot. The surprisingly spacious attic, where you can stand upright, offers many possibilities. There is even a separate storage area. You could potentially create an eighth bedroom. The central heating boiler that hangs there dates from 2013. An interesting detail is the ladder lying on the beams. With it, you can reach the flat roof through a hatch. When you think of a cozy garden, you think of fruit trees, a sprawling lawn, a sunny seating area, and a covered terrace for cool evenings. This garden, accessible via the dining room, kitchen, and extension, has it all, including a pear tree. Matching the style of the villa, the paving consists of old clinkers. It is delightful to relax after a busy day at the outdoor seating area, from the loungers, or on the covered terrace against the garage wall. From here, you have a view of the garden, the back facade of the house, and the extension. Is it too chilly outside already? No worries, turn on the heaters, and you can enjoy beautiful evenings for hours. In the corner of the garden, you can take a seat under a third terrace’s canopy. A dense growth of trees and shrubs surrounds the lush garden. A wall covered in ivy forms the separation from the neighbors behind. On the expansive lawn, there is plenty of room for play equipment. Both inside and around the house, maintenance is up to date.
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