Nicole van Schouwenburg

brand- en interior designer

“The beauty of the world is endless and I want to see it all!”

Inspiration I find in travelling. Love it when ‘man meets nature’, like the organic landscapes of the rice field terraces in Bali. Vibrant colors, rural textures, subtle cloudscapes, rare animals, ancient cities and skillful handicraft.

Nowadays I hunt original boutique hotels for inspiration and pure joy. I love creative streetfood cooking. Finally I am mesmerized by how the light of the sun plays with all this beauty and I try to capture that in pictures.

I feel deeply touched when I meet experienced creative professionals who really are on top of their skills. Want to learn from them and instantly work together. In my early years I learned much from Gert Dumbar and last but not least from my aunt Elisabeth (Kaatje) de Lestrieux. A famous selfmade interior- and garden designer. She teached me how to think free and not to compromise on your own strong ideas. She always involved me in all her projects. My vision of ‘the unexpected’ was born there.

For 35 years I am running my own business now in Dutch graphic design. Worked on many nice projects in the cultural- as well as the corporate field. Designed a few successful products, like Delft Blue dinner plates with thoughtful texts in calligraphy. And also teached graphic design at Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam. 

In 2012 my design life changed completely. I was lucky to get a job in Turks and Caicos as brand designer in the hospitality field (for Waterloo Investment Holdings). This job varies from designing paper coasters to private jets, and these past 3 years even the interiors of the hotel rooms itself.

In 2018 we finished a great project on Ambergris Cay: 10 luxury beach cabanas. A lot of my favorite activities came together in this project. Together with my co-worker and Meister Schreiner Erik Kor we developed a fully customized Caribbean beach house. With local building techniques and modern comfort. Every piece of furniture was specially designed by us to please and ease the guest.

Decorative items for the interiors I buy all over the world. My new passion is to find authentic handicraft factories in countries like Bali Morocco Spain Mexico, who make truly original pieces. I feel better in our world by doing this kind of social trade. Guests love it.

Thanks for reading about me and enjoy my website!