HENK at home with Gisele Azad
In the series ‘HENK Visits’, we stop by the homes of inspiring individuals to give you a peek into their daily lives. This time, we visit Gisele Azad, a creative consultant and columnist for Vogue.nl.
A year ago, Gisele and her partner Rudmer moved to an idyllic forest plot in the heart of the Drenthe countryside. This new lifestyle and her inspiring content have earned her an impressive following: in just one year, her community has grown to over one hundred thousand followers. We spent a day in the far North to talk with her about their big move, the renovations, and the unique interior of their home.
How has your personal style for interiors changed now that you’ve moved from the city to the Drenthe woods?
We consciously left behind almost all of our furniture when we moved to the Drenthe forest. In the city, we lived in a beautiful house from 1912 that Rudmer had completely renovated himself, with high ceilings, ornaments, and en-suite rooms. The furniture we had was perfect for that home. So, we decided to leave everything behind and start fresh with almost nothing in our forest house.
I didn’t really know what our new home would look like at first. I had never lived outside the city, and I wanted to discover how we wanted to use our new space and what furniture would fit. Now that we’ve been here for over a year, I notice that I’m leaning more and more towards natural materials, shapes, and fabrics. I strive for minimalism, with carefully curated items. I’ve also become more interested in art and would love to buy an artwork once we’re finished with the renovations. Moreover, living in the woods has made my taste shift more towards Scandinavian influences. I lived in Sweden for almost four years, where I was inspired by the architecture, and I now see that influence reflected in our forest home.
Who or what are your biggest sources of inspiration when it comes to interior and fashion?
I’m currently really into what Monument is doing and curating. They have a talent for sourcing and styling unique objects that instantly make a space feel eclectic and special, yet still calming. Their work is a major source of inspiration for me. Donald Judd has been a big inspiration for years—and now that we live in the woods, I resonate even more with his work. As for fashion, I’m really into the Amsterdam-based brand Rohe Frames at the moment.
What are some of your favorite decor pieces in your home, and what makes them so special to you?
I absolutely love all of our wooden stools. We have a very old one by Aalto and a few by Max Bill. We adjust the layout of our home with the seasons, and the stools always come in handy. I’m also a big fan of our collection of vases, which are mostly vintage. Each item has its own story and was carefully chosen, and that’s what makes them so special to me!
Why did you choose the Hug sofa for your interior?
I chose the Hug sofa with the future in mind, specifically when we finish building one of our cabins. We’re starting to build our dream home with our architect at the end of the summer. It will be a house made of wood and glass, with large open spaces, a wood stove, and a sleeping loft. It’s truly our dream project. I can’t wait to place the Hug sofa in that space, to lounge and look out at the forest while the wood stove is burning. The sofa is incredibly comfortable yet stylish—something that’s often hard to combine in a sofa. It’s going to be a real showpiece in our wooden house!
You’re also planning to renovate two more wooden cabins on your land; what are your plans for them?
When Rudmer and I came across this forest house in the national park, we instantly fell in love! The plot has a house that used to be a holiday home, along with two old wooden cabins. It’s a big project, but we were eager to take on the challenge. Once we managed to buy it, we immediately moved into the house and found an architect. We didn’t start tearing things down or renovating right away; we wanted to take our time to do it properly. Together with our architect, we brainstormed the best way to arrange the plot, and that’s when we came up with the idea to connect all the cabins with wooden walkways.
One of the cabins will eventually be our office, along with an open space where we can work on various creative concepts. The other cabin will be a workshop and studio with an industrial and minimalist vibe, where we can make furniture, paint, work with ceramics, or explore other creative projects. The spaces will be open and light but will feel warm thanks to the use of wood. The exact purpose of each space will likely evolve over time, which is what makes it all so fun and dynamic!
Gisele has chosen the Hug sofa in the fabric facet shitake124. Curious about the sofa? Discover it here.
