Inspiration can be found in many places, but the best ideas often come from the heart.
Listening to that inner voice, the little whisper from within that tells you to trust your instincts even if it may seem unconventional – perhaps even crazy – can lead to truly extraordinary results.
Renowned design creative Jeroen Van Zwetselaar is a prime example of how following your intuition can lead you right to the very top of the game.
His interior and exterior design company, STUDIO JEROEN VAN ZWETSELAAR, is considered one of the best in Europe and his signature aesthetic – an artful clash of classic-meets-modern with a surprise element of deliberate ‘imperfections’ that add character and edge – is in hot demand all around the globe.
Splitting his time between the Netherlands and Ibiza, Jeroen is currently in the process of designing his new office in the village of Santa Gertrudis – in collaboration with real estate agency, Fantastic Frank Ibiza.
So for Part Four of our “How to buy a house in Ibiza” series with the property experts, we were thrilled to be invited to pick the brains of one of interior design’s trailblazers, whose unique style is a perfect fit for the many creatives looking to make the island their home – or give their investment property a cool yet sophisticated feel.
When we meet Jeroen for a coffee, he admits, “I have seen others try to copy what I’m doing and thought, ‘Yeah… but it’s not working here’. I don’t know exactly why, I just see ‘it’. It’s not easy to replicate that.”
Does it come down to intuition, to simply having ‘an eye for it’? He laughs, “Maybe both. I’m glad I can do one thing!”
Completely self-taught in his craft, Jeroen had originally studied art direction and graphic design before starting an advertising agency and brand consultancy. After selling his company, he found himself asking, ‘What’s next?’.
The answer revealed itself to him not through hours spent soul-searching and ruminating, but in a completely organic – if somewhat unexpected – way.
Having always been drawn to the sea, Jeroen was working as a sailing instructor on Texel, one of the Dutch Wadden Islands, when he came across an old sea container. An idea was sparked.
“I basically made a home out of that container – long before it was trendy – with everything I could find on the beach,” he explains. “And it ended up in Elle Decor, because they couldn’t believe that a guy of 20 years had done that.”
His next project, the conversion of an old railway house, also garnered a lot of attention. It became evident that Jeroen had discovered not only a new passion, but also a hidden talent!
However, after starting his career as an interior designer by working for big, commercial stores, he soon became frustrated with having to follow the strict in-house brand guidelines – and decided to change his client base.
Now, with a team of seven consisting of architects, interior designers and craftsmen, he focuses on private projects such as family homes, boutique hotels and – as he continues to completely redesign his new, shared office with Fantastic Frank Ibiza – inspiring work spaces.
Jeroen tells us, “When I switched over to private projects, I really figured out my own style, my ‘signature’. I would describe it as ‘heritage meets contemporary’. Two worlds coming together, always clashing a little bit.”
Speaking of the personal details and interesting contrasts he likes to add into his designs, he explains, “Imperfection can be beautiful – but the rest of the lines have to be very clean. It only works when you do the rest completely perfectly.”
Jeroen’s ‘perfectly imperfect’ aesthetic has seen him and his team win not only magazine covers, but also industry accolades, with STUDIO JEROEN VAN ZWETSELAAR recently nominated in the Design Awards 2024.
For the keen surfer, however, it’s all about creating spaces that ‘flow’. “A lot of people just decorate – but I make a new home,” he says. “It’s really important that you feel comfortable, and that you can move through your house and your life with ease.”
While Jeroen visits the international trade fairs in cosmopolitan cities like Milan “for context, and to see new products”, when we ask him what sparks up his inspiration, he is always drawn back to the ocean.
“When I’m sailing or surfing, it helps me to clear my mind and make space for the inspiration to come through. I like to work like a painter, and I have my own palette with reef colours. What I do is very intuitive,” he says.
Having visited Ibiza for 25 years, and with many friends from the Netherlands settled on the island, too, Jeroen says he feels at home in the Balearic archipelago. His first project on the White Isle was a 400-year-old finca with two casitas.
“It was very beautiful,” he says. “I mostly prefer to work on old houses, but it’s also nice to use old materials in a new building.”
When asked about his process, Jeroen again talks about a gut feeling, an intangible understanding of his clients and the property that is hard to put into words.
“It’s very important to have a good relationship with your clients, so when I take on a project it’s because I like the property, the people – and the budget,” he laughs. “All of these elements are crucial to create something special.
“It’s great if people use Pinterest, but I don’t look at the pictures,” he admits. “I hear their stories, and the stories are enough for me. I can feel the buildings and understand them in a special way to create a good flow – and the flow is one of the most important things.”
Being able to move freely and effortlessly through your home also extends into the property’s exterior spaces – especially in the sun-drenched Balearic Islands.
“For me it’s a holistic thing, and I always try to consider everything: Inside, outside, the garden, the lighting. I think it’s very important to keep a helicopter view so you have a coherent end result. I’m very fanatic about the whole process, I’m deep into the project down to the last detail,” Jeroen explains.
These finishing touches extend to the talented designer’s own creations, which include furniture, carpets, photography, sculptures – and even a series of inspiration books!
“There is always a lot going on in my head,” Jeroen laughs.
With clients in Ibiza, Barcelona and Alicante, along the Spanish and Dutch coastlines as well as Belgium, Switzerland and the USA, the multi-talented designer and artist has created his own haven in the North of Ibiza to rest and recharge from his busy work and travel schedule.
“I live at the top of a mountain and I have a wrap-around terrace from which I can see three bays – Port de San Miguel, Benirás and, in the distance, Santa Eulalia. I like the very peaceful way of living, and Ibiza offers me a nice balance between tranquillity and life,” he says.
As a man of great taste and style, naturally, as we finish our chat we can’t resist asking Jeroen about his favourite place to eat, dine and dance on the island.
“I love Es Raco for a day by the pool, and The Beach Caves at the Six Senses Hotel in Portinatx are also very nice. In and around Santa Gertrudis I like Bar Costa, Macao Café and Wow Ibiza. And the Fish Shack is a classic! For a dance, I like the open-air places like Las Dalias.”
Visit www.jeroenvanzwetselaar.com and www.fantasticfrank.com/ibiza for further information. Jeroen’s inspiration book “Rockin’ Interior & Exterior” is out now and available to order via email.
