Man achter het Merk

He is the best hairdresser (and no, he doesn't think that's a dirty word) and makeup artist in the Netherlands, but he has another talent: decorating houses. And that love for interior design and for television melted together in his latest project: the program The Interior Project VIPS that he conceived and presents himself.

In the nearly twenty years that I've known you, I think you've moved about ten times. My brain cracks as I mentally go through all the houses, and I haven't even seen your place in the Jordaan, you were gone so quickly. What I do know is that every house is decorated to be enviably neat and cozy within two days. With refinement and taste and innovation while it always breathes Leco. How. Do. You. Do. That?

‘I love tidying up, it makes things clear, I need that in my head too.’

‘I've moved 12 times in 24 years so that's correct and in the Jordaan was the shortest living period, about four or five months. Moving for me is a military operation: if you have everything neatly prepared and you have a fantastic team around you, then it works and my goal is: move and in the evening the flowers are on the table and the scented candles are lit. Spending months among moving boxes doesn't suit me.’

How would you describe your interior style?
‘I think my interior style is eclectic, a mix of everything and anything. I love a sleek framework, good materials, lots of wall space so I can display a lot of art, investing in classics that you can take with you time and again. Compare it to your wardrobe where you invest in nice basics, good jeans, the perfect white shirt, loafers, a good jacket, and the perfect cashmere sweater. And when it comes to jokes, you do that with something of lesser quality so you can replace it.’

The Interior Project VIPS (tonight on RTL4) is your idea. A group of famous people gets a decorating assignment. A bit like The Perfect Picture, but in the field of interiors. How did you choose the participants?
‘You know me as a hair and makeup artist with a deep passion for interiors. The candidates are people who have just as much love for interiors as I do.’

Decorating a house is of course a matter of taste and tastes can differ. What elements have you ‘built in’ to really curate the challenge?
‘Tastes differ and everyone has their own interpretation and that's why we work with assignments with a clear goal and a guest juror who knows a lot about the subject at that moment. Last week we had Monique des Bouvrie and the assignment was to decorate a holiday home. Monique knows what to pay attention to, it has to be ‘idiot-proof’, not too pronounced, practical, and so on.’

Which people do you think have exceptionally good taste when it comes to interiors and what can we learn from them?
‘Lenny Kravitz has that wonderful mix of old and new, of special pieces. It's very easy to have your house completely renovated and decorated by an interior designer, but I like it when it's a process. Pieces that you've collected, heirlooms; all that creates a play of old and new. Kelly Wearstler is a designer I find really cool, but also Mariska Dietz, Monique des Bouvrie, and Danielëlle Oerlemans are all people who each have their own perspective on things and who handle interiors incredibly well.’

Finally: I once saw an interior designer on Oprah who had the golden tip: tidy up. That makes every house look better and it costs nothing. Do you have a golden tip like that?
‘I tell everyone who wants to sell their house: declutter! Slide it under your bed for all I care. When someone comes to buy a house, they are not interested in someone else's little things. I love tidying up, it makes things clear, I need that in my head too.’

The Interior Project VIPS is on every Tuesday at 20:35 on RTL4.

Image: William Rutten