You want to copy-paste Anne-Claire's weekend

Just a tip and at the same time a warning. Follow Anne-Claire on Instagram, I genuinely find it one of the nicest accounts to follow and consider yourself warned, because it could very well be that you want a new house or that you want to give your own house a total makeover. Claire is a woman with exceptional taste when it comes to houses (and restaurants and hotels).

Dear Claire, I always start this section with a number. What number would you give your life at this moment?
“8 – I love autumn.”

You design the most beautiful houses and sink your teeth into prestigious projects. On top of that, you are also very active on Instagram. This raises the question; how do you do all that?
“Well, I can't do it alone, no. I have a really cool team with beautiful women in the studio with whom I design and execute all projects together. I especially enjoy Instagram because it is visual and thus fits well with my profession. I have a busy and full life, which you sometimes see passing by. But when I post a story, I do it in between, so it goes online without a filter and sometimes with a spelling mistake.”

Are you extra busy during this period? I can imagine that people are eager to ‘freshen up’ their homes after the summer. What questions do people come to you with?
“Yes, autumn and winter are always the busiest periods for us. After the outdoor life in summer, everyone retreats indoors. And then the questions for the interior come, such as requests for new living room decor, a new rug, a different sofa, and the question: ‘how do I style my coffee table and sofa cozily?’”

Where do you get most of your inspiration for houses and decor?
“Traveling and hotels, but I am also an old-fashioned magazine addict. Especially international interior magazines.”

This section is called Thank God It’s Friday. It’s Friday, 5:00 PM. Where are you, what are you doing, and is there something in your glass?
“Nice question. Friday afternoon, I am always with my daughter. My weekend starts on Friday when her school is out, so around 2-3 PM. Usually, we go to the market together and get delicious things for the weekend. After that, at home, there’s a Virgin gin tonic in my glass.”

What does an average Anne-Claire weekend look like?
“I love rituals. Saturday morning, my family is still sleeping and I have my regular round. I walk with my doodle Kees to ‘Sisters’, the French bakery in the village. Here I get my favorite bread made from seeds and a cappuccino. Then I walk to the butcher/fishmonger/the other baker for my husband and daughter. Next, I stop by the studio to pick up the FD personally and at home, I grab Het Parool from the mailbox. I wake the family with the smell of fresh bread. Then we have breakfast together and I usually take our daughter to hockey.”

Suppose earthly matters like time difference, flight shame, money, and travel time do not exist. What would your ideal weekend look like? Starting in the south of France and then through the mountains to the Gooi?
“Love it already. Then I prefer to get interior inspiration in beautiful hotels. And preferably in Italy or France. Something from the Belmond group or one of the three Il Pellicano, or further away Anantara and eat in one of the restaurants of the Society group in Paris.”

What do you like to read, listen to, watch, and eat on the weekend?
“I read Het Parool, the FD, and some magazines that are available. I like to listen to Radio Bon Entendeur on Spotify. I eat the nuts from the market, the bread from Sisters, sashimi from the fishmonger, pecan chocolate from Koek en Chocola. And I am currently watching Emily in Paris.”

And where do you shop, Anne-Claire? And where do you buy the nicest accessories for your home?
“I shop for clothes in Paris at Le Bon Marché, Black Fashion in The Hague, and Salon Heleen Hulsemann in Amsterdam. I shop for home accessories at my own place and occasionally a piece via Catawiki or Whopppa.”

Does Sunday have a different vibe than Saturday for you?
“Yes, nice! Sunday is relax mode – now that autumn is starting, I light candles from the morning. Do laundry and do little to nothing else. Sunday morning I take a long walk with the dog and my friend. Then I stop by my parents or best friend.’

What’s on your list of “I must and want to go to” restaurants? What does the coming week look like for you?
“Next week I have a few project visits, I fly back and forth to Milan for a factory visit, and then there are some nice fairs coming up that I look forward to, such as Collectors Rotterdam, Pan Amsterdam, etc.”

And what projects are waiting for you on Monday?
“On Monday I am going to Hoorn, where we are transforming an old bank building (monumental building) into a beautiful family home. I have an appointment with the lighting supplier for our lighting plan for a villa in Geneva and we are designing a nice furnishing proposal for a ‘first home’ apartment in Amsterdam for a young couple.”

Image: Instagram @clairzinteriordesign and website