Kate Hume started her career in fashion, as a buyer at Browns in London and then as a forecaster and stylist at Bergdorf Goodman in New York. But when she moved to Amsterdam with her husband in 1999 and began redecorating the 1850s townhouse that would become their home, she made the natural transition into interior design.
Since then, she has designed sumptuous homes in the south of France, contemporary residences in Moscow and Prague, modernist manor houses in the UK and Middle East-inspired villas in Dubai. Hume's projects are luxurious, simple and eclectic, and display a love of colour and a passion for combining rare and unusual pieces that are often custom-made.
Hume also designs one-of-a-kind handblown glass vessels under the Kate Hume Glass brand and co-created the Heijden Hume furniture collection with her husband, Frans van der Heijden, a former photographer and long-time collaborator. Both the furniture and glass collections are sold in Hume's studio on Eerste Wetering Dwarsstraat in Amsterdam.
But the roots of her successful interior design career can be traced back to the five-storey former office building where Hume and her family have lived for the past six years. "We just fell in love with the property when we found it six years ago. It was a perfect fit for what we were seeking. It was an original townhouse building with high ceilings and enough space to accommodate our two sons, pets and workspaces. It is also flooded with natural light from both sides of the building. And importantly, we absolutely love the area."
The building is set in the heart of Amsterdam, on a leafy park and near the city's trademark canals. "It's a very residential square and everything is a short bicycle ride away, which is the mode of transport of choice for locals," says Hume. "We also have a gorgeous terrier puppy whom we love to walk daily along the tree-lined streets. Amsterdam is a very welcoming European city and we are lucky to have become part of the terrific design community here."
However, because the building was a former office that dated back to the 1850s and hadn't been occupied since the end of the Second World War, it was in a serious state of disrepair when Hume found it. A number of structural changes had to be made before the property could be comfortably lived in, and because the family was keen to move in as soon as possible, this presented some problems. "Mostly we had to demolish the weaker parts and ensure that the structural integrity of the build was strengthened," Hume explains.
The couple were adamant that the essence of the building remain unchanged - an ethos that has become a cornerstone of both of their work. "We are always guided by the principles of restoration rather then destruction," she says.
In typical Amsterdam fashion, the property is spread over five floors. Hume converted the ground floor into a large study and library area, and removed secondary walls on the first floor to create a large open-plan living room and kitchen. The second floor is home to the master suite, and additional bedrooms and utility rooms are found on the remaining levels.
Comfort was key when it came to the design of the interiors, says Hume. Kate and Frans designed all of the inbuilt furniture themselves, so the house is filled with the rich woods and sculptural silhouettes that have made the Heijden Hume brand such a success. Lighting was sourced from Modular and Jeremy Cole, while feature walls are covered in dramatic wallpaper from the Glasgow-based brand Timorous Beasties. Walls are also adorned with eye-catching works of art that depict everything from Engels to oversized insects. The couple's extensive collection of photography and ceramics is thoughtfully displayed throughout the house, and Hume's bold glass vessels are also given pride of place. Refreshing greens and yellows mirror the summer foliage and are offset against a stark palette of black and white.
Hume describes her home as "comfortable, colourful, personal, green and light", and nowhere is this more evident than in her favourite space, the living room, which is brimming with natural light, pops of colour and plenty of personal touches. At its heart sits a George Smith sofa that Hume has owned for 20 years.
While the house is "definitely home", Hume admits that she would like to add an additional two bedrooms and bathroom on the fifth floor of the property. A roof terrace would also be a great addition, she says. "We love outdoor space and it is a rarity in central Amsterdam. We are also finding that the garden is growing into a natural extension of the kitchen and entertaining spaces as people congregate on terraces to chat and spend their meals there, weather permitting."
Apart from that, and in spite of the many challenges involved in transforming an abandoned former office into a comfortable family home, Hume is perfectly happy with her Amsterdam abode. Her only advice? "Not to live in a house while work is being done - never a good experience".
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The years Ramadan fell in May
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
A%20Little%20to%20the%20Left
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMax%20Inferno%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PC%2C%20Mac%2C%20Nintendo%20Switch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
