Renovate with robust door hardware 

Working together down to the details

It is more than just practical that Melanie van Rijn shares her Overschie office with some real estate developers and a brokerage. As a designer of interiors and lighting projects, she has worked more and more intensively with her neighbors in recent years. This has led to a series of projects, mostly found in the Kleinpolder neighborhood. "These are homes that we preserve, decorate and usually deliver turnkey for the rental market, complete with upholstery." In her styling, Deurklink24's Eliot door hardware series is a recurring feature.

Van Rijn is originally a lighting designer. "The projects I do for this can be found all over the country. In these, I work with architects and installers to design appropriate lighting plans for homes and offices. That collaboration has become increasingly important with the advent of LED lighting. You used to have recessed and surface-mounted spotlights. However, so much more can be done with LED. This is reflected in the new variety of shapes in fixtures and lighting solutions. The result is often a meter box full of drivers and labeled cables and boxes to keep the whole switching and domotics plan manageable. In a little home, there are about 40 to 60 spotlights." 

Improve neighborhood

Gradually, Van Rijn moved into interior design in addition to lighting design. "My neighbors are ERA Prachthuis Makelaardij, Multi Corporation and PNL Vastgoedmanagement. They are very active in Overschie in improving often vacant homes and other real estate. Not so long ago there was a lot of vacancy here. They saw the potential of this neighborhood, which is part of the greater Rotterdam area, and made a substantial contribution to refurbishing it. For me, that gradually meant more interior design and thus more projects. That's basically how I rolled into this team. In these challenges, I then work together with structural engineers and architects. Exactly that makes it interesting for me."

Daylight

"What the final status of a home will be is a return decision by the developer, but most of the homes we refurbish come into the rental market," Van Rijn continues. "We deliver those turn-key, right down to the blinds and furniture. For example, we recently completed four houses with a first floor and basement on Van Noortwijckstraat. Large glass facades in the facade and black glass facades in the interior ensure that daylight penetrates everywhere." 

Almost all projects are fitted with Eliot door hardware by Van Rijn. She buys that from her regular supplier Deurklink24. "You could almost say it has become part of our team, but if you have a good experience with something, you stay loyal to it." 

Robust

Eliot is a robust door hardware that Van Rijn uses most often in the sleek black version. "This fits in very nicely with our sleek interiors. It feels good and that in turn is useful for the real estate agent: everyone who enters a home often turns the door handle for a moment. And they like it, too. In rental properties, the robustness of door hardware is very important. You don't want to have to replace it every time. Plus, Eliot has a socket lock on the inside that doesn't get lame over time. We finish all doors, toilets and also the meter cupboard, which according to the new standard must have a rotary knob system, with Eliot hardware. Doorklink24 has fast delivery, as the name implies, and also switches quickly. So logistically they have it right there."

Eliot rosettes, door shields and door handles are available in square, rectangular and round designs in the colors matte black, white, gray and copper and in nickel satin. In addition to this series, Deurklink24 carries a wider range of door hardware, mortise locks, door stoppers and other accessories.