IXXI loves Firma Kijkhuis

Hi! We are Liesbeth Conen en Paula Somers. Our lives are connected to each other, both private and in business: we are sister and own together a company: Firma Kijkhuis. For years now we have worked together and became a well-balanced team. Firma Kijkhuis furnishes houses for developers and individuals. We load our truck full of furniture and great gadgets and transform a vacant house into a pleasant home. We like to use IXXI as a gadget for these transformations.

Since some time we also cooperate with IXXI. We search unique locations for the new IXXI collections, attend to the styling during the photo shoots in collaboration with Marije Kuiper. Searching and creating an inspiring environment for a new IXXI design is fun to do. The excellent cooperation with IXXI, the photographer and the hospitality of the residents make for surprisingly new photos, which we are proud of! By now you can come across quite a few pictures that have been styled by us!

1. Family


We come from a family with 4 children that have always been very close. Now our families are an important base in both our lives. At an early stage in our lives we got to know the love of cooking, art and design. It still forms part of our lives. We carry sweet memories of decorated tables under the apple tree, full of home baked goodies and home-brewed wine, celebrating food and life with the hole family of 18 people and fantastic cook in between: mother Willemien. The residential farm we grew up in is still one of our favorite places. Father Arno build it with his own hands to what it is now; a real paradise in Baarlo, Limburg. Since some years guests are welcome to enjoy the great B&B in a little house with pool, next to the main house. Obviously we designed it ourselves and Arno built it brick by brick and furnished it. Tip: you’ll find the B&B under ‘Somershuis’ and it’s already famous for its breakfast by Willemien

2. Missiemuseum Steyl

Opposite of where we lived in Baarlo, there is the Missiemuseum in Steyl. As children this was our favorite museum and by now our own kids love it. You take the beautiful trail along the river Maas, cross the water with a small ferry and then you can admire the giant stuffed bear that grumbles when you feed it a coin. In the museum it seems as if time has stood still. There are wooden showcases filled with stuffed animals, insects, ancient objects from exotic countries and the robes of former missionaries, with the salient detail of bloodstains in the yellowed clothing of a murdered missionary in China. It’s a nice, small museum, which is worth visiting!

3. Insel Hombroich


Another favorite is the island Hombroich in Neuss, Germany which has been founded by the art collector Karl-Heinrich Müller. In beautiful cubic pavilions (designed by Erwin Heerich) in a park-like setting modern and ancient art is exhibited under the motto “Art paralleling nature”. Contrary to many other museums it shows works from different periods and cultures together without any explanation. This allows you to perceive art without being constantly distracted by artists’ names, titles and dates. There are no guards and the doors of the pavilions are always wide open for you to experience the area through the open spaces. There is a special atmosphere of stillness. Besides this perfectly detailed concept, this is a ‘total experience’ and a must for any art lover.

4. IXXI shoot

For our last photo shoot for IXXI we went to Eindhoven and Rotterdam. This is one of our all-time favorites: a black and white collage. In this sturdy black still lurks a silent present: a blackbird!

5. Our bus


We love our own little truck (Citroen), which has carried us thousands of kilometers through all of the Netherlands, stuffed with furniture and home accessories. It’s almost 25 years old and we already have it more than 10. With every repair we wonder ‘should we still carry on?’ and yet we can’t say goodbye. It fits so much stuff and by now we got a bit attached to this bus

Love,
Liesbeth & Paula