Tim Middelkamp is renowned as a great interior builder and our in-store Homey display creator. He bought a former rental house and renovated it a few years ago. Hearing the stories about his home renovations made us curious to see his house and to hear about his plans for Homey. We visited Tim in Wijhe and took a look to see it ourselves.
Building his dream house
There is no doorbell, but Tim is already waiting for us in his doorway: “Welcome!” When we enter his home, we immediately see that this house could be in an interior magazine. “And it should! It’s my job”, Tim laughs. At the kitchen table, he tells us about his business. “I started in my grandparents' shed. Now, my business has been around for nine years already, and we work on great projects.”
“From kitchen to built-in wardrobe and from stand construction to a complete interior design project for a clothing store”, Tim says. “When you buy your own house, you know exactly what you want it to become. I did most of the work on my own, between other projects, so it took me three years to move in. I remodeled nearly the entire building, but I kept aspects of the house's original style. Now that I've lived here for three months, it’s time for the finishing touch.”
Plans for Homey
Everything in this home is well-thought-out. But something very important is missing. Where is Homey? “I haven’t had the time to install Homey yet”, Tim explains. “But almost everything is ready for it! I have a long list of ideas. The front door already has a Nuki smart lock, and I will also install a Ring video doorbell.”
“All lights in the house are Philips Hue, and the blinds can also be converted to connect them to Homey. A robot lawn mower takes care of the garden, and a smart sprinkler system is already in place. I think Homey will get a spot next to the TV and Sonos. I want to create a Flow that will lock the doors, turn off the lights, and close the blinds when I go to bed.”
Hotel suite
Upstairs, Tim says: “I wanted to have a combined bedroom and bathroom. Like a hotel suite. So that’s what I made. I did build another separate bathroom upstairs. This worked out well, as my neighbors from across the street live here. The renovation of their house took a little longer than expected, so I offered my place to live for a while. I have plenty of room. There are two spare bedrooms and an extra bathroom.”
“Downstairs, I already have a robot vacuum cleaner, but I will order another one to use upstairs. That makes it so much easier! Having my Sunday morning croissants automatically baked by my smart oven would be wonderful. Then I can stay in bed a little longer. I think there are enough great Flows to think of for this Homey in this house. Any tips? Let me know!”