the big surprise

space that lets its walls – and other surfaces – do the talking, Elizabeth Van den Berg’s family home is all about materiality. Swathes of concrete, patterned parquet, aged bare brick and high-shine lacquer mean that it’s the building itself that’s the most decorative element of the space, with Elizabeth banishing clutter in favour of a few well-selected complementary objects. ‘I love honest materials,’ she says. ‘I like seeing what things