MY JOURNEY INTO DESIGN
I’m Marieke – a Dutch–Australian designer with a soft spot for homes that feel lived-in and personal. What began as a creative detour from corporate life became a design degree and, eventually, a new career. Curious about the longer version of that journey? I’ve written more about it here.
Today, I split my time between blogging, brand collaborations and teaching future designers at the Interior Design Institute.​
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I don’t do labels. My style mixes new and vintage, upcycled treasures and art — whatever brings character and feels like home. Living between Haarlem, Valencia and Sydney across the year shapes how I design and the stories I tell.
THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME
Whispering Bold began with a simple idea: design can make a statement without shouting. I wanted a name that reflected that balance — characterful, a little daring, but grounded in real life.
My husband once put it perfectly: “Your style is bold, but it never screams for attention.” And that’s how Whispering Bold was born — real homes, brave choices, nothing too precious.
HOW I TEACH DESIGN
I'm a tutor with the Interior Design Institute, and my teaching philosophy is rooted in practicality and accessibility. Design isn’t about big budgets or glossy perfection — it’s about individuality, bold choices and creating spaces that work for real life.
I believe homes come alive through meaningful objects: pieces collected over time, upcycled finds and the small quirks that tell your story. Perfection is boring; personality is what makes design sing.
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​I also create teaching materials for educators, available through the link below.
COLLABORATORS
A few of the clever ones who help shape Whispering Bold.
Whispering Bold is mostly me, but I’m not doing it entirely alone.
Passionate about blogging on interior design or home improvement? A few select spots are open to be a featured writer on Whispering Bold. Get in touch for collaboration details and contributor packages.
A FEW EASY CHOICES
Me in a nutshell.
A few small preferences that probably tell you more about me than a CV ever could.
Dark or Milk Chocolate — Dark with nuts, can’t imagine life without chocolate.
Walking or Cycling — Walking (yes, Dutch and I still hate cycling).
Beer or Wine — Wine, preferably bubbles.
Organised or Messy — Very organised, mess makes my head spin.
Pool or Beach — Pool, I’m a bit scared of the ocean.
Morning or Evening — Morning, I turn into a pumpkin at night.
Text or Call — Text, please don’t call, I don’t use my phone for that.
Vintage or Brand New — Vintage with a story.
Coffee or Tea — Tea if I must, but I can’t stand coffee.
Flats or Heels — Flats, I ditched heels when I left corporate.
Movies or Sports — Sports, football and F1 are my go-to.
Summer or Winter — Summer, always.
Cats or Dogs — Cats are lovely, but I’m absolutely a dog person.
