We are Gert and Marije Kootstra, and we hope to welcome you as our guest soon.
Sixteen years ago, we fell in love with Clos Laraison, and since then we have spent as much time here as we could free up. There was always plenty that needed doing, ranging from renovating the various buildings to the major job of rearranging the gardens. But it was always a project that filled us with great pleasure and satisfaction.
We worked on Clos Laraison alongside our regular life back in Netherlands, where we ran a design and design management business. Gert initially in the role of graphic designer and later as consultant, teacher, researcher, and author, while Marije worked as an interim consultant and project manager.
Gert is passionate about gardening, painting, and sculpture. While studying at the academy, he painted and drew a lot, but his studies and work ended up pushing these creative exploits into the background. In 2007, he picked up his paint brushes again, and reconnected with the joy he gets out of painting, realising anew how this activity captivates him. For an impression of his works, take a look at his website
here.
Marije initially trained as a hostess, and hospitality has therefore become second nature to her. She also has a passion for cooking, which saw her take cooking lessons with top chefs such as Henk Savelberg (Hotel Restaurant Savelberg) and Ruben van Dieten (Le Cirque, Brasserie NL). See also Table d’hôtes.
