Sonneveld House

We did not plan to visit this house on purpose, but it turned out to be a surprisingly interesting experience—what a wonderful gem in the heart of the city that takes you straight back to the 1930s. I was genuinely impressed. The documentary about the renovation done in the 2000s was both incredibly slow and boring, yet at the same time the best possible explanation of the background and restoration process. I had no prior knowledge of Dutch functionalism in architecture, but the house demonstrates it so clearly: buttons under the tables to call the maid, separate doors in the bathroom so it could be used by different rooms and people, and many other thoughtful details. We were shocked by how deeply it immerses you in the past—every room and every part of the house feels like stepping back hundreds of years. I especially appreciated the audio guide, which explains each detail in a very thorough way. This place is absolutely a must-see.

It was a spontaneous visit and I wish I had done the audio guide. Back in 1933 it must have been so radical (and still is) bedrooms kind of small and what a drawer-shelf on its own near the door and nothing next to the bed, has to do with functionalism I can't figure out. Bathrooms big, double sinks and we think that's a modern thing. It was like walking into a different time.

great experience! audio guide was really interesting and it contains lots of extra information 😊

Fascinating house, restored with original and reproduction furniture. Architecturally interesting to see how the modernist principles of space, light and air are applied to a very upmarket family dwelling. Unusually it is possible to sit on some of the non-original furniture which gives an entirely different view of the spaces compared to just walking around. The guides are all very well informed and keeeen to add their insight to your visit.

Time travel back to the 1930’s. This beautiful ‘modern’ villa from 1930 is completely in its old style, also the interior decoration. Since restored in 2001 many times I passed this villa, every time thinking I should visit soon. Finally I did. It was much better than expected. Great to spend an hour here.

Beautiful museum of villa build around 1930. The audio guide is really good and explains each room very well, they accept museumcard. The different rooms have for the 1930s a modern interieur but most importantly it is also functional. Also interesting is the fact that one of the rooms has a modern shower with many exits for the water which was extremely new for that time.

This place was a great visit. The house consists of a tour through a 1933 home noted for its modernist architecture, with free audio tours of its period interiors. You get the idea of how the family lived here back then, and what’s the most incredible thing they moved here leaving all their possessions behind to start fresh with a fully modern furnished house for that time. Many gadgets and interesting things are still used nowadays, some stuff is so high end that we hardly ever see it today in everybody’s home. I truly believe that this will be a great visit for everyone. The house is bigger than it seems and it is really interesting.

A nice tour of a house of a wealthy family living in Rotterdam in the 1930s. The house was built in the so-called Nieuwe Bouwen architecture style that was prevalent at the time. It had a somewhat functional and simplistic design, with a lot of modern amenities such as a bathroom shower heads, intercom, security systems, internal lifts and heated towel stands.