Seventeen years ago I left The Netherlands for Dubai with just a suitcase, expecting to stay a year. That year turned into an adventure that's still unfolding. I met my Dutch husband, we had three daughters, and together we've moved 12 times across multiple continents — Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, Sydney, and now Manila.

Along the way I became something of an expert in making any space feel like home. I've owned five sofas, countless rugs, and more than eight children's beds. I know what's worth bringing, what to buy locally, and how to make a rental feel genuinely beautiful without upsetting the landlord or breaking the budget.

When my children started school I studied interior design and turned that passion into a career. Studio Amelia is built on everything I've learned the practical, the creative, and the deeply personal experience of building a home somewhere new, over and over again.