The national monument houses of Witte Dorp (white village) in Eindhoven are getting a facelift. Almost all of them will be repainted white. This is no small job and is expected to take all year.
A total of 167 of the 263 houses will receive a new coat of white paint. All facades, window frames and dormers will be addressed. “This is how we keep our houses looking good and ensure that Witte Dorp retains its appearance as a beautiful, monumental neighbourhood”, Michel Theeuwen, secretary of Vereniging Onderhoudsfonds (association maintenance fund) Witte Dorp, said.
Save
Joining this fund are 87 residents from the neighbourhood who annually save together for this paint job. About 80 residents choose to pay all at once. A paint job costs on average €5,000 per house. If you live on a corner and therefore have more facade, the price goes up. Most houses are taken care of by painting company Coolen, but some residents choose their own painter. The houses of Witte Dorp get a completely new coat of paint once every twelve years.
Pay
Still, not every household is participating in the major refurbishment in the neighbourhood. “We know there are plenty of people who enjoy painting it themselves. Or people put it off because they just bought their house and can’t afford it at the moment”, Theeuwen said. However, residents can apply for a grant from the municipality, which will reimburse part of the cost.
Proud
Every now and then, people come specially to Witte Dorp to see Theeuwen’s house, for example. That feels like quite an honour. “We’ve had a bus of Japanese in the neighbourhood sometimes, or architecture clubs coming to see Witte Dorp. That does make me proud”. This is also a motivation for him to remain committed to the neighbourhood. “I think it’s important to preserve the village, and that should be seen”.
Protected colour
The village has a special white colour because architect Willem Marinus Dudok devised it in 1937. This colour is protected by the government so residents must pay attention to it if they want to change anything about their homes. “It is not allowed to use another colour for painting”, Theeuwen says. “What if someone in the neighbourhood paints his house a different colour anyway? Then he gets his ass kicked”, Theeuwen concludes with a wink.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
