A Homage to Mothers – Celebrating Mothers in Design: An Interview with Ursula of House of Orange.
This Mother’s Day, we sat down with our co-founder and brand director, Ursula, to reflect on motherhood, business, and the unique journey of raising both children and a company under the same roof — literally. For over 18 years, Ursula has nurtured House of Orange into a brand that is unmistakably Dutch in sensibility: functional, honest, and full of heart.
What many do not know is how deeply personal the story of House of Orange really is — from her daughters growing up in the showroom, to signature furniture pieces bearing their names.
Here is what she had to share.
Q: How has being a mother influenced the way you run House of Orange?
A: Being able to multitask and adapt to what the moments bring with retail — each interaction is a new day. Where the day before and day after may count to us but to the customer its about first contact and connection. Textbook behaviours do not need to be the driver, as every week is a new chapter such as is with being a parent!
Q: What values from motherhood do you bring into your leadership style?
A: Simple small things make big things great — so the approach is on the valuing of completing small tasks with great detail. That’s something I’ve carried through both home life and work. Connecting with the team that make it possible — and creating a shared sense of “we’ve got this.” Motherhood shows you the power of a village — and business works best when it feels like one too.
Q: What inspired you & Hans to start House of Orange 18 years ago?
A: We literally had our second born Nina in a bassinet just several weeks old and a big empty warehouse in Armadale that used to be an upholsterer’s workshop. We’d just come from running an auction house in Amsterdam, where we curated everything from art to furniture. Back then, we couldn’t see the kind of accessible, layered design we loved — so we thought, why not create it ourselves?
Q: How do Dutch values and aesthetics influence both your home life and your design philosophy?
A: We love the honest loose design values of mixing old and new. Creating soulful interiors that do not follow a script but are a culmination of founded pieces underpinned by unfussy solid robust design.
Q: What is one piece of furniture from House of Orange that feels like it represents your motherhood journey?
A: Both our daughters were true testers of our designs. When it comes to the beds we named the loft bed after Nina, our second born. This bed was born out of necessity — small footprint, big ideas. We were leaning into the way the lofts in small Dutch and European spaces were so functional and added a touch of theatre to the everyday. And then there’s the April Table – it’s the centrepiece of our life. A big refractory style dining table we named after our first born. It’s where everything happens: meals, homework, debates, celebrations, quiet cups of tea. It holds so many stories — I’d say it’s the most important piece we’ve ever made.
Q: Your daughters have grown up around the House of Orange showroom – what has that experience been like for them, and for you as a mother?
A: Our daughters grew up in our showroom, it was total mayhem — in the best way possible. They’d rock up after school, drop their bags, pinch coins from the till for snacks, and sprawl out on the beds with their homework. Our customers just kind of rolled with it. It felt like one big family room. They learnt respect for the drive we had as business owners and also what it meant to feel at home, even in a workplace.
Q: Do you have any favourite memories of them spending time in the showroom or workshop over the years?
A: So many. Nina would curl up with our dog Frankie on one of the bunks, half-asleep in the afternoon sun, surrounded by her schoolbag. Later, during COVID, our eldest became our courier and online order queen — that was a triumph.
Q: How do you think being around the creative and hands-on nature of the business has shaped their perspective or interests?
A: Both girls are adaptable and know how to read a room — they also know how to travel the metro systems of Amsterdam and Paris alone and have both done it. They know how and what resilience means as they have seen us working all their lives but with a whole home feeling. As our home is always the sanctuary and much of what they love is associated with the way a mood can be changed by a candle, a lamp light, music and the thrill of a curated piece that has story!
Q: Do your daughters ever give you feedback or ideas on designs now that they are older?
A: Our youngest is now in film school and is a total soundboard for the visual language of the socials platform the eldest is our go to for all downloads when we are cynical and weary she reminds us of the journey!
Q: In what ways do you hope House of Orange becomes part of your daughters’ legacy too – even if they do not follow the same path?
A: Hard work has its merits for separating the day into being able to enjoy your free time where the simple things taste and feel good and sometimes the small things are the biggest wins. Working should hopefully never hold you captive but be your ally, your passion and outlet — a way to stay connected. Circularity and storytelling with our possessions are big drivers for hanging onto them and the things that you live with are things that you should love.
Q: How do you typically spend Mother’s Day?
A: These days I take pleasure in the simple things — cooking and sharing a meal together. In past it was adorable to get the Mother’s Day cards in bed and the handmade mug and drawing — I kept every single one!
Q: What does this day mean to you personally?
A: It’s a reminder of what we do every day. I visit my mum (she’s 82) every afternoon for a glass of wine and a debrief — that ritual is sacred. Mother’s Day for me isn’t a grand gesture, it’s the everyday care that adds up. That’s where the magic lives.
Q: Is there a piece of advice or mantra you try to pass down to your children that also resonates in your work?
A: My mother is Finnish and there’s a word in Finnish — *sisu* — that means grit, resilience, heart. That’s been a guiding light, our daughters were raised by this. We try to impart our honesty in all we work with — a feeling of adventure in the everyday that comes in small surprises and feeling that what you do matters. We are really humbled by hard work and peoples stories and being able to do what you love.
At House of Orange, every piece of furniture carries a story. And for Ursula, many of those stories begin at home — in moments shared around the April Table, or dreams built in the Nina Loft Bed. This Mother’s Day, we celebrate all mothers who make homes feel like home — and inspire design with heart, history, and soul.
