We are Niels and Jen, the bloggers behind de Jong Dream House. We are an international family who write about building and living in an earth-friendly, energy-efficient, universally-designed home. We started building our house in July of 2011 and moved home in February of 2012.
Now that the boxes are unpacked, our blog is focused less on construction details and more on how we are making our house a home. Our current projects include DIY décor, projects with our preschooler, green cleaning, organizational tips, living with a brain injury, and (mostly) healthy recipes.
About Niels:
Niels (pronounced "kneels") grew up in the Netherlands, and moved to the United States in 2003. He is a Senior Systems Analyst for a global transporation company and the brains behind all the technical posts and building terms on this site. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling around the world, building train tracks and Lego projects with our son, eating Jen's meals, playing with techie toys, and the fact that he doesn't have to work out or skip his daily bowl of ice cream to maintain his figure.
You can contact Niels at nodejong@gmail.com.
About Jen:
Jen is an American who was a marketing director and professional writer before being sidelined with a traumatic brain injury in 2004. Her new career as a wife and mom is very fulfilling...and exhausting! She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling around the world, playing with her Nikon 3100, chasing the 4-year-old around with her camera, experimenting in her beautiful new kitchen making dairy-free meals and goodies from scratch, asking Niels for help with projects, getting our new home organized, learning to sew and use her Cameo, and giving Niels grief than he doesn't have to work out or skip his daily bowl of ice cream to maintain his figure.
You can contact Jen at dejongdreamhouse@gmail.com
Whether you are building your own new home or making your house a cozy home, we hope you make yourself comfortable here. And if you like what you read and would like to keep up with us, please subscribe to our blog, follow us on Facebook, and/or check us out on Pinterest.
I found your blog through some pins on Pinterest! I feel like several things "attracted" me to your blog, the fact that you built such a beautiful and wonderfully organized kitchen, the tbi as well as having an Amish gentleman in Ohio build your cabinets. I have had several back surgeries and have a spinal cord injury, just like you have said, I could end up in a wheel chair as I age, and feel that our next home should be built so that I can move around comfortably. I didn't even know how to go about thinking of changes that would be made, and your posts have helped me so much with that. I also have a child, she is 5, so I relate to your posts on your son, and since I'm from MI, we often hit the Amish area in OH and IN quite often. Thank you so much for blogging your ideas and experiences along the way!
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria! I'm glad you found us! I lived in Grand Rapids for 8 years before moving here to get married. Michigan is still the home of my happiest memories.
ReplyDeleteHere's a post you might like about aging in place: http://www.dejongdreamhouse.com/2012/01/aging-in-place.html.
I hope you come back to visit us again!
Sweet.
ReplyDeleteHé, dit is leuk wakker worden, Niels! Ooops, sorry Jen, I'll go on in English: this is a nice way to wake up! I'm a 62 year old, retired teacher in the Netherlands, grandmother of 2 (1 about 11 months old, one born June 3rd) and frequent traveler to the States. I came across your blog and really loved what I read. Actually today our son's returning from a vacation to the US: to the family (in California) combined with a campertour in the Seattle area. Actually I'll be in the US in October/November, for then one of my brothers will turn 80. It'll be celebrated in Evergreen/Colorado, so I'll have some traveling to do, also to see parts of the rest of my extended family (there are about 55 familymembers; that's why I call it "the Clan".)
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a blog-follower, but I like your pretty much! There's so much to 'talk' about!
Have to go for now, but........maybe I'll be back!
Groeten uit Holland!/greetings from Holland!
Hedwig Verburg-Wormer (I live in Almere, about 25 km. from Amsterdam). Where do you come from, Niels?
Hoi Hedwig! Bedankt voor je reactie! My mom, dad, and stepdad are all retired teachers. It is a noble profession! I hope you have a wonderful trip to the US. Colorado is beautiful! You'll have to let us know if you make it over to our part of the country in Ohio. Niels is from Helmond, and all of his family is still there, so we try to make it there every other year.
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