Sonneveld House
Mrs Sonneveld appreciated the value of appliances that could make her life easier. She was a practical, decisive and independent woman who did not like to waste time or money.
This is clear from the many innovative gadgets in the house designed to create an efficient household: the electric coffee grinder on the kitchen counter, the rubbish chute to the right of the door, the intercom system that enabled her to hear who was at the service entrance below. The goods that were delivered could then be transported in the electric lift up to the kitchen or down to the cellar. A buzzer and lamps next to the door were used to call the servants.
The wall surrounding the open fire in the library also contained several ultramodern technical appliances. The lower door concealed a lift that allowed wood to be transported from the cellar. As in the majority of rooms in the house, there was a clock connected to the electrical circuit, which was highly exceptional at the time.
The shower room next to the parents’ bedroom was not so much efficient as extremely luxurious: the water flowed from no fewer than ten showerheads.