Creating a 4x4 tiny TRAVEL home/office on wheels with the materials of Alphenberg Leather!

How I Built My Dream: A Tiny 4x4 Home on Wheels

From Amsterdam Design Loft to a Rolling Sanctuary – with Alphenberg Leather

People often ask me why I left a beautiful fully furnished apartment in Amsterdam — one I personally designed — to ALSO live in a car.... ^^

The answer? Freedom.
I’ve always preferred motion over stability. I get inspired by places, by people, by the ever-changing sky. I never wanted a traditional career. I wanted a story. One I could live, create, and share.

-> From interior architecture to mobile storytelling

For the past years, I’ve worked across Europe: designing homes, villas, restaurants, and boutique spaces in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain. But slowly i started to expand my work, creations, and borders...The landcruiser is another  new chapter. One where the world becomes my studio. One where design meets travel, storytelling, and local cultures.

-> Choosing the Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ75

For years, I dreamed of building a home/office on wheels (since young already!!): one that would be strong, self-sufficient, and soulful. After researching countless vehicles, I chose the Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ75. Not a campervan. Not a showroom-ready sprinter. But a true legend in the overlanding world. Reliable. Timeless. Built for the wild — and ready for the long road to Africa and Europe.

The full transformation of the interior was mostly done by myself. Every screw, every surface, every design choice was guided by one deep question:
How can I bring back my own interior architecture style – the one I shaped through years of designing villas, tiny homes, apartments, and cultural spaces across Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium – into this car? Not into a penthouse. Not a resort. Not a client’s dream home. But into my own house… on wheels.

My design style has always been rooted in natural and cultural heritage – inspired by my travels, my stays with local communities, and a desire to honour tradition through contemporary living. I translated that into student housing, luxury apartments, waterside lofts like my own in Amsterdam… And now, I felt the call to infuse that same soul into something radically smaller, simpler, and freer.

That’s when I knew I wanted to work with Alphenberg Leather (www.alphenberg.com) — a brand I’ve used in many of my high-end interior design projects. I love working with suppliers that tell a story — rooted in sustainability, raw materials, handcraft, and green values.

Their natural leather adds depth, warmth, and elegance, even in compact spaces. It creates a tactile experience. A sense of calm. And in this Land Cruiser, it became the bridge between my past as a designer and my future as a nomad.

“Alphenberg Leather brings character and atmosphere into every space – even one on wheels.”

This vehicle is not just a car. It’s a canvas. A vessel. A story in motion. I’ve had the honor to collaborate with some of the finest partners from my design career : brands that stand for innovation, quality, and conscious living. I believe in collaborations, as i believe when we share, we can multiply. So this is absolutely A project fueled by passion – and powerful collaborations.

Are you curious to the result?? Keep an eye on my vlogs , and soon the transformation video will be posted on youtube : @koroots.journeys

Collaborators on this build:

Alphenberg Leather – natural leather with soul -> www.alphenberg.com 
Victron Energy – off-grid energy system -> www.victronenergy.com
Lijten Vloeren – sustainable floor solutions Stoffeerderij Harpa – custom upholstery -> www.harpa.eu

* This blog focuses on Alphenberg Leather — but each of these collaborations will be highlighted in future posts. 

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With heart ,
Marije Richards
Interior Architect – Storyteller – 4x4 Nomad