Art as a lifelong passion

Wim Plijnaar also started at the very bottom at Hotel Mitland at a young age. He has been active there for about 45 years, most of which he was responsible for personnel matters and the furnishing of the hotel. Now he still works there 10 to 20 hours a week. Because there must be enough time left for the passions he shares with his wife Liesbeth: art and culture, both passively enjoying and actively practicing.

At his house in Langbroek, Wim had a spacious studio built, where as a creative artist he can indulge his love for painting and sculpting. Both art forms were late callings in the life of the youngest of the Plijnaar brothers. “But I have been creative my whole life,” Wim says. “I always wanted to learn everything, wanted to know everything from my mother about cooking and baking, was always busy with new creations for my room, took piano and singing lessons for eight years, and was in a choir.”

Van Wijnhoven, Scrolla, and Roos
About 15 years ago, Wim was offered sculpting lessons by a good friend with artist Lea van Wijnhoven. From then on, his passion came back to life, and he created his collection ‘Carnaval des animaux’, large round minimalist animals made of clay, special glaze, and gold leaf. During a vacation, Wim and Liesbeth discovered the work of Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla. After that ‘discovery’, Wim started painting and developed in this art form. “And a few years ago, we saw a sculpture by Eddy Roos, a great figure in Dutch sculpture, in a restaurant,” Wim recalls well. “We thought it was beautiful, and I boldly called him to see if I could take a masterclass with him. At some point, we were welcome and attended a week-long workshop with him in Uithuizen. We were there with all people who had attended art school, but I think we managed quite well.” And so, since then, Wim has been active and productive not only as a painter but also as a sculptor.

‘Chamber Boy’
Then his life looked very different at fourteen. “Yes, that’s when the bowling started, and of course, I had to help,” Wim says. “Washing dishes, helping in the kitchen, cleaning toilets, and later behind the shoe bar in the bowling alley. And just like my brothers, I also stood behind the reception. We got to know all facets of the business.” At 19, he disappeared to Paris for a few months, where he worked as a ‘chamber boy’ in a hotel and learned the French language in passing. Upon returning, Wim really joined the family business. “It kept expanding,” he says. “In the beginning, we did everything ourselves, but with that growth, we needed more and more staff. We all developed within the company, and at some point, I got personnel matters, and later the furnishing was added.” That personnel work was intense, Wim experienced. “At one point, we had more than 200 people employed, and for them, you are a kind of social worker. That’s not bad because you have to be there for your people, and I wanted to be. And yes, the phone sometimes rings on a Saturday morning, and someone has a problem. But oh well, I did it with great pleasure, and in the end, it always went well. Just before COVID, I found it enough and handed over personnel matters.”

‘50 years of ups and downs’
But now for about 30 years, Wim has also been responsible for the furnishing and design of the company; during the expansions, the start of the restaurant, the various adjustments over the years, and not to forget: the four themed suites that Hotel Mitland has. “I often got ideas at fairs abroad, and I got things from everywhere. But also from second-hand stores, from Marktplaats, and for the Old Dutch Masters Suite, I even used a Persian carpet from my mother. And I designed a lot myself, like the double clog bed and the tulip lamps for the Holland Design Suite.” Despite all the creativity, Wim never seriously considered making art his main profession. “Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary,” he says. “Much more important is that we as brothers have been working together for about 50 years now. Based on mutual trust, we have always shared ups and downs. And we still do it with pleasure. Isn’t that unique?”