Sophie Lever
Home Series are conversations with friends about parenthood, work-life balance and treasured items.
In the Dutch village of Oegstgeest, creative entrepreneur Sophie Lever lives with her partner and their three daughters. She owns Tiny Toko, an online shop selling handpicked vintage clothing for children.
MT You founded Tiny Toko in 2021. How did it all start?
SL For years, I’d been thinking about opening a shop selling vintage children’s clothing, ideally combined with good coffee and a space for workshops, art classes, theater, and other fun family activities. Starting with an online shop made sense because my youngest daughter was just a few months old, and my middle daughter was still at home full-time. At the time, we were living in The Hague, and my parents kindly offered me space at their house so my mom could help look after the girls while I got started. I just decided to go for it.
With an art academy background and experience as an advertising creative, I already knew a thing or two about branding. Since day one, I’ve handled all the shoots and campaigns for Tiny Toko myself, taking care of the concepts, styling, and photography. The creative side of running a business has always been my favorite part.
MT What drew you to vintage clothing specifically, and why is it meaningful to you?
SL I’ve always been a treasure hunter. I love the surprise and the thrill of finding something truly beautiful and unique. Vintage children’s clothing is often much better quality than much of today’s fast fashion. The fabrics, the details, the way it’s made, you can see the care and craftsmanship in every piece. It just feels more original.
The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters, and there are already so many beautiful things out there to be worn and loved again. For me, that mix of sustainability, quality, and the fun of the hunt is what makes vintage so special. With Tiny Toko, I also want to show that vintage is very much of the moment. I especially love mixing a vintage piece with modern secondhand clothing. Adding one special item to your child’s outfit instantly gives it more character.
MT Tiny Toko features both well-known and lesser-known brands. How do you decide what makes it into your collection?
SL I select each piece purely by instinct and personal taste. I don’t buy in bulk because that would take the fun out of it. I spend hours hunting for little gems, from high-quality brands like Cacharel, whose soft cotton is sometimes blended with viscose, wool, or satin, to lesser-known labels. For me, brands aren’t the most important thing, and I trust my own instincts completely.
I believe children’s clothes should be imaginative and colorful, just like children themselves. The most rewarding thing is hearing that an item becomes a favorite. I strongly believe that children should choose their own clothes and wear what makes them feel good, even if it seems ugly to adults. It’s part of their individuality, and I love seeing what they pick, still free from other people’s opinions and any rules.
Sophie’s daughters wearing Tiny Toko
MT How do you balance entrepreneurship and motherhood in a busy everyday life?
SL I don’t, haha! I’m a huge mess, so everything is always a bit criss-cross. My girls are 10, 8, and 5, and all at school now. I work when they’re at school and in the evenings. After school, our house is always full of kids. We bought our house together with my parents and split it into two, so the kids can run in and out of both houses, and this way we always have a babysitter at home, which is a huge luxury. Our lives are very intertwined with my parents and Boris, the dog. I take long walks every morning with my dad and Boris.
The girls are getting more independent, so I have more time for myself, and I’m taking it. I’ve been playing field hockey again for two years on a team with my sisters who live nearby. I recently added a sprint class and do Pilates almost every day in the living room between work shifts or while the kids are playing around. I love my work, but family, sports, cooking, friends, and fun are just as important to me.
MT Can you tell us about your house?
SL It’s one of the oldest houses in the village, built around 1617. Originally one big house, we bought it together with my parents and split it into two. We share the huge backyard and walk in and out every day. I was born here in Oegstgeest and had always said I’d never come back, but when I saw the house, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On the day we went to see it, we made an offer.
We really wanted to preserve as much of the house as possible, keeping the beams, shutters, and old doors. At the time, we had no idea what kind of renovations we were in for. Being a national monument, every little change needed a permit. Luckily, my father handled the whole process. The renovation was enormous. Everything had to be tackled, and the house had to be divided into two separate, registered homes. We had a lot of work done professionally, but we also did a lot ourselves, with huge help from my father-in-law, who is incredibly handy.
MT What’s important to you when it comes to decorating your home?
SL I think a home should reflect personality, and for me, that means full of color, chaos, creativity, vibrancy, and coziness. I wanted a house with space for life, and we live with unfinished stairs, peeling paint, and the occasional broken microwave. We don't spend much money on designer items, but I look for things I love, often secondhand, and enjoy changing them up over time.
Sophie at the family’s vintage couch
MT Your daughters share a beautiful loft. How did you design the space?
SL Our daughters were already used to sharing a room, so dividing the attic into smaller rooms felt like a waste of space. I wanted to create a Pippi Longstocking kind of room, the one I would have loved as a child. Funny enough, the girls don’t even realize they might have the coolest room in the world. For them, it’s just normal.
A few years ago, pink was everyone’s favorite color, but I didn’t want it to feel too princess-like. It still had to be a bit rough around the edges. I’m not someone who makes big plans. Things happen organically and intuitively. There has to be room for color and a bit of mess. Stickers on the cabinets, posters on the walls, rings to swing from, and dress-up clothes for endless role play. Children don’t need much. Give them a little inspiration, and their imagination does the rest.
MT Looking ahead, how do you see Tiny Toko evolving in the next few years?
SL I still dream of having a physical location, a store with a unique selection of small, sustainable brands for children. Not the typical hippie vintage vibe, but modern, fresh, and cool. A place with space for workshops, theatre, and fun, along with talks, walks, healthy food, excellent coffee, and natural wine. I'd love to find a partner for this, someone who is the opposite of me: structured, organized, business-minded, and financially savvy. So if you’re reading this and thinking, “Yes, that’s me!”, let’s grab a coffee ;)
MT Lastly, what advice would you give to someone starting their own business?
SL Do business in a way that suits you. It doesn’t have to be big or flashy. Starting small and even staying small is perfectly fine as long as it fits your life. Making a living from a tiny shop is tough, and getting rich probably won’t happen, but that’s not the point. What matters is doing something you love and that works for you. Having less can even make you more creative and give you freedom.
Published March 2026
Photography: Sarah Wijzenbeek
© Minor Things
