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Beeping bikes aside, when strolling through Amsterdam’s streets, one witnesses gezellig (very roughly: convivial) moments at every step. Even the sticky pubs teem with trinkety crystal vases filled with drooping tulips and friends meeting around bendy burning candles, bashing together fluitjes of beer and swirling their herrings.
‘The Venice of the North’ is a destination for all seasons. Nothing beats the reflective 17th-century canal houses in autumn, nor the picnic boating scenes of the summer, nor carefree ice-skating in the freeze when the canals come alive. It’s a city that makes you inquisitive; luckily, local residents and shopkeepers are no strangers to exhibitionism, inviting glances through picturesque Baroque windows.
The Netherlands has served as the landscape for many a Dutch old master, including, of course, Johannes Vermeer. A recent, sold-out Rijksmuseum exhibition explores the works of the Baroque painter, who came to prominence with his thoughtful compositions and his ability to transcend life’s inconspicuous moments – as his masterpieces Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665) and The Milkmaid (1657–1658) attest. Accompanying the exhibition, the Vermeer catalogue showcases an abundance of new insights into the painter’s life, techniques and surroundings – erudition conveyed by an international team of experts overseen by Pieter Roelofs and Gregor JM Weber. Designed by Irma Boom, the catalogue delves into 37 richly printed works – a portal into both the intricate details of the paintings themselves, and the stories and places that inspired them.
The city itself has long been a potent source of artistic inspiration. Etched remains of a forgotten past, centuries-old engravings and mismatched tiles announce the labyrinthine De 9 Straatjes, a maze of independent ateliers interlocked with tipsy buildings occupied by specialists, goldsmiths, antique dealers and fashion studios. Only when you turn the corner into one of these busy lanes might you stumble upon the factory hall-turned-gallery of Anouk Beerents. You can’t help but delight in the emporium of 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century French mirrors that line the specialist’s studio walls. Anouk is a dedicated and details-orientated restorer – through her immaculately sourced pieces, she’s constructed a perfect porthole to antique craftsmanship at its finest. That is, bar the vintage Fiat 500 and a perched bike plonked in the studio centre...
Many of Amsterdam’s design highlights are shot through with this kind of playful twist on the past. Take the ‘it girl’ Amsterdam brand, Anna & Nina – the product of Dutch duo (and best pals) Anna de Lanoy Meijer and Nina Poot. Their whimsical, avant-garde collections revive the forgotten pasts of archived trends, historical artefacts and Dutch folk tales, turning them into distinctive heirlooms and decorative essentials. Pieces like the hand-painted striped ‘Groovy’ candle-holder and the ‘Tulip’ eggcup have the power to elevate your everyday. While their iconic ‘Renaissance’ hoop earrings, covered in decorative scenes by Dutch masters in delft blue-and-white, nod to the brand’s national heritage. A kind of cabinet of curiosities, the duo’s physical and digital shops are intimate and personal, a vibe that spills over to their social-media channels. Here Anna & Nina's employees proudly model the latest collections, ensuring a line of loyal followers. Visit their Amsterdam ateliers in the super-hip De Pijp and on the Heerengracht.
As clichéed as clichés come, through April and May tulips overtake and garnish the water-laden city. It’s hard to keep the supple, symbolic flower out of one’s head given the never-ending market stalls you pass and the wild tulips sprouting from pavement cracks. Unsurprisingly, the Tulipmania of the Dutch Golden Age remains deep in the veins of the culture. Once in Amsterdam, the yearning to purchase a bunch is hard to resist, but it might be wise to invest in a traditional tulip vase first. Enter & Klevering Amsterdam, an online design studio invested in encapsulating the exuberant charm of tableware. Enshrine your Dutch blooms in one of & Klevering’s replicas of historic pyramidal or peacock-shaped ornaments.
Tucked away in De L’Europe Amsterdam is the unexpected MENDO. With cosmopolitan flair, the bookshop of collectable publications and limited editions offers passersby an immersive experience akin to indulging in a friend’s library. And thanks to the Dutch interior-design studio, Nicemakers, a dose of maximalist hotel cockiness has been added. Carefully curated across original floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are totems of stacked books picked out with spotlights and organised across photography, fashion, travel, cuisine, interiors and architecture. Paying homage to MENDO’s long-standing relationship with the city is Amsterdam Uncovered, a rich encyclopaedia of all that the place holds, told through essays, interviews and photography. More than just a coffee-table book, the publication unravels the layers of Amsterdam’s culture, unveiling local legends, secret restaurants, natural findings, historical notes and architectural examinations.
The Jordaan, once a place of poverty and the backdrop to many a historical tale, remains the invincible beating heart of Amsterdam. Moving through the storybook streets of the neighbourhood is quite the visceral experience. Via chocolate-box houses, chiming church bells and various scents, you are subconsciously pulled to the Noordermarkt. The 400-year-old market is a network of stalls on the edge of the Prinsengracht canals that give both locals and guests an unmissable experience every week. It brims with all manner of antiques – books, paintings, furniture, crockery – and, in typical city market fashion, artisanal baked goods and buckets of flowers. This immersive sale ground calls for wit and grit when bartering with the blunt Dutch stall vendors. Ensure you rise early on Monday to catch the decorative flea market, which offers a treasure trove of rummageable goods, while letting you scoff a slice of warm apple pie from the most popular bakery stand in town.
One of the many novelties I noted when indulging in Dutch cheese selections was the peculiar instrument used to shave off delicious slivers. Initially invented by the Norwegian-born Thor Bjørklund in 1925, the ‘Ostehøvel’, or cheese slicer, has become an essential tool in Amsterdam residences. When strolling through the shopping district, you must experience De Bijenkorf department store. Founded in 1870 as a haberdasher’s, it is now a glass tower of glossy prestige where shoppers can swoon over luxury goods, including upmarket cookware such as Boska's ‘Milano’ cheese slicer. With so many cheesemongers in the city, why wouldn’t you own one of these nifty tools? And it might as well be a stylish one.
If you’re looking for some frivolous frills and innovative craft displays, there’s no better boutique than Wolf Ware. Founded in 2016 by a team of five visionary stylists, the transparent and authentic design platform and shop merges high-end dead-stock fabrics with modern accents creating singular garments and interior wares. The pocket-size store on the Utrechtsestraat boasts red-and-white chequered floors, plush velvet curtains and signature pieces from recent Wolf Ware collections. The label takes pride in producing all items in small quantities within Europe, plus a keen focus on reducing environmental impact while maintaining opulence.
Amsterdam never ceases to surprise, so expect the unexpected with every opening of a door or bike turn. With limitless options to devour in the historic splendour of the museum quarter, it is the likes of the Foam Museum that give Amsterdam the edge. One of the world’s most renowned photography museums, it has a motto about connecting different views and perspectives to reach new explorations, and prompts those who enter to assess works within a historic framework. The museum cleverly harmonises the modern photography on display with the centuries-old walls on which the works are hung. The five floors consist of a quaint café, a shop, four gallery zones and an event space. The thriving online Foam Shop features a library of buyable photography print editions, celebrating Dutch culture alongside the physical art exhibition.
The Netherlands design scene is seeing a shift away from the austere simplicity of minimalism and towards something more vibrant, playful and just plain fun. The Frozen Fountain, a spacious hub of furniture and home accessories, embodies this modern Dutch aesthetic. Here you’ll find quirky and bespoke pieces that inspire awe, like a ceramic moulded light-bulb switch or a perfectly imperfect handblown glass sculpture. The store features work by top Dutch designers like Piet Hein Eek, Bernard Heesen and Kiki van Eijk, alongside affordable pieces by up-and-coming talents fresh from the art academies.
Each month, for The World of Interiors covets… one of our contributors or staffers travels around the world, synthesising the best things to buy in their favourite cities. Explore them all:
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