Colour Me Perfect
Amsterdam - the city famous for its canals, chocolate box houses and great design. The latter is particularly handy as many historic canal houses require significant imagination and design nous to meet contemporary living expectations. Luckily for this delectable canal house, the designers at architecture and interior design firm i29 have just what it takes.
Located in the Amstelveld neighbourhood in the centre of Amsterdam, this 17th century canal house - a protected "national monument" - was in ruins when its owners took over. Its attractive gable harks back to the days when the building was a warehouse, but its skinny and deep floorplan (with 115 square metres of space arranged over three main floors) is less amenable to modern family life. The designers brought the house into the 21st century by rearranging the layout, applying eye-catching colour blocking and adding plenty of smart design touches.
The entrance hallway leads to the lower level kitchen diner via a staircase area. This is panelled in grey stained oak, which creates a degree of separation and heightens the sense of drama. The kitchen diner is dominated by a custom-built oak dining table that extends seamlessly into the kitchen counter. Beyond the kitchen is a sleek green glass wall which conceals a bijoux guest suite complete with a bathroom and access to the garden.
At the front of the first floor is a study area, colour-blocked dramatically in green. At the back is a small lounge area with a sofa-bed in an alcove-like room. The latter is painted in a soothing shade of blue, the perfect colour to create a cosy atmosphere in a small but brightly lit nook.
The pièce de résistance is the top floor master suite, a characterful double-height space dominated by the steep slanting walls of the roof. The bed is in a light and airy all-white space at the back, whilst the narrow front room houses the bathroom with a Japanese freestanding wooden bathtub and a matching sink. The shower is cleverly concealed behind a two-way mirror wall, perfect for admiring the stunning canal views whilst maximising privacy. This is a room which feels like a trendy boutique hotel suite, the fitting highlight of a house with a minimalist yet luxurious vibe that is perfect for contemporary living.
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Product Inspiration
Go for sleek shapes in sharp colours with the Taba seating collection from Moroso, the Totem table from Sancal and the Flatmate wall desk from Mueller.
For lighting go for sleek, understated shapes such as the Random suspension light from Lodes, the New Wave suspension light from LZF and the Light Stick floor lamp from Catellani & Smith.
Bold, sculptural accessories work wonderfully well in sleek, minimalist spaces. Try the Zag large carafe from Atelier Polyhedre, the Sticks flower pot from Ghidini 1961 and the Frame wall mirror from Stellar Works.
