{"id":195997,"date":"2022-05-17T17:22:31","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T21:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=195997"},"modified":"2023-04-10T12:10:06","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T16:10:06","slug":"i29-reinvents-a-historic-canal-house-in-amsterdam","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/i29-reinvents-a-historic-canal-house-in-amsterdam\/","title":{"rendered":"i29 Reinvents a Historic Canal House in Amsterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"The
The study features a custom desk and, through a window at the base of the bookcase, a view of the living room a half-flight below.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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May 17, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Edie Cohen<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Ewout Huibers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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i29 Reinvents a Historic Canal House in Amsterdam<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The archetypal Amsterdam canal house constitutes much of the Dutch city\u2019s residential landscape. Dating to the 17th century, these four- or five-story waterfront row houses were conceived as hybrids: part living space, part warehouse storage for goods transported along the canals. They were built sturdily of wood and masonry construction with heavy beams, i29<\/a> co-founder Joeren Dellensen explains, \u201cwhich is why they still exist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Albeit not always in the greatest shape. Take this compact 1675 house near Amstelveld square. Though designated a state monument, it had fallen into ruin before new owners initiated a meticulous two-year restoration and update. \u201cFrom the start we knew i29 had to be involved in the project, to instill their out-of-the-box, serene, and perfect design,\u201d notes the client, who first hired the firm nine years ago to craft an \u201cinvisible kitchen\u201d for the family\u2019s Paris apartment that was entirely concealed behind sliding wall panels imitative of decorative molding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, architectural interventions were strictly limited by mandates protecting heritage houses. \u201cWe were not allowed to demolish any walls,\u201d co-founder Jasper Jansen says, noting that the project was a collaborative effort among firm members. \u201cAnd we couldn\u2019t build any, either, even though very few existed in the space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, color performs the role of spatial demarcation. \u201cWe used color as a tool to expose the architectural shell to the fullest and to make interventions that define functions,\u201d Dellensen notes, adding that the classic hues chosen \u201care in sync with the monumental quality of the building.\u201d Complementary blues, greens, and grays are muted and somewhat smoky, contrasting with swaths of crisp white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Post: i29 & Chris Collaris Evoke High Contrast for a Summer Residence in Vinkeveen, the Netherlands<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The study features a custom desk and, through a window at the base of the bookcase, a view of the living room a half-flight below. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The 1,240-square-foot interior of the Amsterdam canal house, adjoining a rear garden, offers long sight lines and elements of delightful surprise. A steep, curving stairway, every bit original, connects the three full floors plus three intermediating half levels. The entry opens into a cozy seating alcove with wide steps down to the ground floor, which had to be lowered for foundation repairs. Occupying the majority of this level is the eat-in kitchen, where custom oak millwork is coupled with chairs by Naoto Fukasawa and lighting pendants by Ludovica and Roberto Palumbo. At the far end of the space, a green glass volume marks entry to a pass-through bathroom leading to a hidden bedroom with garden access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fittingly, the living room on floor two retains its characteristic plaster walls and bas-relief ceiling ornamentation, painted creamy white, and restored pine flooring. Behind the rotating bookshelf lies a surprise: a moody blue cocoon in which to read or relax. On the opposite side of the room is another surprise: Interior windows provide a split-level view of the entry seating nook below and the study a half-flight above, where a swath of springlike green frames the built-in desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up on the third floor, \u201csleeping quarters radiate comfort like a true hotel experience,\u201d Dellensen remarks. Exposed beams trace the peaked ceiling in the main bedroom. Two-way mirrored panels enclose the WC\/shower stall, offering sight lines out (into the wet area\u2019s Japanese-inspired soaking tub and beyond) but not in. Up a ladder, an additional mini level is squeezed in below the roof\u2019s bell gable to function as the daughter\u2019s bedroom. So enamored are the homeowners by their pied-\u00e0-terre\u2019s charm that they are spending even more time there than they envisioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Post: i29 Updates Classical Interiors of Landmarked Enlightenment Building in Amsterdam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The steep original staircase connects all three main levels of the 1675-built row house, plus three interstitial half-levels. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The living room has a split-level view of the entry seating alcove below and the study above through interior windows.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Like a wagon-lit, the hidden reading nook off the living room is just big enough for a bed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The nook is accessed via the living room\u2019s rotating shelving; the marble fireplace and plasterwork were restored.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The concrete-floored kitchen has a custom oak counter that extends beyond the base cabinets to form a dining table; the wall separating the space from the entry is gray-stained oak.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Green-tinted glass signals the garden-side guest suite at the far end of the kitchen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The main suite\u2019s shower stall is constructed of two-way mirror offering views out but not in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The main bedroom has custom cabinetry and, like the rest of the Amsterdam canal house, Gregg pendants by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The main bathroom\u2019s Japanese-inspired tub and vanity were custom made in Germany; the WC\/shower stall is hidden behind the mirrored panel on the right. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
PROJECT SOURCES<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Sigma<\/span><\/a>: paintwork (stairwell)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
kvadrat<\/span><\/a>: acoustic wall fabric (living room)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Aleksandra Gaca<\/span><\/a>: pillow fabric (reading room, living room)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
norR11<\/span><\/a>: lounge chair, ottoman (living room)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
maruni<\/span><\/a>: chairs (kitchen)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
concraft<\/span><\/a>: concrete flooring<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
quooker<\/span><\/a>: sink fittings<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
blumenberg<\/span><\/a>: custom tub, custom sink (bathroom)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
glas xl<\/span><\/a>: two-way mirror<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
water revolution<\/span><\/a>: taps<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
THROUGHOUT<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Foscarini<\/span><\/a>: pendant lights<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
schneinder interieurbouw<\/span><\/a>: custom furniture and woodwork<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
seasons parket<\/span><\/a>: oak flooring<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
G.K. Visbeen\u2009&\u2009Co<\/span><\/a>: general contractor<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
kodde<\/span><\/a>: restoration architect<\/span><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n