Architecture Wednesday: The Prinseneiland House

I wish I knew more about this house in the Prinseneiland neighborhood of Amsterdam. I know that Prinseneiland is 1 of 3 man-made  islands in Amsterdam’s Centrum district, and that they are collectively known as Westelijke Eilanden, or the ‘Western Islands’.

The Prinseneiland neighborhood is really a small village; you can go on a boat cruise around the islands, visit local shops, or explore its canal houses. It’s mostly known for its art scene, which draws in a multitude of creative minds, from actors and musicians to artists and furnituremakers. In Prinseneiland brick homes with open shutters are a common sight, like this home, which was formerly in use as a pillow factory and a garage until being renovated into a warm and eclectic family home.

I love the openness of the front, almost as though it’s a small shop, but that front area is the original part of the factory, with its aged brick walls and wooden beams. The first room is a sitting area and a library and perhaps a small office, and a music room all in one, but walk through steel-framed French doors and you are in the open-plan living and dining and kitchen area.

The kitchen, with its massive skylight and interior window that rings light into a small central bedroom,  features a mixture of green tiles, green painted mullions, and exposed wood beams that contrast sharply with the industrial stainless-steel island.

Down a small hallway is that central bedroom, along with another bedroom and to baths. At the end of the hall is the primary suite, with fireplace, patio, sitting area, and a sleeping alcove hidden behind stained-glass doors and features its own small skylight.

Yeah, I could live there. I love the old and the new and the unusual and the Amsterdam of it all.

Dwell