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ABOUT THIS TOUR

HOME TYPE: House

LOCATION: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

STYLE: Colorful, Eclectic, Maximalist

BEDROOMS: 1

SQUARE FEET: 915

It’s hard to believe now, but two years ago, when Marly and Gert-Jan first went to visit this one-bedroom house in Amsterdam’s city center, they were less than enthused. The couple had previously been living in a ground-floor apartment, but once they determined how much they could afford and visiting Funda, a Dutch real estate website, they decided it was time to own.

“This house was listed far down the website, and my boyfriend wasn’t enthusiastic at all, but I felt we had to go take a look anyway,” Marly, a teacher and ceramicist, explains. “And luckily we did! The location is amazing, and when we stood in front of the house for the first time, we knew immediately that we wanted to live here.”

Colorful wall decor featuring framed art, a staircase with pink steps, and a cozy chair.

It wasn’t the interiors that the couple fell in love with, not by a long shot, but rather the promise of the home’s potential. Marly shares that the house was once a butcher’s shop and had been divided into two living spaces that were “boring, old-fashioned, and very dated.” But given that the couple was the only interested party, they got the house and immediately began making it their own.

During a two-month period after purchasing the home, Marly and Gert-Jan, with help from their dads and professionals, began renovating the 1912 house. In addition to having custom furniture crafted, the floors were updated throughout, and the kitchen and bathroom tiles were redone by contractors.

Ceramic planter shaped like a girl with a red headband, surrounded by green plants on a blue windowsill.

Marly is a self-proclaimed rule-breaker, and that carries over into her interior design preferences. What was once “very boring and a bit dated” is now full of color and life, with a seamless combination of vintage and modern items.

Resources

Colorful living room with a pink bean bag chair, green sofa, blue side table, and a vibrant bookshelf.

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A pink corduroy chair with a quirky yellow face pillow, colorful shelving in the background.

LIVING ROOM

Bright kitchen with a round marble table, colorful chairs, floral wallpaper, and a blue door leading outside.

DINING ROOM

Colorful kitchen countertop with a red polka dot utensil holder, a pink storage box, and a fruit bowl.

KITCHEN

Floral-patterned pillow in pink and orange resting on a striped orange and white pillow.

BEDROOM

Brightly colored bathroom featuring orange and blue tiled walls, a pink toilet, and a shower with a vintage showerhead.

BATHROOM

Thanks, Marly and Gert-Jan!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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Further Reading

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