BREATH OF LIFE
Design duo Nicemakers have turned this classic Dutch townhouse in Amsterdam into a vibrant family home
Design duo Nicemakers have turned this classic but worn Dutch townhouse on Amsterdam’s Amstel River into a vibrant family home.
When Nina Pierson and Jop van de Graaf returned home from their three-week honeymoon earlier this year, they were in for a thrilling surprise. The couple — who launched the supremely successful Netherlands-based SLA organic salad bar chain — had left the renovation of their recently acquired 19th-century Amsterdam townhouse in the capable hands of Joyce Urbanus and Dax Roll, co-founders of design studio Nicemakers. “I was totally overwhelmed,” says Pierson. “It looked as if we had lived here for years. All our precious family heirlooms, the pieces from my grandfather and my father, got a special place in our new home, together with our artworks and photos and the customdesigned elements by Nicemakers. But what touched me most was realising that this house finally had become our first family home.” Situated on the banks of the Amstel River in the fashionably diverse Weesperzijde district in east Amsterdam — once the province of the society elite — the classic Dutch townhouse was previously owned by an elderly woman whose family had resided there since 1901. What it needed most of all was warmth and new energy; as Jop van de Graaf says, it was “dark and very stuffy… creaky, old and worn”. Urbanus and Roll knew exactly how to cast off the cobwebs while also adapting the space to their clients’ needs — they had ››
‹‹ already struck up a friendship with the couple after designing the very first SLA location on the Ceintuurbaan in Amsterdam. Since founding the Nicemakers studio in 2011, the designers have built an impressively diverse portfolio with projects spanning the residential, retail, restaurant, office and hotel sectors, including The Hoxton, Amsterdam hotel and Jacobsz restaurant. The duo has established a reputation for creating a homey aesthetic by mixing quirky vintage chic with a vibrant modern sensibility and a tactile, personal touch. “If we start with an interior design, we not only see the space but also the user/owner,” says Urbanus. “The ultimate atmosphere is actually tangible and palpable.” Thanks to Nicemakers’ vibrant touches and whimsical detailing, there’s nothing dark and stuffy about the Weesperzijde mansion now. Original oak ceiling beams and parquetry floors have been lovingly restored, creating a warm setting. The long, narrow entrance hall was knocked out to create a fresh white colonnade, offering a bright, open space that encompasses the living, kitchen and dining area. The custom kitchen has become the heart of the home. “Nina and Jop love to cook and regularly invite family and friends over for dinners,” says Roll, “so the kitchen had to be the centre of the house.” From behind the kitchen counter — designed to resemble an office desk, in a warm walnut with accents of petrol green — all corners of the living room are visible, including the sunken leefkuil (conversation pit), with its custom velvet sofas and dramatic ceilinghigh bookcases. “A 1970s setting like this has been on our wish list for a long time,” says Urbanus. “It works perfectly with this house.” The designers were also inspired by Pierson and van de Graaf ’s vast collection of heirlooms, mementoes and photographs, preserved for generations before being passed down to the couple. (Pierson, who grew up in Thailand, comes from a family of avid collectors.) Among their treasures are famous photos of The Beatles, precious wedding gifts and objects and artwork from around the world. “You could say that Nicemakers have made a kind of foundation for our family life,” says Pierson. “Our daily life has been given a special platform where past, present and future all come together.”
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“ALL OUR FAMILY HEIRLOOMS, THE PIECES FROM MY GRANDFATHER AND MY FATHER, GOT A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR NEW HOME” — NINA PIERSON