This 17th-Century Amsterdam Canal House Is Unbelievably Gorgeous and Cozy

Vintage furniture and large windows in white space
Marble fireplace and vintage wood furniture in white space
Vintage wood furniture and framed art in white space
White couch and artwork in white den with large window
Brass decor and large window in white space
Vintage chair and artwork in white space
Varoius books, artwork, and items in white space
Flowers and framed art in blue dining room
Flowers and framed art in blue dining space
Brass chandelier and wood table in blue dining room
Framed art and wood dining table in blue space
Vintage furniture and framed art in white tiled space
Kitchenware on shelves in yellow and white kitchen
Fireplace and logs with various art and items in white dining area
Framed art and items on white tiled wall
White couch and flowers in white space
Kitchenware on vintage shelves in white tiled space
Bed in white bedroom with large windows
Marble fireplace and framed art in white space
Vintage chair and framed art in white space
Items and framed artwork in white space
Mirror and painting in pink and white space
Vintage mirror and framed artwork in pink and white bathroom
Sink and brass light pendants in pink and white bathroom
Light pendant in yellow and white hallway
Bed in white bedroom
Bed in white bedroom
Large window peering outside residence
Vintage furniture and artwork in white workspace
Large windows in white bathroom
Garden outside Amsterdam residence

ABOUT THIS TOUR

HOME TYPE: House

LOCATION: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

STYLE: Cottage, Eclectic, Vintage

BEDROOMS: 2

SQUARE FEET:

Louise Snouck Hurgronje is a theater producer (she runs an immersive theater company called Amsterdam on Stage) and an antiques dealer (she’s in the process of co-founding an antiques business called Playhouse Amsterdam). And she says she has a love of “collecting preloved and vintage furniture and knickknacks,” all of which fill the gorgeous 17th-century canal house she’s owned for three years in the center of Amsterdam with Alexander Wijs.

Woman sitting in front of large window in white space

“When we first entered this house before buying it, it felt like we had stepped back in time,” Louise begins. “The house was in its original state, with all the 17th-century walls and floors, and books were piled high in every room. My partner and I both adore objects with history and fell completely in love with the home and its atmosphere.”

Vintage furniture and framed art in white tiled space

“We have spent the last three-and-a-half years carefully collecting treasures to fill it with. We didn’t want to renovate or alter the house at all; it is precious to us as we found it. Its tiny, narrow little Amsterdam staircase may be considered a death-trap by friends, but these are the details we love so dearly about it.”

Painting in yellow hallway next to stairs

Although the couple kept lots of vintage vibes in the space, they say they also “wanted to imprint our own style into the space, but we very much adore the old feel of the house. We have now assembled an eclectic mix of furniture from different centuries and aesthetics.”

Flowers on marble fireplace in white space

“Someone once commented, ‘Nothing Matches, but it works.’ And that is very much how we love to live. Everything has a story — whether it is the bench in the kitchen, which we bought from an antiques dealer in the street, to the mirror, which my godmother gifted us for our wedding. Every room sparks joy for us, and that is the intention with which we fill them,” Louise describes.

Brass pendant lamp in white and yellow hallway

Louise says the home’s previous owners had not renovated in the 70 years that they had lived here. “This meant that the house was still completely intact, with all the original flooring and walls. We did, however, have to slightly modernize the kitchen and add bathrooms (they were still of the generation to have sinks in every room to wash rather than proper bathrooms!).”

Vintage sink in white bathroom

“Every renovation choice we made was centered around the aim to make it look as ‘old’ as possible — with the result being a kitchen which looks like it has been there forever (according to friends!).”

Resources

Framed art on blue wall

PAINT & COLORS

  • Dining Room — Farrow & Ball “Yonder”

  • Hallway — Farrow & Ball “Babouche”

  • Kitchen — Farrow & Ball “Citron”

Artwork and items in white tiled space

ENTRY

  • Lighting — ​Pooky

Vintage furniture and large windows in white space

LIVING ROOM

Brass chandelier and wood table in blue dining room

DINING ROOM

Fireplace and logs with various art and items in white dining area

KITCHEN

Bed in front of large windows in white bedroom

BEDROOM

Thanks, Louise!

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

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Further Reading

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