Inside the Amsterdam home that’s an antidote to ‘fast and furious’ modern life
‘I like negative space,’ says Anita Fraser, simply. ‘This allows for “stillness” and with stillness, for me, comes creativity.’ The interior designer’s philosophy of ‘edit, edit, edit’ comes to life in her own home, a canalside house in Amsterdam’s chic Oud-Zuid district that she shares with her husband, four children (17, 16 and 13-year-old twins) and Ellie the dog.
The building was designed in the 1940s by Dirk Brouwer, a Dutch architect and World War II resistance fighter, and its exterior has ‘rijksmonument’(listed) status. Constructed over four levels from glass, steel, concrete and brick, it features open spaces and floor-to-ceiling windows that create a harmonious interaction with the outside world. ‘When we bought it, no internal original features remained intact,’ Anita recalls. ‘It was colourful, eccentric and had lost its connection to the sober architecture.’
Anita moved into the house two years ago, following a year-long renovation that saw her introduce Japanese and Belgian influences that found a natural synergy with the modernist property. ‘It felt important to respect the simple, clean lines, while adding warmth and tactility,’ she says. No major structural changes were made, but she chose to open up the circular staircase and introduced steel-and-glass partitions – mirroring the external windows and doors – to create distinct areas and better functionality. Floating wooden shelves now act as a room divider, separating the ground-floor space.
Acknowledging that function should always guide form, Anita nevertheless firmly believes that it is important to generate a beautiful atmosphere that touches all the senses.
Quoting the architect Peter Zumthor, who once stated that ‘to experience architecture in a concrete way means to see, hear and smell it’, she notes that her restrained palette is an essential element of this home’s feeling of calm. It’s a muted backdrop that allows for an appreciation of the reflected light bouncing off the canal and the vivid hues and rustling leaves of the greenery outside.
Far from feeling cold or austere, this family home now has a pearl-like quality, quietly glowing with texture and soul. This stems largely from the hand-finished elements that Anita believes are key to giving any space character, especially one with such a neutral palette. ‘Many craftspeople contributed with their own hands,’ she explains. ‘Clay plaster-finished walls, wood, natural stone, metal, and rough and soft linens add layers of tactility.’
She relishes the way those materials are weathering with time and use, telling the story of life being lived through their evolving surfaces. ‘The metal of the kitchen island is developing its own patina; the etchings on the marble are souvenirs of conversations and drinks shared with family and friends. Air bubbles in the clay-plaster finish of the walls are a reminder that they, too, are breathing,’ she says, smiling.
Another critical element was the lighting. ‘It adds depth and evokes emotions,’ says Anita. She worked with Antwerp-based studio PSLab to develop a scheme based on a study of Van Doesburg House, once belonging to Dutch painter Theo van Doesburg, a founding member of the De Stijl movement, which championed purity of design through its lack of ornamentation – an approach that aligns perfectly with Anita’s own values.
In a world that she describes as ‘so often fast and furious’, this serene sanctuary acts as a shelter for her family. It is, she tells us, ‘where we feel free to be our most authentic selves, where we can celebrate the good times and muddle through the bad times’. In her case, less is very much more. anitafraser.eu
