We weren’t actually planning to move house,” says Rebecca Boektje. “Our son, Xan, was just six weeks old. But my husband, Bo, is addicted to estate agents’ websites and saw this house. Even though we thought it was out of our league, we decided to view it anyway.”
Then the pandemic broke out and suddenly the number of physical viewings permitted per day was greatly reduced. This meant that, in turn, many potential viewers and purchasers dropped out, leaving a window of opportunity for Rebecca, 38, and Bo, 42, which they seized wholeheartedly. They put in an offer, which was accepted, and they became the owners of this fantastic old property in the historic Plantage district of Amsterdam.
Rebecca, a travel blogger and influencer, says: “The elderly couple who were selling the house had lived here forever. They had raised their family here and filled it with wonderful memories. They realised we wanted to do the same. We were looking for a forever home for our growing family. That resonated with the couple, who were happy to entrust us with their house.”
But there was much work to be done to elevate the interior into the 21st century, while maintaining its characteristic exterior. They upgraded the plumbing and wiring, took down walls and removed floors. They even relocated staircases. It was all part of turning their dream into reality, creating the family home they wanted in which to raise their three children, daughter Yuki (five), son Ravi (three) and son Xan (now two).
“I see my three kids growing up here, being real city children at the heart of where it’s all at, while at the same time having the luxury of an amazing, spacious garden where they can chill out with their friends.”
Rebecca loves to combine old with new, high-end with budget, and to play around with style, texture and colour. “I wanted to go all out on this house,” she says. “After all, if I get sick of a colour, I can always paint over it.”
Bo sourced the kitchen on Instagram from a company called BySensa. They wanted it to be low-maintenance and worry-free, so the counter top is composite, a practical option for a home with growing children. They kept the original ceiling beams, but installed smart lightning with Philips Hue and Gira International switches.
Then, to turn the kitchen into an amazing eye-catcher, they called in the help of Solid Nature for the amazing bar. “I had a vision of a marble bar and – voilà! – I got one!” The barstools are from Décor Amsterdam, the retro lampshades are handmade in London by Beauvamp
and the candlesticks are from Doing Goods.
Upstairs, a herringbone floor in the chill space separates it from the living area, while a slash of exposed brick wall is “so New York loft, I love it,” says Rebecca, who admits it took some persuading to convince Bo it would work. Complementing the aesthetic is a pink sofa from the Sofa Company, a handmade Indian leopard pouf from Doing Goods and large round mirrors from Bold Monkey.
Meanwhile the adjacent living space walls are painted in Merlot Mania from Vestingh paint company with a green velvet sofa from Sissy Boy, and green coffee table from SMAQQ.
On the top floor, the loft of the house, is the master suite with Rebecca’s pride and joy, the en suite bathroom, separated from the bedroom by a walk-in closet and massive wardrobe.
“I always dreamed of a free-standing tub with a palm tree,” she says. “I had seen something similar in Thailand when on holiday and finally I have my own.”
With the walls at a slant, features had to be custom made. The vanity unit was handcrafted locally by Amstelvliet Bouw, to Rebecca’s design and material choice, and the wash basin is cut from onyx by Solid Nature. “Onyx is one of my favourite materials,” she says. “I found it at a specialist dealer and based the colour scheme on the accents in the stone.”
Even the curve of the scalloped splashback tiles camouflages the slant of the wall.
Of the entire project, Rebecca says: “It was never a chore! I just love creating the right ambience in my home.”
