Achieving Amsterdam Loft Style

Amsterdam is one of the creative cities in the world, the capital of a country which produced both Van Gogh and Rembrandt. With its beautiful canals and 13^th century buildings, there’s little wonder Amsterdam is dubbed the “Venice of the north”.

Creativity is integral to Dutch culture and in Amsterdam, where space and historical considerations add a degree of challenge to any interior designer’s job, this culture of creativity is apparent. Everywhere in the city you’ll glimpse details and craftsmanship, whether you’re wandering the contemporary De Jordaan or the golden age canal homes – but it is in the interiors of these ‘loft’ homes where you’ll see the real ingenuity of the Dutch.

Amsterdam’s older buildings are slim, tall and expensive. This means residents must squeeze style and functionality into a more efficient package – giving rise to mezzanine beds, tall and bright windows and minimalist furnishings that don’t compromise on space. They are typically open plan and have a gallery style appearance to permit maximum light. Airy light organic wood combines with smooth stone and metallics to create sleek and efficient beauty.

The ultimate goal of these loft designs is to create a functional, beautiful space within the confines of older buildings that don’t have a lot of space. Often, these apartments cannot fit larger furniture items into their doors and furniture must instead be winched up the outside of the home and brought in through the window. For that reason and to save themselves the hassle, many Amsterdam lofts instead use modular, flatpack furniture.

Amsterdam style in British homes

There’s a lot for the UK to learn from Dutch style – specifically Amsterdam Loft apartments. As more Britons flock to city living, more of us are making our homes in trendy apartments which pose similar challenges to Amsterdam lofts (lack of space, expensive per square metre).

Borrowing the minimalist aesthetic and ingenuity of using gallery or mezzanine bedrooms combined with open floor plans allows you to design an apartment that maximises available space. Integrated appliances, clean lines and smooth surfaces evoke a sense of neat, tidy style.

In apartments styled this way, our Penthouse Collection is the only real choice when it comes to lighting accessories. Flush-fitting and screwless, the Penthouse plate allows you to avoid any distractions and maximise space. Using an ultra-modern matt finish like Matt Black only exemplifies the sense of style on display in your new apartment.