A Design Lover’s Guide to Amsterdam

The stylish set—both locals and tourists alike—have been flocking to the bar, restaurants, and rooms of Hotel Pulitzer since significant renovations were completed in 2016. Centrally located, the hotel is made up of 25 connecting canal houses built 400 years ago by the wealthiest beneficiaries of the Dutch Golden Age. South African designer Jacu Strauss made sure no two of the 225 rooms are alike with design themes such as the Art Collector’s Suite (quirky surrealist furniture including a Pedro Friedeberg hand chair) and the Antique Collector’s Suite (historical items tied to the area’s past).

Since 1992 the Frozen Fountain on the Prinsengracht canal has been filled with the country’s best contemporary furniture, textiles, objects and accessories. It’s where Hella Jongerius sold her first piece straight out of design school, thus getting her start. Her 2015 Polder sofa for Vitra can be found there today alongside rotating works from the city’s newest up-and-coming designers. Other notable Dutch names with colorful, quirky pieces inside this funhouse-like shop include Marcel Wanders, Maarten Baas, Joris Laarman and Scholten & Baijings.

The wildly unique designs by furniture and accessories brand Droog has garnered a cult following throughout its 25-year history. Droog’s flagship, Hôtel Droog, on Staalstraat includes a retail shop, café, fairytale garden, and various apartment-concept showrooms (redesigned continuously) across five 17th-century buildings. The place is so over-the-top that they offer a 45-minute guided tour of the facilities.

The designs from Pols Potten have a way of appearing minimalist and classic at first before you notice some playful embellishment that makes it decidedly new and—let’s face it—Dutch. Its flagship on KNSM Island is inside an enormous warehouse, where they have plenty of space to display an inventory of over 1000 items, including furniture, tableware, and fabulous porcelain.

A favorite for Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas (first name coincidental), the restaurant Rem Eiland is set inside a converted oil rig, standing 70 feet high in Amsterdam harbor, boasting spectacular views of the city. The structure itself was towed from Ireland in the 1960’s and initially used for broadcasting pirate radio and television in the international waters of the North Sea. After the legendary operation was shut down it was eventually moved closer inland and made into a restaurant in 2011. Harking to its history and surroundings, the casual restaurant’s design is industrial chic. The menu includes continental favorites like beef tenderloin and duck confit, but eating in such an unusual structure is the true reason for visiting.    

The Architecture Center Amsterdam (ARCAM) overlooking the Oosterdok is the city’s home for architecture lovers. The three-story building, a curvaceous aluminum structure designed by René van Zuuk, is a destination in itself. The interior includes a temporary exhibition space, a gift shop with Dutch design products, and a series of classrooms to learn about Amsterdam’s architectural and city planning history. ARCAM also offers educational walking tours of the city in English.

Situated on the Museumplein alongside the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk is Amsterdam’s primary institution for modern and contemporary art as well as industrial design. The newest wing, nicknamed “the bathtub” for its bizarre shape, is the home of the permanent collection, which includes Piet Mondriaan abstractions and Jan van der Vaart’s geometric ceramics. The highlight of your visit will be the gift shop with its tightly curated design-forward accessories and souvenirs from the 20th and 21st century.

Delftware, the traditional blue-and-white porcelain of the Netherlands that dates back to the mid-17th century, comes from the city Delft about 45 minutes outside of Amsterdam. If a day trip to Delft isn’t an option, the capital city has plenty of delftware shops. Aronson Antiquairs, run by fifth-generation dealer Robert Aronson, is known for having some of the most varied selections (large and small, not always blue and white) of the highest quality.

Dutch furniture designer and architect Gerrit Rietveld built this private home in Utrecht for socialite Truus Schröder-Schrader in 1924. The Rietveld Shröder House is now a public museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Utrecht is located an hour south of Amsterdam, and this fascinating example of the De Stijl lifestyle fully actualized makes visiting the funky college town a worthwhile day trip.