A family home on the Amstel River feels miles away from the nearby city of
An existing home in Amsterdam’s southeast has been completely remodelled to accommodate a family of four. Working within the existing mould, local architecture practice
‘Dropping off’ the Grid
Framework Studio senior designer Francesca Finotti says the brief specified a permanent family home that emulated the atmosphere of a holiday house. “The owners wanted to build a home with a fresh and light feel, where the city felt miles away,” she says. The city centre is all but a 20-minute bike ride away, making it a convenient location to ‘drop off’ the grid – the grid in question still within arm’s length. The home’s scenic surroundings pull it farther away from reality, connecting it instead to the natural world. “It’s so peaceful that you wouldn’t be able to guess where it is just by looking at pictures,” Francesca says.
The Palette
The material palette inspires occupants to let go of stress and escape into their physical environment. The cement floors and stone bench tops are offset by warm oak and walnut tones on the ground floor. These wood tones are more prevalent on the first floor, manifesting in the floorboards and custom joinery. In the bathrooms, sloped white walls and travertine surfaces evoke a light, coastal feel – something Francesca reveals wasn’t unintentional. All the materials were carefully selected to summon this light feel, even the darker wood tones.
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