Amsterdam by Caroline van Velze
Published on 6 March 2021
She is the face behind Zuiver, the home furnishings and accessories brand she co-created and that she now creatively directs. The brand serves up a celebration of modern, mellow design, reflecting life in the Dutch capital.
How long have you been living in Amsterdam?
I grew up in the Zaan region, close to Amsterdam. In 1997 I officially moved to Amsterdam and live here ever since. I live together with my partner and 3 children in a monumental canal house.
Where would you say is the ultimate spot to get a real feel for the city?
Amsterdam is an international city with the same cultural offerings as it’s big sisters Paris or London. Museums, concert halls, theatre, coolest hotels, we have it all. Yet this city feels like a village, especially the Jordaan, the neighbourhood where I live with my family. It’s very cosy area with historic buildings, narrow streets and of course our famous canals. I find everything I need and more in a circle of 500meters around my house. From the designy boutique shops, to a farmers market and restaurants serving flavors from all over the world.
Which places do you find most culturally inspiring?
Getting lost and forget time in one our cities’ big museums is the ultimate way to get inspired, all located at the Museum square. My favourite is our national museum, the Rijksmuseum. From Rembrandt to van Gogh, all the great masters are presented here. In the bicycle tunnel in front of the entrance you have young talented musicians playing for free. It’s very inspiring!
Which restaurant or café would you say best captures Amsterdam’s vibe?
Close to my place you find my favourite restaurant Daalder. They have a very talented chef, who ranks the top-100 list of best chefs of the world. Also during the lockdown they had very tasteful collaborations with other chefs in town and created home delivery menu’s which you could prepare at home. It was delicious and fun to do! The real authentic Amsterdam vibe is maybe best captured by Café Brandon (the third oldest bar in Amsterdam). A real gem and icon! For me the real local vibe!
Which neighbourhood instantly springs to mind when we say “Shopping in Amsterdam”?
There are so many different shopping destinations in town. North side of town is getting more popular, but more famous are the nine-streets here you find a mix of cute local stores mixed with international brand shops. My favourite is the Albert Cuyp market, our iconic Albert Kuip chair is even named after this market, and the streets around it with very cool fashion and interior boutiques and refreshing concept stores.
Do you have any secret addresses you’d care to share?
For my clothes I always go to a little cute store in my neighbourhood, called Claudia Amsterdam boutique. She sells brands as Ba&sh, Antik Batik, Des Petits Hauts and more! If I want to get inspired I visit Mendo bookstore, located next to Hotel De L’Europe. Here you have the most beautiful coffee table book collection of our city. Another gem is Xbank, located across the hotel W Amsterdam, here you find a selection of Dutch designs, from books to clothes to jewellery and more. It ain’t much if it ain’t Dutch! Close to Amsterdam Central Station and my place you have the Houthaven district, an area where only creative companies are located. So you can imagine you find great bars and restaurant here, such as Bar Hout, Karaat Amsterdam or Pont 13.
Where is the best place to stay for anyone keen to explore the city?
I am totally in love with Hotel Jakarta. This place takes you immediately to the jungle of Indonesia. It’s not only a great place to stay over, but also to meet friends, have a cocktail and enjoy their delicious kitchen. So the perfect place to stay! Amsterdam is quite compact, so you can navigate quite easily from one side to the other. If you want to explore the city I only have advice: rent a bike and get lost!
Which design piece can only be picked up in Amsterdam?
It’s hard to choose, Amsterdam has a great creative industry. International renowned fashion designers as Viktor & Rolf or Iris van Herpen are located here. The city breathes so much inspiration; in our Zuiver collection we even named a couple of our designs to iconic places in the city. Our new outdoor collection is named after the lovely Vondelpark (I already told you about the name of our Albert Kuip chairs). If you really want something typically Dutch go for my favourite cooky, the ‘stroopwafel’. You have your macaron, we our stroopwafel. At van Wonderen in the Kalverstraat you find the most over the top and delicious variants.
