As you know, I welcomed 2016 by doing one of the things that I love the most; travelling. I still have yet to get all of my films developed and there’s quite a lot to talk about my Amsterdam trip, so I figured that I should write a post on my homeware haul to give you a gist of Amsterdam in the meantime!
During my trip to Amsterdam with Waly, I managed to grab a few homeware items that were too aesthetically pleasing to resist! Besides, I was in dire need of new jars to add to my ever growing collection of glassware, so my purchases were pretty much… justified.
When you touch down in Amsterdam, the one thing that you can’t miss is the dynamic range of local independent brands lining up the streets or being tucked away in mega shopping complexes and even at Amsterdam Centraal Station. It was impossible to not find an independent design store to get lost into at nearly every corner of the liberal city.
Obviously, I relish in this newfound discovery of Amsterdam for having such a vibrant art and design scene, thus it motivated me to bring back some souvenirs for myself.
So, here is my homeware haul from Dutch independent brands!
1) A postcard from Charlie + Mary.
Price(s):
Postcard – €1.65
Waly and I went to De Hallen to take a look at the food and art scenes that have been recommended to us for being the best in Amsterdam and we were not disappointed. We came across Charlie + Mary while we were exploring the area and I couldn’t help myself from falling head over heels with their minimalist postcards! The owner was in store and she was really nice and friendly (all of the locals were nice, to be honest!).
2) A tea towel, a flower glass vase, a set of paper suns, and a metal jewellery dish from Sissy Boy.
Price(s):
A tea towel – €4.95
A flower glass vase – €3.59 (after 20% discount)
A set of paper suns – €9.99
A metal jewellery dish – €2.99
Sissy Boy was probably the first local independent brand store that I ever walked in when we reached Amsterdam. It is perfect for anyone who loves minimalist and eclectic designs. Although their items in store were on the pricey side, it was obvious that they put attention to detail from how they displayed the items to how they packed up my purchases. They also specialised in gift-wrapping and they did it beautifully when I got gifts for a couple of friends back in the UK.
3) A set of tea towels from Hema.
Price(s):
A set of tea towels – €5.00
Hema is not exactly a local independent brand (at least not anymore), but it is an international retail chain that sells various items ranging from food to clothing. An interesting fact that I found about the retail chain is that it was founded in Netherlands during the Great Depression with the sole purpose of manufacturing and selling products for those who didn’t have a lot of money. Now, it’s literally everywhere in Netherlands and the retail chain has even grown international. Their stores can also be found in the UK. To my dismay, there isn’t any in Colchester! But we can still order online, so that’s a relief.
I know, of all the many things that I could have bought at Hema, I just had to buy a set of tea towels. To be fair, some of my tea towels were already wearing out and stained beyond repair.
4) A tin mug and a glass bottle from Dille + Kamille.
Price(s):
A tin mug – €3.95
A glass bottle – €4.95
Dille + Kamille was another local independent store that I initially had no qualms of going in, but the warm and relaxed ambience through the window with classical music streaming out was just so inviting and I knew I had to check it out. Amazingly enough, I found a lot of items on my wishlist, but due to the limited space in my luggage, I had to restrain myself from impulsively buying them all!
Aside from glassware, I seem to have a growing fascination with tin mugs. I’m not sure if it stemmed from tin mugs being regularly used by trekkers and hikers alike, whom I constantly perceive as travellers, but tin mugs always seem to possess an outlook of rusticity and they’re just as versatile and practical in use as much as glassware.
And there you have it, my very first post on homeware haul all the way from Amsterdam! I hope you enjoyed it!
Until next time!
– Fifi H. Hasman
The Rustic Trove 