Located in Amsterdam’s historic art and antiques quarter, the Spiegelkwartier, Urban Villa Kerkstraat is a quirky dwelling that doubles as a photography studio. Designed by Standard Studio, this reimagined interior features a flexible open plan layout. The main room is a large and welcoming hub, filled with natural light and bright accents. Smaller spaces branch off the double-height main room in a free-flowing formation. A dynamic bookcase design pivots and ultimately transforms into a TV mount to create a multifunctional focal wall. The aim was to provide the owner with solid aspects of privacy, despite running their business from within their ground floor living space.
The light-filled ground floor of the villa serves as a spacious photography studio. Orange living room decor accents give the space an energetic and welcoming appeal. Large windows look out upon the leafy Spiegelkwartier neighbourhood, which features old Dutch houses that run between the Herengracht canal and the Rijksmuseum.
A living room home theatre is created with the help of a projector. The image is projected upon a wide white wall, which is also useful as a plain backdrop for photography purposes.
The contemporary living room is sparsely furnished to leave lots of space to work in. A ceiling height of approximately 5 metres creates opportunities to play with height differences in the layout. A mezzanine landing overlooks the ground floor on two sides. An indoor hammock hangs from the underside of the platform.
A modular orange sofa is easily split apart to suit different occasions and spatial needs. A lightweight wooden coffee table is quick to move too. A green accent chair complements the abundance of indoor plants that breathe life into the space. Hanging plants tumble from the mezzanine, feathering the edges of its solid linear structure.
A glass balustrade reveals a small lounge space up on the mezzanine. Below it, a wooden focal wall features a built-in shelving unit for magazines and books. The sides of the wood feature wall fold away to give entry into a secret room.
By creating small pockets of seclusion, the homeowner maintains a sense of privacy when clients are frequenting the space. Obscure glass panels are used to screen off other areas.
The innovative shelving unit turns on its axis to reveal its second function, which is a television mount. The pivoting system is from Frits Jurgen.
Wooden doors remain closed across the TV screen when a minimalist aesthetic is desired.
When the TV is required, the wooden doors hinge out to close off the adjoining room. Media storage cabinets are conveniently installed above and below the TV screen. To the side of the cosy yellow hideaway, there is a corridor that leads to the mezzanine
The dining room is a bright and cheerful place with sunny yellow chairs. A wood bench complements the simple wooden table. Silver dining room pendant lights reflect the sunlight. Two tall curio cabinets store an assortment of colourful dishes. They also serve as a dividing wall between the dining room and a neighbouring workspace.
A skylight runs the full length of the dining space and the adjoining room, welcoming in natural illumination and a view of the trees. Colourful leaves fall like confetti upon the glass as the seasons change. Indoor plants bring an essence of the garden inside.
The comfortable home office is equipped with large storage units in which to stow away photography equipment. A yellow desk chair brightens up the white desk area, whilst an upholstered accent chair adds a splash of orange. A geometric rugs lays pattern underfoot.
An eye-catching blue kitchen island threads through the main space. Its tactile soft matt Arpa Fenix finish is topped with a white Himacs countertop. The blue kitchen volumes create a contemporary collision with vintage wooden cabinets in the living space.
A linear pendant light features a planter, which brings further greenery to the main room. The clean white finish of the kitchen island countertop creates a hygienic soap-like appearance. Fiery red metal bar stools create fun contrast against the blue cabinetry.
The wide walkway that leads to the mezzanine staircase is a multifunctional space too. It is utilised as a well-equipped workspace on one side, and as a practical coffee station on the other.
The modern home office area enjoys the airiness of a double-height void, with a view up onto the glass-walled mezzanine. A built-in planter grows a lush burst of greenery beside the staircase. There are few doors in Urban Villa Kerkstraat. Each space flows easily from one to the next to encourage collaboration and creativity.
Upstairs on the spacious mezzanine, a minimalist living space features isolated reading nooks. A bold red lounge chair reclines under one floor lamp, whilst a built-in bench is dashed with an electric blue throw. A glass panel pierces the mezzanine floor, offering a birdseye view into the room below.
The mezzanine unfolds as a split level, clad in wonderful natural wood grain.
The pink bathroom has an angular design that creates an illusion of perspective. Blush pink tiles clad the uniquely shaped shower area. A matching pink accent chair adds to the colour-blocked aesthetic.
A winding wooden staircase sneaks up to a relaxing loft net. Colourful scatter cushions tumble over the hammock floor.
Porthole-style windows make playful lookout points from the areas located at each side of the mezzanine.
