Unique (and inspiring) place to sleep in Amsterdam: The Weavery Amsterdam
If we had a tail, it would wag a little when we came across an address where everything that Barts Boekje, Barts Boekje makes, is available: some multi-culti, some travel, something beautiful for the home and an inspiring food or accommodation address. Copy paste and wag wag to Amsterdam bed and breakfast + (2!) rug shop(s) The Weavery where, except for the food, all the boxes are ticked.
We are talking about Driss's third child, of Moroccan descent, and the German-born Bettina (they have two girls, so The Weavery is number three). The two met in Amsterdam and found in the other both love and a soulmate in interior design. They bought (during the crisis, nice) and renovated a seventeenth-century canal house: a former weaving mill, hence the name. The couple decorated it with a colorful design mix where Morocco and urban vintage reinforce each other. They did that more than 'own'. No tricks a dime a dozen, but an authentic taste (call it eclectic) that we would like to copy in our own home. Better yet: we swap places with Driss and Bettina and move in ourselves. Then we get the bed and breakfast: the house is so large that two self-contained 'rooms' (almost apartments) were furnished for rental.
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You reach the upstairs room via a steep spiral staircase. In the ridge of the room - and therefore of the house - there is a cozy loft where you can sleep, but there is also a double bed that you can dive straight into. The original wooden beams have remained intact and here and there you will find references to the history of the place, such as the loose Delft blue tiles in the bathroom. Throw in some beautiful colorful Moroccan rugs and cushions and a wallpaper in a catchy print and our hearts will skip a beat. The private roof terrace that belongs to the room is especially nice: to linger endlessly on a sultry summer evening.
The stay in the basement is of the same mix & match level. More pink - what's not to love - and without an outside, but with just as lovely a bath, bed and style as the 'suite' in the attic. You bathe there with nice stuff from Marie-Stella-Maris and in the morning your day starts well with the fresh croissants that sweet Bettina puts in front of your door. In any case, The Weavery takes the crown when it comes to personal attention: before you know it you are sitting with the friendly couple having a drink and you don't leave the house at all.
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If you really want to steal the style of The Weavery - we can get in, we want the same thing - then there is good news: the two sell the most beautiful Moroccan rugs and other gadgets in their shop, at Vijzelgracht 2.
The Berber rugs are a treat for your feet. And for the eye by the way, because they are all true works of art. You can also choose your own design and materials, but as soon as you are in the store you will probably be overwhelmed by choice stress. The rugs are all unique and are all handmade in Driss' hometown. Showpieces that give every home a touch of color from Morocco.
The Weavery & The Weavery Shop
Photos: Frincus & Co
And then suddenly, as suddenly as can be, we walked into the window of The Weavery shop number two. On opening day, that can hardly be a coincidence. A telepathic connection, perhaps. Anyways, hurray: family expansion for The Weavery! And yes, we are also celebrating this party. On the corner of Eerste van Der Helstraat Slash Quellijnstraat is the second shop, including the Moroccan dreams of rugs that we are used to from them.
And oh, how we adore it. Because extra bonus points for the concept of the shops. Here you can completely customize your own rug. Choose the perfect color palette from among a thousand and one colors and spend hours deciding between wool, cotton or a (hypo-allergenic) acrylic variant. The choices are endless.