Rijks Museum Monument House

This 17^th century Rijks Museum Monument House in Amsterdam had gone through many unsightly “modern” updates. Bringing the interiors down to the skeleton, PDR Design redesigned every square inch of this house. Studying the “Dutch Golden Age” interiors, so prevalently available in Dutch genre paintings, PDR installed patterned black and white marble floors in the entry, Antique wood plank floors and upcycled kaas planks (cheese boards) upstairs, as well as a wainscoting of Witjes (typical antique Dutch white tiles) on the ground floor. To create the illusion of additional space and light, PDR designed doors with mirrored panels, adding a gezellig (Dutch for cozy) element to each room. PDR designed custom bespoke mantles and beautiful millwork throughout. High gloss paint, typical of Dutch ship building finishes, were used on most of the wood trim, doors, and beams. A modern kitchen and laundry, in the Old Dutch style, were added to complete the service portion of the house. Finally, a dumbwaiter was fashioned to provide easy service to the dining room above. One of the more interesting design solutions PDR created was installing a coat closet in the foyer, recessing an antique Dutch Armoire into a new wall which was built-out on either side. The depth inside the wardrobe was hidden, as the walls on either side stepped-back due to a window on the left. This historic home boasts of many additional details that reflect the Golden Age Architecture of the 1600’s.