Sustainably keeping up with the times – a house that lives, grows and preserves

The house grew along with it

On Nieuwendammerdijk in Amsterdam-Noord stands a house that has been breathing for centuries. Originally built for retired captains of the Dutch East India Company who settled here so they could continue to follow the activities of the port from a distance. It grew into a place where generations lived, worked, and built. Where nothing was thrown away. And everything was given a new place.

What makes this house special is that it has grown with us. It changed along with our lives.

From captain's house to family place

The house was built around 1660 and has always served as a residence—something that is exceptional on a dike that was once lined with shops, workshops, and small businesses. In 1880, a stone extension was added. It now houses a second kitchenette and an old box bed. "Our children used to sleep there. Now our grandchildren sleep there. It has become their guest room." Where others renovated to modernize, the residents here chose the opposite: to preserve, restore, and reuse. Not a single piece of wood was thrown away. The existing floors remained in place, doors were rehung, and the structure even includes an old mast—presumably from a ship—that was integrated during an earlier restoration.

The resident moved here when she was expecting her third child. She couldn't find anywhere affordable in the city. Until she saw a small ad in De Telegraaf: "Detached captain's house For Sale Noord."
She was already somewhat familiar with the neighborhood, having occasionally cycled through it with her children. "During the viewing—it was autumn, the sun was shining—the house had everything: detached, old, space for yourself, a large garden." She immediately started keeping chickens. A rooster too. But that turned out to be unsuccessful. The rooster crowed too early and was quickly returned.  The house began to feel more and more like home. A friend from the city came by regularly to tend the garden. "One day he said, 'The garden is so beautiful, everything is blooming.' The garden became a favorite place. "I lay in the back on a deck chair under the blossoms, looked at the house, and thought, 'How will I ever leave this behind?'"

Built with care

A small kitchen was opened up to the garden to create more light and space. A wood-burning stove was installed, a light-colored extension was added, and passageways were created upstairs to connect the living areas. Everything was done using materials that were already available or found through friends and acquaintances. Window frames, floor tiles, doors, and even zinc came from the neighborhood—or from a restaurant elsewhere in the city.

Much of the wood came from the house itself. The wagon board was found behind old paneling, cleaned, and reattached. The floor from the hallway was reused in the kitchen. Marble tiles were found outside in the garden and were put back in place. Other materials came from neighbors or friends: a row of old tiles at the entrance, a door from a demolished farmhouse, or an antique floor from a restaurant elsewhere in the city.

The paneling in the hallway, painted with a marble motif, is still original. Much of the material was still hidden in the house. Everything was cleaned and reattached by hand, just as it was originally intended.

The technical modifications were just as well thought out. For example, the sewerage system was brought into the house via the alleyway to make room for a bathroom. Originally, there was a staircase leading down from the front door. This was moved because the center of gravity of the house is further back. Where the shower is now, there used to be a safe, the door of which has been reused in the house.

A house that moves with you

In 2002, Villa Zeezicht Sold, the catering business previously run by the current occupant, was Sold. But a year later, she was already itching to start something new. "I wasn't done with entrepreneurship yet." Together with a friend, she started a new business: the Taartenkamer (Cake Room) — from the front room of the house. Later, in an interview with Ottolenghi, he said that Villa Zeezicht's apple pie was his favorite cake. He even included a recipe in his latest cookbook. "The recipe is completely wrong — far too complicated — but the story behind it is beautiful. He wants a story with every recipe. And that's what it is, ultimately: a story."

It started small, with apple pie on the kitchen counter. But it grew quickly. "We delivered to cafes and restaurants. We got more and more requests: do you also make chocolate cake? Sticky toffee cake?" Within a year, they were baking hundreds of cakes a week. "Loetje added us to their menu. That sticky toffee cake became a bestseller." At their peak, they were producing around 900 cakes a week and the front room became too small, but by then the Taartenkamer had already moved elsewhere.

When the Taartenkamer moved, the front room was given a new function. They started the project op de Dijk' (Out on the Dike). This came about by chance, through a woman who organized theater performances with accompanying dinners. She asked if it would be possible to do this here too. Theater performances were held, followed by dinners—sometimes for 24 guests at a time.

“We started with three evenings. That immediately got out of hand: we sold 250 tickets.”

Everyone participated: the daughters served, friends helped cook or perform. After three evenings, they were exhausted, but it was magical. Helmert Woudenberg performed his Easter story here, in the front room. Afterwards, people sat down for dinner. "It was an evening that people still talk about."

A garden shed built entirely from recycled materials

There is still a small wine cellar under the house. There is a stool there so you can sit down and choose your bottle — a simple detail, but typical of the way this house was designed: with peace, attention, and use in mind.

The garden also grew along with it. There are old trees, a walnut tree, and three pear trees, and a soft undergrowth of grass and native plants. A garden shed was built at the back—made entirely from reused materials. Window frames, doors, an antique toilet, and a wooden floor from 1606 from Villa Zeezicht. Everything was given a new function, in a place where life flows outdoors.

Care for the past

The cadastral maps lie on the table in the living room. Deeds of sale dating back to 1660, inventories listing "three tin barrels," old drawings of the house and garden. You can see that this house always had the largest garden. That there was once a tea house. A boathouse with steps leading down to the water. Every map, every drawing reminds us: this house was never just a place, but always part of something bigger.

A silent tribute

In an age where everything has to be done quickly, this house tells a different story. A story of slowing down, caring, reusing, and growing. Not renovating for the sake of renovating, but lovingly preserving what is good.

"The house is alive." Here, one is merely passing through time.

Neighborhood guide

The Nieuwendammerdijk is surrounded by greenery, with the Vliegenbos, Speelbos Nieuwendammerdijk, and Schellingwouderbreekpark nearby. The De Jacht marina is right on your doorstep, and for sports enthusiasts, the Elzenhagen Tennis Club is just across the street. There is a diverse range of restaurants and cafés, such as Café 't Sluisje, Hotel de Goudfazant, Euro Pizza, Restaurant Barracuda, Coba, and other amenities such as Eye, Tolhuistuin, the A'DAM Tower, the Jumbo Food Market, and Landmarkt. This part of the quay is particularly sought after due to its location near the lock and the many beautiful, similar houses. The location is characterized as a residential and working area where various small-scale and representative offices are located. There is a wide choice of schools, such as Wespennest, De Biënkorf, Hyperion Lyceum, Damstede Lyceum, Clusius College, Bredero, and SVPO Meeuwenlaan.