My Houzz: A converted storeroom is a modern house Bright

My Houzz: A converted storeroom is a modern house Bright - Architect Peggy Betke and her boyfriend, Bouke Touw, a corporate finance manager, looking around Amsterdam for a unique propety they could convert into home. They finally found what they were looking on the ground floor of an old brick building that was used to store old doors and a boat.

It took six months - and a lot of hard work and love - to make the building habitable. But Betke with the design and supervision of the project, the couple ended up with a bright contemporary house that feels comfortable, but still retains an industrial advantage.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Peggy Betke and Bouke Tauw
Location: Amsterdam, -Low
Size: 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Year built: 1933

Louise Miranda

the first thing Betke and Tauw did was even on the floors. A part of the surface is inclined, perhaps to make it easier to roll the boat and the outside. To give the space a feeling lighter and more airy, they poured new concrete floors and polished surface finish to a white snow.

In Home Furnishings, the couple chose pieces with metal elements and harsh industrial look.

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The lounge was built at the rear of the storage space to minimize traffic noise. There were no windows in the back wall there, so Betke had to work with the two small roof windows that were already there. It has improved and enlarged therebetween, thereby creating an oversized window consisting of three automatic sliding sections which can be opened individually.

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This is the new roof window. The automatic sliding skylight allows the couple to control the incoming light.

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Most furniture and accessories are either vintage, secondary or industrial in nature. "I have a few favorite [sources] for industrial products, said Betke. The books are organized by color.

Library: Jan van Ijken; Lamp: 360 Volt; Table: Live; theater chairs: Neef Louis

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the couple likes simple lines, uncluttered, so they chose a gray sofa and ottoman low profile of Hulshoff design Center. Above the sofa hangs a picture Meryl Donoghue Betke and Tauw met at an exhibition and could not get out of their minds. Betke said, "We love him because he's weird, eccentric and robust at the same time, because of the weapon she holds."

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Betke loves decorating with flea market finds. The heating is Marktplaats, and vintage suitcases.

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Betke painted second-funds and mounted on the wall for extra storage. A removable ladder used as guardrails for the mezzanine room above. "In summer, we open the roof window and lay in the sun here, said Betke. And on summer evenings, it is the best place to relax with a glass of wine.

Betke makes cushion and day bed.

Crate painting: Mint, Flexa

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bell hanging from the ceiling to the right of the vertical garden is an original design by Peter van der Jagt; is made from two lenses suspended from each side of a valve.

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a geometric steel staircase leads to what the couple called their chillout area, added to compensate for the absence of a garden or balcony.

Take a look at some mezzanines most wonderful

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Two Knoll leather swivel chairs form a cozy reading nook in the corner. Betke has the vertical garden using a palette and paint the white pieces and then applying a liner fish pond to make it waterproof. The plants include Hedera blue fern ( Phlebodium aureum) and japhrolepis (aeschynanthus).

A painted apple crate serves as a side table

painting Crate :. Mint, Flexa

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the couple built the bedrooms and bathroom in the middle of space because these rooms need less light. To save space, they chose the sliding doors to the bedrooms and used the original doors they found the bathroom and toilet. All doors are painted in light gray

To bring more light into the master bedroom, Betke designed with large windows on two sides

hanging lamps: Flos ..

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Betke designed and made the scrap wood bed.

Comforter: Minimal, Scholten & Baijings to Hay; gray locker cabinets: Ikea

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a new bedroom windows is shown here. "It makes the lightest and adds a line of vision, 'Betke explains," because you can see directly to the kitchen and the front door.

She continues, "We also kept the low walls of all rooms, with glass above them. If we stretch the walls to the ceiling, there would have been less light and he would have felt much more limited

hanging lamps :. Flos

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Betke staggered height of the sink bath unit for echo room living stairs and make it easier to fit in the tub.

Taps: Zucchetti; tiles: Dtile

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the oval heating element mounted on the double wall as towel couple. The shower cubicle mimics the design of the downstairs hallway.

Before Photo

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BEFORE: Tauw pulled down the ceiling at the beginning of the project to install a sliding skylight. Here he is standing in what is now the living room.

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The corridor opens into a spacious kitchen. Betke and Tauw put the kitchen in the front part of the apartment, overlooking a busy street. "The kitchen is the place where one is usually active, and where you have less privacy, so we thought it would be better to have here, instead of in the back with the living room, said Betke.

Joost is the custom of the kitchen island. "We like raw plywood, Betke said. "It is robust, but also adds warmth.

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The backsplash tiles were designed by Peter van der Jagt and are available from Dtile. The kitchen cabinets are an affordable Danish design by Kvik, and all devices are by Smeg.

Betke collected feces from different places. "I started with both showing and found the other two later, she said. Printing is a picture she drew in Indonesia

Taps :. Zucchetti

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Windows from the top of the wall and ceiling using keep cooking odors in the kitchen, but let the light in.

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Although the front of the house is not as bright as the rear light always manages to make its way here from the skylight in the back, thanks to the flood of light in the corridors.

View more skylights that will brighten your day

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A raw closet maintain books and souvenirs in the kitchen.

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Betke designed this glass and steel door between the hallway and kitchen.

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Betke works on design projects at the dining table to eat.

What do you love about this house in Amsterdam? Tell us in the comments below.