From the moment I stepped foot off the train I was charmed by the colourful building facades I saw across the city. Add in the ever-present rumble of the trams passing below and then you really know you’re in Amsterdam. It’s a great city to visit with loose plans; enjoy taking the time to aimlessly stroll the tree lined canal banks, popping in and out of small, independent boutiques as you do. Earlier this month I was in the city for two days to shoot my inspirations for Eurostar's photo campaign across London Underground screens. I tried to capture something beyond the cliched shots of the canals, focusing on my main love - colour!
Possibly one of the best city hotels I’ve ever stayed in, the citizenM city hotel in Amsterdam is decked out in colourful designer furniture from Vitra, including my favourite Hang It All Coat Rack - luxury on a budget! You can shop the citizenM look over on Nest as they stock pretty much everything I saw in the hotel.
Café George has perfected the balance between feeling fancy not pompous, and welcoming not scruffy. Go for brunch on a lazy Sunday morning to pick something tasty from their striking, typographical menus.
A veritable feast of colourful home and cookware, Kitsch Kitchen is the ideal place to pick up a fun yet practical memento from your trip. Their in-store mural is a must see for colour inspiration! I picked up a pair of sweet little yellow and white ceramics (seen above).
This Italian restaurant and cocktail bar in the heart of the city has a relaxed yet cosmopolitan vibe. Flavours are just as they should be - simple and bold; the interior is an atmospheric, theatrical treat.
The ideal store to stock up on some interior style, Nordic New is an inspiring stop to add to your itinerary for ideas on introducing bright colour accents to your home through lighting and furniture.
Raw Materials is like an Aladdin’s Cave for any vintage maven. Expect to find rustic industrial homewares, vintage signs and packaging and weathered textures a plenty. (Pssst! There I am in action shooting these very snaps!)
Photography by Will Taylor
And that, my friends, was Mr. Bazaar's colourful inspirations from the lovely city of Amsterdam. Have you ever been? What inspires you about the city?
Wow!! What a trip! I've never been, but I'm bookmarking this post for when I get to go. I'm inspired by the architecture and bold colors from all of your pictures. Thanks for sharing where you shopped too! :)
ReplyDeleteI love this city! I lived there for six months several years ago and it was an amazing adventure! I would recommend checking out the Dwazezaken Cafe, it's weird but check out the bathrooms, they walls, floor, ceiling are all beautiful mosaic, i've never seen anything like it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, check out Restored [HAARLEMMERDIJK 39 AMSTERDAM] a very unique interior design store/blog/artist's inspiration source.
Love the pics!
WOW! Your post makes me want to get on the first flight I can find and head over to Amsterdam. Your pictures (as usual) are amazing and really show off what Amsterdam has to offer.
ReplyDeleteI have not been but it's at the top of my list. I love seeing it through your eyes. It's a totally new view from most everything else I've seen. I just love that you got to do this...hopefully you can do more!
ReplyDeleteAwesome photos! Looks like you had a blast. I'm dying to go to Amsterdam, and you've just egged me on. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat first image is ridiculously striking. All of your snaps make me want to further drink in this incredible city.
ReplyDeleteJust finished reading The Fault in Our Stars. It had a bit set in Amsterdam... that plus all your great finds make me want make the trek to the Netherlands even more!
ReplyDeleteI've been to Amsterdam twice now and this time round was determined to buy a querky european homeware to bring home to Australia with me. Luck would have me stumbling into an arts and craft store that was having a sale, all rolls of wallpaper were $5 eruos each. So I rammed 3 rolls x 10 mtrs each into my suitcase and have hang some up over hallway cupboards and framed some as well. The paper is strong and quality. Such a great find and buy it reminds me I have a little piece of Amsterdam in Aussie every time I see it :)
ReplyDeleteCool impression about Amsterdam. Living nearby I visit A'dam several times a year. It's always a pleasure and inspiring place!
ReplyDeletei've been but always for my job so i didn't have the time to explore. i wish i could have gone with you, it looks like a bright & fun weekend. Will, you always pick lovely places to hang out and shop.
ReplyDeleteWow! These are the most interesting, intriguing, colorful pics I've ever seen of Amsterdam. Superb post and FANTASTIC photos!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pics Will! I've been to Amsterdam 3 times and absolutely loved it...hope to go back and visit at least a few shops like these one day! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDelete~Lily
If there is one thing you and I share it's our love for COLOUR.
ReplyDeleteI love Amsterdam and have been many times. I must say a visit isn't complete without visiting the delectable Kitsch Kitchen. It never fails to inspire.
I enjoyed seeing Amsterdam through your eyes and nice pics Sir:)
Wow! Ad look at that herringbone floor at the cafe.. and all the colors! Mr Bazaar, you're a lucky guy and you know that!
ReplyDeleteLove your Amsterdam report and I'm quite impressed with your courage to stand on tram tracks. Boy am I scared of those trams. I always drive through Amsterdam as my friend, Anki, and I like to park right in the heart of the city centre (crazy I know) and as a driver you have to drive over those trams tracks. I'm so scared of those horrid things. But nothing stops me as I love Amsterdam!!
ReplyDeleteso great to see amsterdam from your point of view. it's a gorgeous city, i'd say the perfect city for living in - the cycling and the canals really make it, it feels like it is made for the pedestrian and the cyclist, in scale, in organisation. and for street parties! did you know there was a tax on the width of your house? thus the tall architecture. x
ReplyDeleteYour pics are beautiful Will + so full of colour + vibrancy! I have never been to Amsterdam but would absolutely love to visit - your pics make it all the more tempting xx
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos Will! What a beautiful city. I'd love to visit :)
ReplyDeleteAbbey x
Beautiful pics!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos! I've been to Amsterdam ages ago, but I'd love to visit it again - as you said, it's a city perfect for loose plans, walking around and just enjoying the view. Did you like the house-boats? I visited Amsterdam during the summer, and some of the houseboats were brimming with flowers...gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, fairly refreshing, I enjoyed reading your article, You are wonderful!
Thank you!
Really pretty Will, cant wait to see the campaign live!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fabulous images! Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities to visit, these photos definitely do it justice. I love it's scale, the architecture and all the amazing design shops
ReplyDeletex kat
Your photos are absolutely amazing! I've never been to Amsterdam but your colorful images make me want to visit ASAP! xoxo Natalia | www.fashionablylateblog.com
ReplyDeleteGreat pics, Will. Reminds me of my Amsterdam trip!! An amazing city, indeed!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this 'colourful' post of my beautiful hometown. Maybe for next time: Van Gogh museum, Vondelpark, , de negen straatjes, Utrechtsestraat, de Pijp, take the ferry to the NDSM-werf, the new film museum EYE, the Anne Frank House, Stedelijk museum (modern art), Paradiso... Daphne
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing these colourful shots. I look at them and feel the need to visit soon! We were there in the end of August last year in gorgeous sunny weather. It's definitely one of my favourite destinations.
ReplyDeleteI love that Bazar cup ;-)
Love all these pics - you are so talented! Did you take these on your Olympus Pen? xxx
ReplyDeleteI love your view!!! I love the shop Kitsh Kitchen,
ReplyDeleteinglês
sueco
I want to buy in a store like Kitsh kitchen! I love it!!!
Your photography is stunning!!!
ReplyDeleteI want to hop on a plane right now. Gorgeous images!
ReplyDeleteYou were in my neighborhood... I live walking distance from citizenM! Amsterdam was dreary gray and not so colorful today, so I needed to see these pics. They have completely perked me up and reminded me what a lovely city I live in!
ReplyDeleteaaah such gorgeous pics, love love amsterdam, one of my oldest friends lives there -makes me want to get straight on a plane & visit her right now!
ReplyDeleteAh amazing finds! I hope to go back soon to check these places out!
ReplyDeleteI've never been, but I sure want to go now!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely photos you take, Mr. Bazaar!
Love from,
Greta
I'm from Amsterdam! You should check out the Albert Cuyp Market and Dam Square etc. You'll like it! :)
ReplyDeleteYou hit all my favourite spots in the city. I love Raw Materials, and Kitsch Kitchen. I always pop in those stores every time I return to the city. Did you go to Options the new contemporary department store beside the Exchange Hotel? That's a good one. In terms of eating, I love De Bakkerswinkel for breakfast (their red light district location opens at 8am), and De Pizzabakkers for dinner and Sukah for its amazing sustainable clothing/accessories. There are also some excellent places on Van Woustraat- I'm blanking on names.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention Will :)
ReplyDeleteToni from Nest.co.uk
great blog post! i like your layout...and the kitsch kitchen? love. would so enjoy visiting
ReplyDeletegreat shots will. i love the hyper-intense color. nothing like a color soaked city to set one adrool.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, Will, I'm happy for you. Great pics of great times in a great city! But, admittedly, I'm rather envious of your close proximity to a multitude of wonderful locations. On the bright [bazaar] side, at least I get to live vicariously through your adventures! So, there's that. ;)
ReplyDeleteLove the post! :)
Can I just say I am utterly obsessed with your blog?! It is so well put together. It looks like you have been having some great traveling adventures.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, and thanks for giving this unique glimpse into a city I've always wanted to visit.
ReplyDeleteI was in Amsterdam a few years ago.. one of my absolute favorite cities.. great photograps
ReplyDeleteAmsterdam is my FAVORITE city to visit. I've been all over the world for work and we just keep going back to Amsterdam. Love it and your pictures do it all the justice that it deserves!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photography!
ReplyDeleteRobert :)
Love love love your photograps!!!!! Beautiful city.
ReplyDeleteHi Will-
ReplyDeleteI left a comment on this post, but I'm not sure what happened. Anyway, basically I'm adding Amsterdam to my list of cities I need to visit. Your photos are so inspiring as I work on my own photography skills.
Teri
adding amsterdam to my list! or just move to europe all together ;) happy weekend will! x
ReplyDeleteAmsterdam has such a creative atmosphere and energy. I was only there for a few days but I dream about it often and secretly want to move there for a bit. The new and old architecture is so inspiring and both seem to coexist perfectly here. Great photographs Will!
ReplyDelete