If you decide to join the Dutch and build your own furniture, the Swedish furniture chain IKEA (which is the largest chain in the world) is a popular store. It offers reasonably priced products for your home, packed transportable or delivered to your door for a decent price, with simple instructions for “do it yourself” assembly. Since many inhabitants of Amsterdam do not stay in the same apartment for more than a few years at a time, the relative quality for reasonable prices that you find at IKEA make this store ideal for nearly all your furniture and housing needs.
IKEA, however, is not the only large chain of stores that provides the Dutch with their furniture; HEMA is another popular chain of department stores where you will find reasonably priced home furnishings, though the selection is not nearly as extensive. Blokker also offers some home furnishings, but these are sparse, and only stock select items at different times. The benefits of stores like Hema and Blokker come from their convenient locations, throughout the city, and the transportability of the items, due to their location. Furthermore, especially in Blokker, you will likely find amazing deals on the items that you find there, when you happen to find exactly what you are looking for.
Opening times: 10-21 (mon-sat); 9-20 (sat); open Sundays 10/11-17/18
Directions: Metro 50/54 towards Gein; Stop at station Bullewijk
Store hours are largely determined by their location. Many stores open around 9 or 10 and close around 17.30 or 18 during the week. On Thursdays, they remain open later, for evening shopping. In areas where businesses, like supermarkets are open on Sundays, Hema will often also stay open. The store in the Kalvertoren Shopping Centre, as well as in the Stationsplein are both open late, in accordance with the other businesses in these establishments.
Buikslotermeerplein 197
1025 XB Amsterdam
Ferdinand Bolstraat 93-93A
1072 LD Amsterdam
Gelderlandplein 54-56
1082 KZ Amsterdam
Kalvertoren Kalverstraat 212
1012 XH Amsterdam
Kinkerstraat 313
1053 EV Amsterdam
Linnaeusstraat 245
1093 ER Amsterdam
Slotermeer Winkelcentrum 40-45
1063 BK Amsterdam
Stationsplein 13
1012 AB Amsterdam
Opening times (typically): 9/9.30-18 (tues, wed-sat); 11/12-18 (mon); 9.30-20/21 (thurs); 12-18 (sun)/closed
About half of the stores are open on Sundays, depending on the location; Most stores are open late on Thursdays, and most open late on Mondays.
Kalverstraat 41
1012 NZ Amsterdam
Damrak 28-30
1012 LJ Amsterdam
Kinkerstraat 260-262
1053 GA Amsterdam
Jodenbreestraat 19
1011 NH Amsterdam
Mercatorplein 88
1056 CL Amsterdam
Jan van Galenstraat 107A
1056 BK Amsterdam
Haarlemmerdijk 72-74
1013 JE Amsterdam
Spaarndammerstraat 99-105
1013 TC Amsterdam
Dapperstraat 82
1093 BX Amsterdam
Bos en lommerplein 140
1055 EK Amsterdam
Ceintuurbaan 302
1072 GL Amsterdam
Zara Home (and Zara Home Kids)
Kalverstraat 66-72, 1012
If you are someone who is not so taken by department store/chain-style-shopping, you can search for avante-garde, antique, boutique, or retro styles furnishings that are found in the historical Jordaan neighbourhood as well as the other neighborhoods of the city. From the Royal Palace, on Dam Square, you only need to wander a block north – and perhaps another west – and you will find yourself meandering down the Rozengracht (which proceeds from the Radhuistraat, right off the Dam Square). This street is choc full of intriguing design stores that will set your house or that special room apart from even the latest and greatest of IKEA’s seasonal catalogues and campaigns. Around the dam, you will also find some interesting designer stores, as well as some vintage and antique shops that offer more unique furnishings and are alternatives to the more homogenising IKEA effect that seems to be sweeping through the city.
Of course, not every Amsterdammer is into the latest and the most contemporary, when it comes to adorning their homes, and some people even travel from other cities in Europe to see what this city has to offer, by way of its rather lucrative antique trade. The Spiegel quarter is surely worth a visit, if you prefer the antique finish in your home, and you will not want to miss de Loorier, which is the city’s only indoor marketplace devoted to different vendors of various kinds and valued antique items, with many of them made for the home.
Prinsengracht 629
1016 HV Amsterdam
This premium designer shop is located in a canal house, on the Prinsengracht. They feature work by many Dutch designers and focus on furniture, but they also feature and display works from up and coming artists from around the world.
Elandsgracht 109
1016 TT Amsterdam
This indoor antique market is comprised of over 70 stalls, each offering a different range of products in their own styles, forms and functions. With so many kinds of antiques for offer, this market is a great place to look for antique furnishings in almost any price range – not to mention style and time period that is available. This market is open every day except for Friday.
Another street with avant-garde furniture is located within walking distance of Waterlooplein, called Valkenburgerstraat. There you will find Baden Baden, founded by Piet and Karin Boon as a showroom for furniture and bathrooms that complemented the looks of their interiors. It is a style where timeless, classic and modern elements are combined with sustainable materials.
