A charming-canal side view of Amsterdam. John and I are just crazy for this wonderful Dutch city, just watch out for the hundreds of crazy bikers who pay little attention to pedestrians! I almost got taken out a time or two, but, happily, I know how to curse in Dutch. Vieze dikke pad!
Gang:
Who do you know that would visit Amsterdam and go shopping for house numbers? Why, your madcap and marvelous friends at John Loecke, Inc., naturally!
And what do we mean by “house numbers?” Is this a code word for the marijuana for which Amsterdam is so well known? Is it shorthand for the city’s Red Light district where women of the evening display their wares behind glass windows? i.e. How much for a little “house numbers?”
No, house numbers are far more mundane and less kinky: I am talking about the numbers you put on the front of your home to mark the address… So, again, WHY would John and I spend a few hours looking for house numbers in the Netherlands?
Frankly, the selection of house numbers in the U.S. stinks. Sure, you can find varieties at Home Depot and Lowe’s, and there’s always Restoration Hardware but most house numbers are not very exciting. The font is dull, the bronze is, well, “bronze,” and there is usually very little verve and flair to what can be found off-the-rack.
So as John and I wandered about Amsterdam, we noticed the wonderful assortment of house numbers that accessorize the doors. There were enamel versions, painted versions, and house numbers crafted in stone. And since Madcap Cottage in upstate New York needs a house number with more presence, we went shopping…
And, lo and behold, we discovered a fabulous shop called Alfons de Letter, and the emporium practically overflows with amazing house numbers in every shape and size. The shop didn’t have number “286″ in stock, so John and I ordered a custom green-and-white enamel version that the store is sending to us.
“No worries, we send all over the world,” the very kind Dutch gentleman who rules at the roost at Alfons de Letter told us. So if you are looking for a more exciting number for your home, look them over online.
A jaunty house number adds instant curb appeal to your home, so get shopping…
We’ll show you the number when we return home to the States next week and install the beauty at our little cottage.
And while I like Amsterdam for its anything-goes attitude, the Alfons de Letter house numbers shop really sent me reeling. Could you imagine a shop devoted only to house numbers in the United States? Absolutely not... Sigh.
A few of the dozens of house number models available at the Alfons de Letter shop, conveniently situated upon the Singel Canal in the heart of Amsterdam.
John shops for a new house number while dressed like a Smurf. Interior Designer Smurf!
Tags: Amsterdam, Curb appeal, Home Depot, House numbers, Lowes, Netherlands, Red Light district
It’s all these little details that make good design. I love Amsterdam, too. Funny, 286 were my home address numbers for many years. I shared your door wreath and garland DIY for Coastal Living on my blog. Love it! After living in Tampa, I now decorating at least one room with a coastal theme. Happy hunting.