Thanks for all the awesome comments about my new home, I feel like I’ve had you all over for a big housewarming party!
Here are the rest of the photos that I took for Design*Sponge along with captions. And now that I have let you in on my secret, I will be posting more photos of the boat from now on – as you can imagine, the stylist in me can’t help but change, rearrange and add things. And since I only moved in a few months ago, this is really just the bare basics of the space. I will be experimenting with new style ideas and I have a few great things to share with you in the months to come. The (blog)house and the houseboat have now fused.
Enjoy the rest of your visit my dear friends – I have the kettle on for you, and my choc & cranberry cookies are baking in the oven right now, awaiting your arrival…mind your step on the bridge…
Kitchen:
The kitchen is my favourite space in the boat – it has a great oven and stove top (hard to find in apartments here in Amsterdam), and the water reflections dance on the ceiling all day. It is very inspiring for when I am recipe testing and food styling. There are 7 windows in the kitchen and it is on a little mezzanine level as you enter the front door, then you step down into the main living space…
Can you see that it is all the same furniture that I had in the Paris apartment? See the wallpaper in the kitchen is the same, and you see the pallet bed?
My addiction is books. Mostly old books. and mostly about interiors, photographers, children’s books, and French literature. and French Boy is a comic fan – I also read his French comics as it is a really good way to learn and practice French I have discovered! You will notice some of my favourite books are listed in the library.
The bedroom is behind the screen that you can see in the loungeroom. It has a large storage space that is in the very front of the boat for clothes, and there are also lots of shelves. i will show you more of this space soon, it is quite interesting. It is very quiet, in the mornings we wake up to singing birds and ducks playing. This is me making the bed so that you see I do ocassionally make it. But that is the thing about being a stylist, you do get a bit lazy when it comes to doing your own ironing and tidying…
And the grand finale, the teeny weeny bathroom:
Yep, that’s the bathroom! Very tiny, possibly the smallest bathroom I have ever had, and I thought the Paris apartment bathroom was small! It was the only concern I had about living on the boat. But I have since fallen in love with it as the most beautiful light comes through the porthole and streams across the shower.
Here is the garden, and one of our neighbours below seeing “dag!” (“bye” in Dutch)…
PS did any of my regular readers guess already that I lived on a houseboat?
PPS the My Heart Wanders countdown will begin in the next post! So this is it, no more procrastinating, get your submissions in!!
Beautiful Pia, a dream.
No, I didn’t guess that but when I saw your photo weeks ago about the tea (photo at the window) I said to myself that you were living REALLY next to the canal 🙂 Now I understand 🙂
May 20th, 2008 | #
absolutely beautiful! the Fusion of where you live has been visible in your blog-somewhere unique, peaceful, creative and stunning!
May 20th, 2008 | #
Your house looks gorgeous, Pia! I love your garden, and you have some lovely ‘neighbours’.
May 20th, 2008 | #
Gorgeous! And here I am, currently freaking out about how hard it is to pack and move my book collection to a flat 2 suburbs away. How on earth do you move yours between countries?
Also, off topic, but I am heading to Paris soon and was wondering if you had any tips on shops selling old linen/fabrics?
Thank you in advance…
May 20th, 2008 | #
I’m coming from design sponge blog . Your house boat looks terrific . I would love to live there
May 20th, 2008 | #
wow! i didnt know you lived on a house boat..its lovely!
merci for sharing your home, it must be amazing to live on a river!
oh and im interested in miriam’s question too..aussi if you know anywhere that sells linen twine..i bought some that was made in france in melbourne but i havnt been able to find any here..?
May 20th, 2008 | #
I love your houseboat. Sounds like a good life! I think the bathroom might be my favorite!
May 20th, 2008 | #
Thanks girls!! Marie, try a brocante – that is where i found my best balls of twine for cheap as chips! let me know if you need help finding one close by to you.
Miriam, for old linen, you are best to go to Porte De Vanves brocante – there are stalls there (at the end, around the corner from the main strip) that have heaps of old fabrics. Yes, it is not easy moving things from country to country, I’m rather exhausted by it all. xx
May 20th, 2008 | #
So cool to know you live on one of those houseboats I was envying…thanks for the tour…it’s lovely!
May 20th, 2008 | #
Everything around you is impressive. You are a stunning lady!
May 20th, 2008 | #
AWww, Pia— it is all so gorgeous!!!
May 20th, 2008 | #
Absolutely beautiful.
May 21st, 2008 | #
Oh – it’s so gorgeous! I have always dreamt of living on a houseboat & just drifting away down a canal…..
May 21st, 2008 | #
found your blog via design for mankind and am loving it! your style is beautiful, and your little home so very sweet! i will definitely be coming back for more delicious eye candy 🙂
May 21st, 2008 | #
Thanks so much for the info. Will be sure to check it out.
May 21st, 2008 | #
Wow is all I can say. Your home is magical 🙂
May 21st, 2008 | #
the tulips are so sweet! and the houseboat’s not bad either 😉
May 21st, 2008 | #
Some day we’ll stop lugging around our footlocker and settle down somewhere like this.
Ha! Wishful thinking!
Gawd, I love that porthole in the bathroom!
May 21st, 2008 | #
it is so funny that everyone loves the bathroom! i’m thinking i should invite you all over to use it and THEN you can tell me if you still love it! hehe, but yeah, it is pretty fun.
thanks again for your fab comments! its so nice to meet new people through your links! xx
May 22nd, 2008 | #
Must be wonderful to live there. I’m a big Holland-Fan anyway.
I’ll be back to check out new photos from your Amsterdam-life.
May 22nd, 2008 | #
Beee-U-teeful. Of course you would live in such a romantic place. Of course! (No, I did not guess your home was floating on a canal.) Loving these photos, especially those books with their edges gilded in sunlight. I wanna come over and play!
May 25th, 2008 | #
gorgeous, really inspirational! I especially love the tiny chairs.
May 26th, 2008 | #
I am in love with your home. How in the world did you find something so perfect?
Your style is impeccable and your house is gorgeous. Thank you for sharing it with us!
June 6th, 2008 | #
absolutely amazing. a true dream.
June 7th, 2008 | #
Dear dear… I’ve never seen such a beautiful home ever! It’s True Love!!
I’m addicted to books too. Make sure they don’t sink the boat….
Bisous de Marylaure, Celine et Benjy
June 7th, 2008 | #
Congratulations! Great place and so tasteful decorated. Enjoy!
June 7th, 2008 | #
seeing this has brought tears to my eyes – literally. Just delightful.
May 11th, 2009 | #
[…] All this snow has me craving some warm time by the water to quell my feelings of being landlocked. Secretly, I harbor a secret desire to live on a lovely houseboat similar to Pia Jane Bijkerk’s watery abode. […]
February 9th, 2010 | #
Oh, my goodness – you’re living the dream! Your home is *beautiful*! Thanks for sharing.
While I technically live on an island (New York), I’ve been feeling so distanced from the water – this is making my heart flutter – fast!
May 10th, 2010 | #
AMAZING!!! What a fabulous abode! I will be checking back often for updates!
May 11th, 2010 | #
Pia- I have to ask, as someone who is extremely interested in living on water, and fabulously inspired by your beautiful floating home, how did you find the barge? do you rent it/ own it? Please tell the story of how you ended up living there!! (and any pointing in the direction of how one might find a similar situation would be appreciated)!
May 13th, 2010 | #
Pia
Just saw your wonderful house in “Home Beautiful” in an Australian doctor’s surgery. I was so intrigued, I took down the website address. I have always loved Amsterdam and think your home is charming.
Frances
April 15th, 2011 | #
Living on a houseboat in Amsterdam is my dream! How did you go when you were living there? Did you talk with someone who owns houseboats? And that case, how did you get them? Incredibly nice interior!
November 14th, 2011 | #
[…] the Parisian remodel above, just moved into an Amsterdam houseboat. It is glorious (see more images here and […]
October 26th, 2013 | #
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