In April, interior design store Total4Living, located at Gelderlandplein, moved three doors to the left. Their new store is twice as big and boasts ten ambiance rooms where customers can…
In April, interior design store Total4Living, located at Gelderlandplein, moved three doors to the left. Their new store is twice as big and boasts ten ambiance rooms where customers can have a look around, get a cup of coffee and find inspiration for their home.
We enter Total4Living through the beautiful façade made of black steel and glass. All four interior designers, Ilona, Britte, Kevin and Hiske, are busy showing customers around. And they don’t hesitate to let them touch the beautiful curtains, furniture and new wallpapers. Opulent fabrics like velvet are currently en vogue and the new wallpapers have wonderful textures.
“Ever since we moved, we’ve had a lot more people walking into our store,” Ilona says later on when it is a bit quieter. “We’re now at ground level so it’s easy for them to come in and have a look. Compared to the old store we’ve now got double the floor space and twice as many brands on display.”
Ambiance rooms at Total4Living
“Everyone likes our ten fully-furnished ambiance rooms. Everything in those rooms is for sale: the floors, tables, chairs, TV cabinets, rugs, carpets, curtains, blinds and shutters. All the rooms have been styled with trendy accessories. Also for sale, of course.”
‘In our store you’ll find everything you need to decorate and furnish your home’
“One thing stayed the same, however, and that is the service we offer: a complete interior design including lighting plan and 3D drawings, but also colour and styling advice, and everything you need to decorate and furnish your home. The steel window frames at the entrance and in the styling rooms are one of our trademarks. They’ve been a trend for many years; you’ll find these in houses built in the 1930s but also in hypermodern homes. Another trademark is our bespoke furniture: we can make all kinds of cabinets and closets to measure.”
Realistic dimensions
“The ten ambiance rooms each have their own style that can be matched,” says Britte who’s joined us. “The rooms are 13 by 16 foot, just like in a normal house, so customers can imagine what it would look like in their home. The dimensions are realistic. We like it when people are just walking around, feeling at ease and trying a chair or sofa in one of these rooms. We welcome everyone who comes into our store, offer them a cup of coffee and then let them have a look. When someone picks up a piece, that doesn’t necessarily mean they actually want it so we let them relax and enjoy their coffee! In the meantime, we continue working at our large table in the kitchen and they’ll call us when they need help or more information.”
“In the old store, we more or less showed one overall picture; in this new one, you’ll see many different styles. The brands we sell are mainly Dutch, Scandinavian and Italian. One could say we’ve moved to the luxurious side or even gone a bit glamorous. However, that doesn’t mean we’ve become more expensive. Our strength is still creating a stylish image that’s very affordable and we try to achieve that by mixing expensive items with cheaper ones.”
Wallpaper is a big trend
Ilona: “The glamour aspect is reflected in the fine fabrics like velvet and rich materials for wall decoration, such as leather and textile. Going a bit over the top is allowed. We sell wallpaper designed by Dutch Wall Textile, made of velvet, suede and silk – exclusive fabrics that add a very special touch. People are a lot more daring these days: before, customers would only allow us to decorate one panel with an eye-catching piece of wallpaper, whereas now we’re doing entire walls. Wallpaper is another big trend at the moment.”
‘And with the Xavier apartment complex being under construction, some customers have involved us from scratch’
“After all the taupe and grey of the last couple of years, colours are back again! We use a lot of pink, aubergine and blue tones. Putting a few pillows with vibrant prints on a grey sofa gives it a new lease of life. Every month we get at least 50 different pillows delivered, so we’ve always got plenty of choice. We also notice that people are aware of the importance of light; buying not one lamp but a group of them has become a bit of a trend as well lately. The right lighting is crucial for a nice atmosphere in your home and a lamp can even double as a piece of art.”
The Zuidas as a ‘mini-Manhattan’
Britte: “Because our store at Gelderlandplein is just a stone’s throw away from the Zuidas, we’ve already had the opportunity to work on some great projects in complexes like the 900 Mahler, the Miles Building, Summertime and Intermezzo. And with the Xavier apartment complex being under construction, a few customers have involved us from scratch and that works extremely well. We sit down with them and make a floor plan and a customized lighting plan which they can then send to their builder in order to ensure that all the pipes and cables will be neatly concealed from view.”
“The Zuidas is becoming a mini-Manhattan, it’s really coming alive. When I cycle through this area in the morning, all the breakfast places are full. And it isn’t finished yet. Go and have a look at the scale model of the Zuidas in the WTC Building: you’ll see that another few thousand apartments are going to be built. So you’ll understand that our fingers are itching!”
Total4Living
Winkelcentrum Gelderlandplein
Willem van Weldammelaan 11
Amsterdam
http://www.total4living.nl
M 06 – 49 06 38 49
P free parking for 90 minutes right in front of the store (with parking disk)
E amsterdam@total4living.nl
Opening hours
Mon: 12:00 – 19:00 hours
Tue – Fri: 09:30 – 19:00 hours
Sat: 09.30 – 18:00 hours
Sun: 12:00 – 17:00 hours
