Categorie: Reside

Amity International School Amsterdam

The former head office of Van Leer’s Vatenfabriek on Amsterdamseweg in Amstelveen has been brought back to life. Amity International School Amsterdam has revived the impressive old building by fully…

The former head office of Van Leer’s Vatenfabriek on Amsterdamseweg in Amstelveen has been brought back to life. Amity International School Amsterdam has revived the impressive old building by fully renovating its interior and turning the facilities into a fitting location where children are taught at the highest educational level.

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A passion for real estate

Fifteen years ago, Ramón Mossel started his own real estate agency in the Rivierenbuurt in Amsterdam-Zuid. Every day, he and his team at Ramón Mossel Makelaardij show their passion for…

Fifteen years ago, Ramón Mossel started his own real estate agency in the Rivierenbuurt in Amsterdam-Zuid. Every day, he and his team at Ramón Mossel Makelaardij show their passion for real estate, bringing supply and demand together.

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Total4Living: A touch of glamour

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.

Total4Living

“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

Total4Living“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’

Total4LivingBritte: “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

 

 

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Risky Business: ‘We feel we’re achieving something special’

Ed Hartendorp is site superintendent at construction company Waal and since 2016, he and 90 colleagues have been working on the Xavier apartment complex that’s starting to take shape at…

Ed Hartendorp is site superintendent at construction company Waal and since 2016, he and
90 colleagues have been working on the Xavier apartment complex that’s starting to take
shape at Gustav Mahlerlaan. We join Ed for a day on his workplace and today that’s the 21st
floor. Up there, around 80 yards above ground level, we enjoy an impressive view of the
entire Zuidas.

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The Power of Relaxation

A mere 15-minute drive from all the concrete, glass and steel at the Zuidas lies a quiet haven at the Vinkeveense Plassen called ‘Zwier’, an inspiring 10-acre place where city-dwellers…

A mere 15-minute drive from all the concrete, glass and steel at the Zuidas lies a quiet haven at the Vinkeveense Plassen called ‘Zwier’, an inspiring 10-acre place where city-dwellers with a hectic life can unwind and recharge their batteries.

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Power women on the Zuidas: Willemijn O’Connor

For the third ZUIDAS. magazine we did a cover story with six inspirational women about their passion and their career. What drives them to go for the best results? Willemijn…

For the third ZUIDAS. magazine we did a cover story with six inspirational women about their passion and their career. What drives them to go for the best results? Willemijn O’Connor is the second in row. 

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Expat package for rental apartments at Zuidas

Intermezzo has a nice gesture for expats looking for a rental apartment at the Zuidas: they provide an optional ‘expat package’ to make moving in a little bit easier.

Intermezzo has a nice gesture for expats looking for a rental apartment at the Zuidas: they provide an optional ‘expat package’ to make moving in a little bit easier.

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Fun things to do with your kids on the Zuidas

With all the new apartment blocks opening their doors in the Zuidas there are a lot of young families moving into the area. And there are plenty of new initiatives for…

With all the new apartment blocks opening their doors in the Zuidas there are a lot of young families moving into the area. And there are plenty of new initiatives for the youngest Zuidas residents. Journalist Natasja Admiraal and photographer Jeannette Huisman, two friends who gave birth to a baby girl on the exact same day, reveal their favourite hotspots and activities.

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Kindercampus Zuidas: Playful learning

The Zuidas area in Amsterdam is an inspiring environment undergoing rapid development. People work here, people live here and children go to school here. Kindercampus Zuidas is an integral education…

The Zuidas area in Amsterdam is an inspiring environment undergoing rapid development. People work here, people live here and children go to school here. Kindercampus Zuidas is an integral education centre offering child care, elementary education and after-school care services.

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You need to know what expats want

Ruben Feenstra (39) grew up in the Zuidas area. When he was young he spent a lot of time playing tennis on the courts that made way for the current…

Ruben Feenstra (39) grew up in the Zuidas area. When he was young he spent a lot of time playing tennis on the courts that made way for the current offices and apartments. These days he helps expats find suitable housing and he advises various parties on the kind of living space expats are looking for. After fifteen years in this business he’s become quite an expert.

“This area means a lot to me as it’s been my playground for such a long time”, Ruben says. “You could find me on the tennis courts here every day as I played top-level tennis from age 10 to 21. So you can imagine this place is full of nostalgia for me.”

When he was twenty-three, Feenstra called time on his tennis career and started working for Rotsvast Amstelveen, a real-estate agency specialized in long-term rentals to expats. Six years ago, Feenstra and his business partner Ewoud Cossee took over Rotsvast Amsterdam-Zuid and Amsterdam-Centrum.

Budget for housing

Rotsvast rents apartments and houses to expats looking to stay here for a period of one to five years. “Not too long ago expats would stay for five to seven years, but companies are rotating staff quicker between countries. What used to be one period of five years has now been cut into two sections of 2.5 years.”

When he was twenty-three Ruben Feenstra started renting apartments to expats

Another big chance is the other party he is dealing with. “Fifteen years ago, our clients were mainly multinationals looking for living space for their employees. These days the rental market is much more transparent due to websites such as Pararius. It is more and more common for employees to arrange their own housing using a budget allocated by their company. On the other hand we do a lot of advisory work for home owners wanting to rent out their property and for investment companies building apartment blocks.”

Advising property investors

Ruben Feenstra Rostvast

Ruben Feenstra PHOTO: DONALD VAN HASSELT PHOTOGRAFIE

Ruben likes his advisory role. “In this market an investor or developer needs to offer a competitive product. This means we can work with nicer rental properties that are better tailored to the needs of the market. And that makes our job more dynamic and fun.”

He talks to other parties about development and lay-out of a property or an apartment block, what kind of services should be offered and what people expect for their money in a particular area. “We love working together with leading property investors. For example, we’re involved in 50 high-end design apartments at various A-locations in town belonging to investment company Prowinko.”

“We also participate in the De Terrassen complex in Amstelveen, a new development with 134 luxury apartments owned by the RJB Group. De Terrassen is tailored to expats and will open in July this year. We manage the whole rental process of these projects together with Eefje Voogd Makelaardij.  We’re really happy working with them. We complement each other and it’s a fun clash of company cultures.”

Far-reaching service

The building management department of Rotsvast is going to take care of all services for De Terrassen. “That involves the entire daily management of this complex but we’ll also be the point of contact for other property owners. At the moment, we have three people working full-time to manage services for around 300 apartments. Sometimes we are asked to fix a vacuum cleaner that doesn’t work because the bag is full or we get a call in the weekend urging us to please come over and explain how the dishwasher works”, Ruben says with a smile.

After fifteen years in this line of business, Ruben knows what expats want. There is not a big difference between expats and locals but there are a few cultural things to take into account. “Japanese people want a bathtub in their house; they won’t even look at a property that doesn’t have one. Indian and American expats are genuinely surprised that Dutch houses have so few bathrooms and toilets. The Japanese want a rice cooker, Indian expats need a powerful blender to make curry.”

‘Japanese people won’t even look at a property that doesn’t have a bathtub’

Another big difference are the housing prices. Generally, housing for expats is more expensive although the difference is getting smaller. “The apartments of the new projects we work on are in principle available for everybody. We see more and more often that Dutch young professionals are willing to pay 1,800 euros for 60 sq.m2 (645 sq.ft) if this means they get a nice apartment in a good location. Whereas ten years ago, only expats would pay these prices.”

Relatively affordable

Ruben sees a bright future for ‘his’ Zuidas. “You can see the dynamic changing. In the early days there was not much to do here and at night it was pretty dead. But now there is a good mixture of different functions, which makes the whole area much more vibrant.”

When it comes to the appeal the area has for expats, Ruben doesn’t worry at all. “I’ve rarely spoken to a client who didn’t like it here. The living conditions are great. Dutch people are open-minded and they all speak English. The quality of living is high: there are lots of green spaces and excellent facilities. Housing in Amsterdam is relatively affordable, even though the perception among locals is that real estate prices have gone through the roof given the 50% increase in the last six years. But there are at least 30 thirty cities worldwide that are more expensive than Amsterdam. An Australian banker who has lived in cities all over the world recently said to me: ‘For the quality of your city, your prices are a joke’.’’

 

Rotsvast Amstelveen
Amsterdamseweg 185
Amstelveen
T 020 503 6560

Rotsvast Amsterdam
Johannes Verhulststraat 30
Amsterdam
T 020 662 7662

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