A few weeks ago we took a tour of the vintage-filled 1880s Amsterdam home of stylist, cook, and cookbook author Helma Bongenaar (see A Collector’s Vintage-Filled Home in a Former Tavern in Amsterdam). What first captured my attention on Instagram, though, was the kitchen, formerly a tavern frequented by the city’s dockworkers, now fitted with Helma’s trademark found, thrifted, and collected finds. Even the cabinets were salvaged.
The space is awash in two shades of palest blue—traditional in Dutch interiors for making the most of the light. Plus, Helma adds, “flies don’t like this color.”
Join us for a closer look at this unique and layered cook space.
Photography by Helma Bongenaar (@helmabongenaar).
![an entryway (at left) leads into the classic corner house. the former tavern sp 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/helma-bongenaar-kitchen-733x977.jpg)
![the kitchen runs along the opposite wall. helma and her husband found the mix a 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/helma-bongenaar-kitchen-7-733x550.jpg)
![helma is a collector and thrifter by nature, and a glass fronted cabinet holds 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/helma-bongenaar-kitchen-6-733x550.jpg)
![the floor is part geometric tile, part well worn painted boards. the hard weari 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/helma-bongenaar-kitchen-2-733x550.jpg)
![copper rails and simple s hooks keep helma\2\17;s collections of cooking 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/helma-bongenaar-kitchen-5-733x977.jpg)
![the house, built in \1800, follows the format of a traditional amsterdam commer 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/helma-bongenaar-kitchen-1-733x550.jpg)
![\2\20;there must always be a sense of humor in the house,\2\2\1; 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/helma-bongenaar-kitchen-3-733x550.jpg)
For a look at the rest of Helma’s house, see Dutch Light: A Collector’s Vintage-Filled Home in a Former Tavern in Amsterdam.
And for more lived-in kitchens we love, take a look at:
- Kitchen of the Week: Shaker in the City
- Kitchen of the Week: “Preserving the Spirit of the Old” in Reims, France
- Kitchen of the Week: A New Kitchen Designed to Harmonize with a Vintage Pantry
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