NEVER TOO SMALL: Contemporary Attic Conversion for Family of Three, Amsterdam 60sqm/645sqft
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
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Originally an unfinished attic in a renovated 1920s social housing complex, designer Michiel Hilbrink of ardor-studio drew inspiration from the building's fir wood beams, load-bearing wall, pitched roof and natural light for the redesign of his family’s home. A bathroom and nursery at the entrance give shape to a corridor that leads to a minimalist and modern open-plan living-dining-kitchen area. A striking matte black kitchen island, flanked by shallow oak-veneered cabinets of the same height, seems to float from the wall. At the back of the apartment, Hilbrink built a small mezzanine bedroom into the 5m high ceiling, designed as one single unit with the stairs and deep custom cupboards, all finished in oak veneer.
#smallapartment #architecture #interiordesign
Eps 185.
Project Name: Amsterdam Loft
Architect: www.ardor-studio.com
Produced by New Mac Video Agency
Creator: Colin Chee
Director: Nam Tran
Cinematographer: Rem Berger
Producer: Lindsay Barnard
Editor: Sebastian Tibbs
Music: Penance & Songbirds by warmkeys. from Artlist.io
A small space with high ceilings is such a game changer. The ability to add that extra room, or intense vertical storage or just the spaciousness it adds to a compact floor plan is truly incredible.
yep, volume of a space is often way more important than raw square footage.
Absolutely. Because the space we live in should not be measured in square meters but in cubic meters.
I don‘t think you are commenting on the red lentils polenta, are you?
Space for a loft is a game changer. Just having dedicated spaces for various activities makes a small space possible. I wish more building designers would realize that going up, making each space two levels, overcomes small footprint.
Absolutely. And if the space can open up to let in alot of light and views of the outside, you totally forget that you live in a small space.
What a beautiful apartment. Personally I would add some art to those creamy walls and a rug or two...and a handrail on the stairs :)
My exact thoughts! Otherwise, absolutely perfect.
My exact thoughts. I was going to write exactly the same comment and thought better check to see if someone’s already done it. 😊
my thoughts. Maybe they've moved in only recently. Then, with time more things will surely fill the space (also, with the kid growing up, more stuff will gather and the space will become more lively)
@@Musikvidedo its unlikely as he said that nursery used to be his home office
I understand why a visual artist wouldn't add too many visual elements to this apartment... it doesn't need to be visually overcrowded with stuff
that said, the staircase is a bit frightening
I was looking to buy an apartment and went on a viewing to this one. So cozy! But max for 1 person. For Amsterdam the design is a gem!
How much did it list for?
This space feels so spacious because of how the kitchen is just one low block. Kitchens typically take up a whole wall (if not two!) to hide a tall fridge, stove and vent, high cabinets etc. But your decision to make it just low and floating leaves so much free space around it. Beautifully done!
The whole design is gorgeous I agree . I live how they incorporates the mezzanine. I personally could never live with that kitchen - not enough storage - but they might be able to sell the apartment to someone so rich they could just eat delivery in Amsterdam …
Love it. Great balance. The contrast between the wooden, rustic elements and the minimalist, modern furniture makes the space feel cozy, yet modern and elegant.
The kitchen layout is really unpracticle for someone who cooks though, having to go around the island to take something in the fridge or go to the sink is not super efficient. Same for the nursery away from the parents, no railway to the stairs, but I guess if it works for them it's cool; the appartement is really beautiful and well designed but it lacks a bit of coziness (for my taste) and storage too. It feels overall like a holiday appartment (but a pretty one).
I've thought the same, imagine having to wash something before start cooking you got go all the way around :S
@@juanivallejoss The fridge is next to the sink, in such a small kitchen it makes more sense. you take something out, wash, maybe cut and leave it in the middle, and only after you are going around to the cooker. Agree it's not the most convenient kitchen, but for such minimalistic space - seems ok
Prep then cook. It makes perfect sense. Especially if they cook together.
@@EugeneBuvard Specially if you are in a rush cooking your breakfast before heading to your job..
They don't seem to cook at all, most of the apartment on this channel have couples that seem to only eat outside of takeaway. I don't know but adults that don't cook are weird.
The use of minimal materials, like the same tile everywhere needed in the bathroom is both practical and soothing. Bravo!
They call themselves minimalists so the style and little storage space for everything work for them. I could never COOK but only „reheat“ in that kitchen. Impractical design and even if you go shopping every day there is not enough space for at least some vital kitchen appliances I want. But such a great space and nice wood❤!
The space looks nice and clean, if a bit soulless. On one hand, there are a few issues I have with the functionality of the apartment. As many already mentioned, there is little storage space. However, if one truly commits to the minimalist lifestyle, this might not be a problem. Additionally, the kitchen layout with the oven and stove on one side and the sink and fridge on the other is impractical. My biggest concern is the bedroom and loft area. The layout might be fine when the child is a baby or toddler, but once he or she grows to be school age, not having a door on your bedroom will be very uncomfortable for both the parents and the child. On the other hand, I really enjoy what they did with the floating storage unit, it really does make the floor area seem bigger. I also like that they made the ceiling beams a feature instead of hiding them, they add a lot of character to the space. Finally, the wooden floor and accents lend a welcoming warmth to what would otherwise be cold and white feel inside the home.
@@Mother5063 Well, think about how a baby is made and you have your answer to why the lack of a door could be uncomfortable once the child gets older
One can guess that they plan on moving out once the child becomes a bit older, and sell the apartment to a single person or a couple, then the childs room can become an office or storage room again.
Exactly. This place isn't exactly child friendly. No bannister rail I had visions of the child trying to crawl up those stairs is an accident waiting to happen.
Once the kid gets older, they'll sell it for €700k and move to Almere.
He said in the film the nursery used to be his office - so I don't think the layout was designed with a kid in mind but for a single person or couple
This is the Epitome where 'Less is More' ❤Simple and elegant, with a twist in the wooden beams and the bookshelves 📚 Absolutely love it!! 👌
Less can never be ‘more’. More does not define better.
@@NaturesInfiniteWELLth-fo6rs I respect your opinion, but totally disagree with you. Peace
After watching these videos for some time, it would be interesting to learn the cost of these conversions to compare cost per square meter between countries. And the compromises people are willing to make to live in their desired location.
Oh I love this one - very sympathetic renovation. Wonderful that the beams were maintained and used as features. A lovely spacious, airy and soft internal environment allowing for a peaceful, well considered home.
Hmmm. Love the spaciousness and clean lines. He kept using the word “cozy” though; not an adjective I would associate with this space.
It’s giving me bookshop-café vibes. Love it! ❤
cozy is not an adjective i would use to describe this place
True, a bit too bleak. But so easy to add pops of color and texture with plants and accessories.
your point is valid , i would say that a few rugs and some really vibrant art pieces would cozy up the space instantly,.
I like the minimalist design and openness of the space but calling the living area cozy to me is like saying you just can't wait for your root canal
"Designers" understand the word cozy differently than normal people do.
So clinical, no warmth at all. Might as well be a hospital ward.
Very nice! However, "cosy" is not the first word that comes to my mind when looking at this very minimalistic living room: No coffee table, no rug, no pictures on the wall...
No arms on the couch
Exactly. Sterile is the word that comes to mind.
yo where's the TV?
"Minimalism, baby" 😊 art in itself
@@krystynach.6084 That's my point: it is minimalistic, not "cosy".
I absolutely loved this home! I am obsessed with kitchens that don’t look like kitchens. Like this one that seamlessly integrates into the living area. What a brilliant, thoughtful and truly liveable design. ❤❤
We’ve seen 600sf apartments that have dedicated much more space to the kitchen. This kitchen, while generous with appliances, appears to have minimal storage for dishes, cookware and ingredients. I can’t see myself feeding a family with such limited space. Have they chosen form over function?
I would love to hear more about the heating/cooling considerations and systems in these videos
Okay I love this one. So unique and unpredictable. It's like a combination of many different cozy nooks.
I love the upstairs window that opens up "upward" and the holes in the floor or ventilation.
high ceilings do so much! My boyfriend and I just moved into a tiny
I really enjoy this interior. My fav is lofty, warm minimalism, but this one is nice to see. Very calming. And finally easy to navigate on a regular basis - very practical 👍🏼
Wow, I remember visiting this space when it was for sale and open for viewing. I loved the height but renovating it myself was not my thing. I love seeing the end result. It's perfect! (It could do with some more plants, though.)
I love the less is more of this space; they are so right to want to keep the spaciousness of how it was when they just moved in.
Love love love the art work with Lucid Dreams on it. I have a lot of lucid dreams :)
I love the simplicity of this house.
The woods. Colors and the rest of space. I loved to watch it. ❤
Such a small fridge for a family of three 😮. I liked the open, airy feeling of the spaces.
We have a similar fridge for a family of 6.
@@vandoor6237 what the hell do you eat?
These people live in a densely populated area, not the suburbs. So they can get fresh food every day and only store staples and leftovers in the fridge.
@@mdeeaonetwothree5162Yes-shopping everyday or every other is common in France. Fresh is the best.
I have a small fridge too. I buy what I need in vegetables and fruits while walking home everyday.
That nursery is so dang adorable!
The kitchen looks so clean and not like a kitchen at all, i love it 😮❤
Just wonder where they put their plates, dishes, glasses, pan etc...I just saw room for appliances!
it looks cool, but seems a bit impractical to have fridge and cooktop on the opposite ends.
@@chloeuntrau4588he mentioned earlier on that they keep some kitchen items in the white unit with the books above.
@@easygii I wonder why they didn't put a bigger fridge in the empty space next to the cooktop also! if it's just about not ruining the space, there are beautiful fridges like smegg that would totally fit 😯 idk how they survive with that size honestly
This space feels wonderfully open, it doesnt look nor feel small at all! Wonderful work!
that confluence of angles is just amazing
Def one of my favorite tours. They live so minimally.Its very impressive
This is a beautiful apartment! A little too minimalist for my personal taste, but clearly perfect for the couple. Love the light and space and wood. Well done!
Beautiful!! loved every detail! great use of space and clean visual.
An apartment for a family of three with a child and such a small refrigerator.... I also pay attention to the stairs. It will be a lot of fun to go to the toilet at night.
I absolutely adore this place. It has the imaginative drive of an attic but at the same time is so light and open. It has the nooks, crannies, a feeling of a secret space, and an exposure of the building’s engineering, that is the magic only an attic can deliver, but with light and openness. I absolutely love it.
I’d have to make changes to the kitchen to suit my own needs (there is simply too little storage, and the sink and cooktop on opposite sides makes for a lot more walking about when cooking), but that’s just me, and in any event, could be fixed easily enough.
Something about this place just exudes serenity. In practice, I might get annoyed by the small fridge and fact that it’s on the on the backside of the island but I LOVE the look of the minimal kitchen so…I’d happily live there.
It’s a beautiful space! Love the wooden beams, the French tiles in the bathroom and ingenious deep wardrobes!
I love that the attic unit has so much natural light!
what a lovely home...well thought of...in style, design colours etc...the furniture fits well and works for them . Lovely area too outside.
Oh, I love this space. I would love to live somewhere so thoughtfully designed and furnished.
Just beautiful, logical, useful, sleek, and lived in at the same time. Heel mooi!
What a calm and soothing space. Lovely.
somehow the home looks much spacious than than it actually is. Looks so cozy to live in
I wouldn’t change a thing in this beautiful,elegant home ✨👌
Beautiful. Very nice window and I love that you kept the original beams. 👏
Love it when these small spaces have room for lots of books!!
Definitely passes the vibe-check. The minimalist approach to items like the laundry and kitchen means that the spaces allow for less defined interpretations of spatial functionality, thus the open-plan space feels like a living area instead of a large kitchen.
I will say that living with details like the bed and storage takes a very particular personality type.
I like the apartment, and it's location. I would reconfigure the layout. Move the sink & fridge to the same side as the hob. Maybe even move the kitchen bench along and put another workbench with cupboards at the back and put the sink there. Doubling the kitchen workspace and cupboard space. Move the breakfast stools from the end there to where the sink used to be, allowing for four stools, seeing as there is now the space to. Extend the length of the main kitchen bench and even pull it out from the wall to create an island so you can navigate around it from both sides. Move the dining table to just next to the kitchen bench (make it bigger for 6 people). Expand the living area to accomodate a larger sofa (maybe with a built in chaise) add a couple of occasional chairs, lots more cushions, side tables, a standing lamp and at least 3 table lamps throughout the apartment. Add a coffee table. Add an ottoman. Move the wardrobe upstairs and integrate it at the back of the bed with full height mirror sliding doors. Add a large TV / cabinet (that you can hide away the TV if needed). Add lots of Art on the wall and plants, plants, plants everywhere... oh and books, possibly in a bookshelf in the living area. And finally a Foosball table!
You're welcome.
it is a very stylish home, excellent choice in furniture, quite wonderful!
They did a great job on bringing the light in.
A really beautiful space! And love the private space for their kid. I would add wood slats below the mattresses to prevent mold and stuff. They do sell floor bed frames
Lovely apartment. For my taste I would have to configure the kitchen differently (kitchen in two halves 'back to back' would scramble my brain). I'd need the kitchen functions along the wall with maybe a swing out 'bar' surface. I would want to change the impact of a large black entity in front of the window - personal taste! Thank you for the video. Its a great mental challenge to 'work' through the spaces. 😊. Best regards to all. G Ire
Agree with you about the kitchen. As someone who loves to cook, that layout would drive me nuts.
Beautifully done. Light and airy considering tricky angles due to roof line. Bathroom was spacious and tile was gorgeous. Staircase can be a bit scary w/o railing especially with a child. Overall, amazing space!
A lovely-looking minimalist apartment that definitely requires a very minimalist lifestyle. Some issues around safety & practicality that others have pointed out (lack of hand rail on stairs, kitchen layout, v low bottom-sill height on bed platform window, etc), and a bit too sterile for me personally. But a lovely space in a great building & neighbourhood, which I'd have happily taken on as a now home project - but just for me!
This space and design is totally my type. I love the minimalist mix with mid century furnishing. I know a group of viewers here that will hate on this saying it’s too minimalistic…to these people, just because it’s not your style doesn’t mean you cannot appreciate the design and beauty. Bravo 👏
this actually feels lived in despite not having that many soft furnishings, I love the tile in the bathroom and the lil miffy lamp! just personal preference but I think a rug would be nice.
I overall love this space, I can see myself living in a space like this for a few years.
Finally!!!, very very very nice!!! I would be very happy living there
Heel mooi gedaan! Wij wonen ook zo met drie kinderen. Ik vroeg mij alleen wel af of jullie kind echt zo weinig speelgoed heeft (wat natuurlijk kan) verder heel erg mooi ❤
I would only add a rug, just to bring in some warmth and texture.
The apartment is so beautiful 😻
I love that it has alot of space in the living/dining rooms and kitchen.
As a pet lover it can also house a cat and a dog too 😅
It looks incredible!!! I love it.
wow beautiful space and amazing design choices
as a mum myself i doubt this to be practical for kids though (stairs without rails, nursery being downstairs and far away from the parents, no bathtub, lots of open storage….)
Who has clear windows in a shower room as well.
Definitely best for inhabitants who do not do a lot of cooking. There is very little storage in the kitchen for even the most basic list of small appliances, pots & pans, dishware, and cooking and baking tools.
I love this kitchen that doesn't really look like one; it looks great in smaller spaces. the bathroom is large and well designed though I would choosea different (more vibrant) color for myself.
nice scaling overall! i like it!
Beautiful and tranquil space!
everything about this apt is so good!
Overall cool, but bathroom - it's The best bathroom I ever have seen on this channel or elsewhere!
I love how Michiel Hilbrink transformed the attic space by maximizing natural light and using oak veneer for a cohesive, warm look. The floating matte black kitchen island is a stunning focal point. The mezzanine bedroom and integrated storage are brilliant for small spaces. I think adding some greenery along the corridor would enhance its welcoming feel even more.
Fabulous flat! One thing I was thinking about was adding additional storage in the stairs, but maybe this family had not needed it.
Finally a BEAUTIFUL SMALL space with no fabric curtains separating rooms lol 😂… perfect small living space!
Well, the house is well organized, btw the director is Vietnamese, excellent video
Beautiful,clean looking apartment. Love the bathroom and staircase. Kitchen seems really strange to me.
love that there's lots of books. that one corner in the kitchen with the low cabinet could knstead have been made taller but otherwise very cool build
This is an absolute gem
Exceptionally well-designed
marvellous space extremely well utilised, tho the kitchen utilities' arrangement is perhaps somewhat idiosyncratic. all round just wonderful! love the green DSC 106's for the dining area
Even small places can bring comfort. 🥰🥰
This is a gorgeous apartment. I love the floor plan, the wooden beams, high ceilings, a lot of storage. Would just furnish it completely different, too minimalist for me 🫠😃
Love this! How liberating not to have a lot of “stuff”
I wouldn't have thought this is only 645sqft if it wasn't mentioned in the title. Looks much, much bigger than it actually is. Although I can see some impracticalities and share the same sentiments as in some of the comments, he's still done a good job overall.
I would love to see this channel cover a normal family small home lived in by a more common demographic.
Every episode is a couple, sometimes with 1 child, but always artists or designers or architects, and always very minimalist.
Some real world coverage would be nice
1:22 Special mention to the Amsterdam national museum of slavery with its amazing iconic powerful sculpture !
And i love this appartment reno !
Fantastic space. Would live in it anytime :)
Beautiful conversion
Stunning !!! great design !
i would love to know more about the fan installation in the induction cooktop: the brand and how it got installed without any apparent means of venting out. usually, owners in apartment building are not allowed to dig vents out in order to properly duct downdraft range hoods like those.
I saw the thumbnail and instantly knew this apartment was situated in the Netherlands. Too funny.
very beautiful. Well done!
This is truly splendid. I’m amazed.
Absolutely lovely! I probably couldn't live with such a small fridge, but the design is beautiful.
It is a very common size fridge here in the Netherlands, at least for apartments in city centers. Most city people do their shopping by bike, so you can’t transport too much and go more frequently.
@@mathildemaijer2396 That makes sense; it's an interesting lifestyle difference from Vancouver. Over here, while it's not as dominated by cars as other North American cities, I would buy groceries from nearby places using my electric longboard, but also do occasional trips once a month by car, where I would buy a large amount of stuff on sale to put in my freezer.
@@ruhtraeel Interesting that the size of a fridge reveals differences in lifestyle. I like that.
Looks beautiful.
My partner and I went to view this apartment as it was for sale a few months back still decorated exactly as shown here in the video. I gotta say out of so many apartments we viewed this one was the real catfish of them all. It’s looks nice in photos and videos but when you are in it it is SOO small with no view. It feels like a box. There’s a reason why it didn’t sell at the price it was initially listed for. Also, the stairway to get to it is very social housing esqu. The apartment also sits on a kind of leasehold so when purchasing you have to rent the land from Amsterdam. Nice in pictures and theory but pretty unlivable.
I’m sure his partner said it was too small thus the “for sale”. Especially with growing child. It’s an ideal size for a college student.
Rent land?😂
Very normal in Amsterdam to rent the land your house is on. Can range 50 to up to 500 euros a month
yes, but not for the price. they did not even have a perpetual leasehold in agreement with the Gemeente. Quite possible to find an apartment without leasehold as did.
I would fill the walls and floors with some more personal and colorful things like family photos, art, rugs, plants ect. But besides that it looks great!
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode! Well done! 🏆🏆🏆
It's so fun to watch stylish designers living their stylish lives. Here in Canada and especially Ontario, our building codes wouldn't allow the stairs or the loft and window.
wow that bathroom is spacious
Miffy lamp...a very important cultural artifact for an Amsterdam apartment!