For Dutch design firm Framework Studio, a building’s history forms the foundation of any project. In the instance of DB11 – a family home located in Amsterdam’s upscale Oud-Zuid neighbourhood – this meant understanding more about 'Amsterdamse School.' The property, built in 1938, embodied many of the architectural movement’s characteristics, with a brick facade, wooden window frames, and red roof cladding.

“We do research in the archives to understand more about the architect who built the building and to see the way he used materials, textures, light, and routing,” says Framework Studio founder Thomas Geerlings of their creative process. “Then we go to the drawing board and design with this heritage in the back of our mind.”

In the instance of DB11, this meant using materials that felt cohesive with the house’s origin. Focusing on oak, plain plaster, and natural stone, the result was a light and contemporary interior that remains connected to the traditional building materials first used to construct it in the 1930s. The surrounding environment also played a key role in the design, with the lush greenery reflected in tactile fabrics and an organic colour palette.

In the kitchen, Geerlings sought to establish a balance between the hard angles of the island’s stone countertop and the painted oak cabinets and the comfort brought by natural materials. He selected the CH58 Bar Stools by Hans J. Wegner precisely for the gentle contrast that their elegant walnut frames and padded leather seats offered “We looked for a simple design that played with the rigid lines of the kitchen,” he explains. “The stools had to soften the materials and the colours used.”