Upcycling in Style

Amsterdam – Waterlooplein flea market, Saturday morning, 09:37 am: lively stands, unique items, eager faces. The city vibrates with energy as a variety of people gather at the former market square six days a week to enjoy a special flea market atmosphere – between romantic canals and picturesque houses with wooden shutters.
This is exactly where our new 'Huis' – as the Dutch would say – is located, with a lounge that plays on the flea market theme. 

Turning old into new

One of the regular flea market visitors is the Dutch artist and international designer Piet Hein Eek, who is passionate about discovering and recovering objects with a past life. With great enthusiasm, he puts these through the process of upcycling, in which old items are given a new lease of life. 

Piet has also created three unique design objects for our new Motel One Amsterdam-Waterlooplein using upcycling.
These include a wall installation composed of old window and door elements, which provides a striking accent in the lounge area. With charming playfulness and bright colours, it forms a successful counterpart to the nearby bar with its heavy, austere wooden look.

The artist's second highlight is literally a bright idea: his interpretation of a chandelier made of old lampshades gives the lounge area a cosy feel, and produces an interplay of light – something that also features in Eek's third piece, in which the shape and green lampshades of the handmade 'One Mold Ceramic Lamps' are reminiscent of typical retro-style office lamps.
Integrated into the large workbench, they provide a cosy meeting point where your own creative ideas can bubble over. Come and take a seat!

Local flair

The works of the Dutch designer Pepe Heykoop also demonstrate that upcycling is not just a standalone phenomenon, but an increasing trend. Heykoop designed a set of bar stools for us made from rolled leather remnants. 

The artist Sander Wassink has also integrated his knowledge of traditional manufacturing techniques and upcycling into our concept, producing innovative pendant lights made from disused tableware items. 

Golden years, golden works

The Golden Age, the economic and above all cultural heyday of the Netherlands in the 17th century, provides the second source of design inspiration for our lounge. The key representative of this period, Rembrandt van Rijn, thus became a focus of our design concept – after all, the famous Rembrandt House Museum is directly behind our hotel.

Other old masters have also found their place in the lounge, with samples of well-known works on our tables and in the wall collage with its dreamy cloudy sky based on works by artists such as Vermeer.

Whether by old masters or upcycling masters, each of these unique pieces contributes to the exclusivity and uniqueness of our interior. 'Hartelijk welkom' in our Motel One Amsterdam-Waterlooplein!