Local Makers: Wooden Amsterdam
The tastiest treats, prettiest puzzles, cleverest cutting boards, finest wines and cutest wooden canal houses—all crafted by Amsterdam-based makers. But how do they create these wonders? And what makes their products so special? In this edition, we turn our spotlight on Wooden Amsterdam. We interviewed founder Wieger Josemans about how Wooden Amsterdam got its start. But first, check out this video to see how these wooden canal houses are made.
From Slovenia to Amsterdam
Wieger Josemans was still a web designer when, in 2015, his father Hans discovered the Trobla—a maple- or walnut wood speaker. Intrigued, they travelled to Slovenia, where the speakers were made. The makers clearly knew how to build a great speaker but struggled to market their product. This was where Hans and Wieger saw an opportunity. Hans hit the streets, visiting shops to sell the speakers, while Wieger took care of the rest. Upon their return to the Netherlands, Wieger registered their brand-new business as Wooden Amsterdam and built their webshop from scratch. The platform quickly expanded, selling various wooden design products alongside the Trobla.
From real houses to wooden canal houses
Inspired by their Slovenian colleagues, Wieger and Hans wanted to try designing wooden items themselves. The lightbulb moment came when Wieger gazed out his window at the houses across the street. That was it—the exact house at Herengracht 420, crafted from walnut wood. Armed with photos from every angle, Wieger approached a local woodworker who recreated the house in miniature. The wooden canal house quickly became Wooden Amsterdam's most successful product. More iconic houses followed: Amstel 101, Keizersgracht 526 and Oude Turfmarkt 143. Each one is a piece of Amsterdam's history, perfectly captured in wood. So, if you don’t have a view of these stunning buildings from your own window, you can now pick up your own wooden versions at the I amsterdam Store.
The I amsterdam Store, your go-to shop for Amsterdam gifts, gives a platform to the stories of local makers like Wooden Amsterdam. You’ll find us at the back of Central Station, in the IJ-hal.
