Today we want to introduce you to House of Colour from the Netherlands. Willemijn told me details about the concept, the location and the history of the store and what she thinks is special about Pickmotion:
The concept of your store …
is simple. Be a place where people come to find inspiration for their home, something nice for themselves or a gift for friends. I would love to be a store where people leave thinking, "Man, I wish I had bought everything." When they think that, they will come back - for all sorts of reasons. That makes me grin from ear to ear. I take that as a huge compliment.
Where is the store located?
House of Colour is in the city centre of Leeuwarden in a very old, characteristic building. It was built in 1870 and has a beautiful bell-shaped gable in rococo style. It is red and known as the 'Planteur'. This name comes from the fact that there used to be a tobacco shop inside and the outermost leaf that is wrapped around a cigar is called the 'Plateur'. Right outside the door flows a small canal on which a lot of SUP (stand-up paddling) is done in the summer. On this occasion, tourists are told something about the immediate area, including the 'Planteur', and many come to our shop afterwards. I feel very honoured to have the shop in this historic building.
What about history? Who came up with the idea for House of Colors?
Bettina Hoekstra (the founder of House of Colour) opened an online shop four years ago. With her sense for colour and design, she established herself. Things went well and within six months House of Colour was a reality as a permanent shop.
Willemijn took over the shop three months ago, as Bettina is currently concentrating on her family. "The shop is changing. Previously the focus was on paint and home accessories such as throws/bedspreads, cushions and candle holders, today there are a lot of 'do-it-yourself' items, plants and little pranks and gifts.
What do you like and what convinces you about Pickmotion?
One of the first things I noticed when I took over the shop was that so many people were interested in postcards. We added Pickmotion to our range because we usually have a lot of black and white postcards.
Pickmotion impresses with its Polaroid look and the fact that there is the right card for every occasion. They are unique because the combination of image and text works so well. You can send the card or simply hang it on the wall as a decoration. They make you think, they offer comfort and love and most importantly: they make you laugh! And you also support beautiful pictures from Instagram.
