Re-imagine the Dutch capital in your own palette. It is a great activity for the kids, but grown-ups can get in on the fun too. Grab your colouring pencils or crayons, sit down and get creative. Take inspiration in your colour choice from Koen Smilde’s scene-setting photographs.  

Architecture at Java eiland Koen Smilde

Lamonggracht, Java Island

Lamonggracht is one of Amsterdam’s newest canals and is located in the vibrant Oostelijke Eilanden (Eastern Docklands). Named after the Lamong River in Indonesia’s Java, Lamongracht was dug in the late 1990s when the area was transformed from a bustling dock to a residential area. The streetscape — or should that be canalscape? — features houses with differing facades and building heights from those opposite. The idea was to avoid a perfect mirror image giving a contemporary feel to the area.

Download printable colouring sheet.

Bar Bukowski Oosterpark Koen Smilde

Bar Bukowski, Oosterpark 10

Named after writer and womaniser Charles Bukowski, inside this atmospheric bar you’ll find traces of his affections and passions. On the menu, you’ll not only find tasty offerings but quotes from the wordsmith himself.

Download printable colouring sheet. 

Bar Kauffmann Sumatrastraat Koen Smilde

Bar Kauffmann, Sumatrastraat 47

Before moving to Amsterdam’s west, Bar Kauffmann served their winning combination of beer and falafel from their former Sumatrastraat location in the city’s east. This charming vista pays homage to the bar that was popular with locals. Yes, you guessed it, Sumatrastraat was named after one of Indonesia’s largest islands, Sumatra.

Download printable colouring sheet. 

Grachten Koen Smilde

Bloemgracht

Situated in the heart of the Jordaan, the Bloemgracht was built in the first half of the 17th century. Amsterdam was beginning to expand  with many industries and factories setting up here over the years including printers, dyers, the Pacifist Socialist Party and a shelter for homeless women and children. Even Rembrandt van Rijn set up his studio on the Bloemgracht in the 1660s. After the Second World War, the area quickly transformed into the charming residential area it is now.

Download printable colouring sheet. 

Graffiti at Heesterveld Koen Smilde

Heesterveld

Named after a farm in nearby Nuland in 1978, Heesterveld has become an icon in the city’s south east. This bold and vibrant building has had a splash of paint courtesy of the artists who have taken up residence there. The result is a bright and welcoming neighbourhood.

Kleurplaat graffiti at Heesterveld Koen Smilde.

Reguliersgracht Koen Smilde

Reguliersgracht

Connecting the Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht and Lijnbaansgracht, the Reguliersgracht is where you’ll find the Seven Bridges, the site of many romantic photographs. Bond Girl Tiffany Case resided on the third floor at number 36 in the seventh Bond film, Diamonds are Forever. And during the second World War, the beautiful canal was home to the then illegal newspaper, Het Parool, which is now the city’s main paper.

Kleurplaat Reguliersgracht Koen Smilde.

Get creative and show us your colours!