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THE DIGEST
Design Dialogues: Anna + Nina
We step inside the colourful world of Anna + Nina in Amsterdam to talk vintage, creativity and the art of creating spaces that tell a story.
Colourful, romantic and always with a sense of humour - Anna + Nina has spent the past 15 years making the everyday feel a little less ordinary.
Founded in Amsterdam by best friends Anna de Lanoy Meijer and Nina Poot, the brand began as a jewellery agency before growing into the wonderfully eclectic mix of jewellery, homeware and interiors it is today. As Nina puts it, it’s now “interior and jewellery and everything we like.”
Homeware came about almost by accident. Faced with an Amsterdam store too large to fill with jewellery alone, Anna and Nina began introducing cushions, furniture and objects, and quickly discovered their customers wanted more.
Their approach to the stores was equally instinctive. Rather than traditional shelving and bright retail lighting, they filled them with vintage furniture, art and laid tables to create something closer to a living room. Vintage has remained central ever since. One cabinet, inherited from Nina’s grandmother, has travelled from their first office to their store and is still used today. Selling it is out of the question - they’re convinced it would bring bad luck.
That mix of old and new is part of what makes the Anna + Nina world so distinctive. Vintage pieces sit alongside their own playful designs, where everyday objects are given a little more personality through colour, hand-painted details and unexpected touches.
It all comes back to their tagline escape the ordinary. Whether setting a table, choosing jewellery or decorating a room, the idea is to make everyday rituals feel more personal and a lot more fun.
“To have something that is pre-loved and that has a story of its own will give a different feeling.”
Anna de Lanoy Meijer
Amsterdam provides plenty of inspiration, too - from vintage markets and creative neighbourhoods to glimpses inside canal houses while cycling through the city.
It’s a fitting backdrop for a brand that embraces interiors that are collected rather than perfected - colourful, characterful and never too serious.
Watch the full conversation here.
